NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen recently discussed her feelings on ever reuniting with her previous band, AFTER FOREVOR.
Jansen was AFTER FOREVOR’s vocalist from 1997 to their eventual dissolution in 2009. After the band dissolved, Floor formed REVAMP, releasing two albums with them before joining NIGHTWISH in 2012, following the departure of vocalist Anette Olzon, and becoming a fulltime member in 2013.
Floor recently spoke with Metal Hammer to discuss her years in AFTER FOREVOR, their debut album “Prisoner Of Desire” and if she feels a reunion would be possible.
When asked if at 16 years of age, when she joined AFTER FOREVOR, did she already know that fronting a band was what she wanted to do, Jansen replied: “No. Think of a bunch of teenagers that wanted to play music, and think before the internet. I liked metal. And I wanted to sing in a metal band. That was my ambition; I used to play guitar and write my own acoustic songs, then I played at parties of friends. And one day when I did that, somebody said, ‘I know a bunch of guys that have a metal band, and they are looking for a female background singer’, and that was After Forever. And so that’s how I joined.”
When asked what those early days with the band were like, she offered: “We had this old-fashioned tape recorder in the middle of the room, so if we had an idea, we’d record it on that, and the rest we’d just remember. For the first I don’t know how many years, the thing was; if I can remember my vocal lines, they’re good. If I can’t, they weren’t worth it! That is how the songs came to be. We rehearsed twice a week – we were absolutely serious.”
When asked if there was any chance for a reunion with AFTER FOREVOR, Jansen replied: No, not as far as I’m concerned. I’m very content with where I am. It’s good to leave things in the past. Many After Forever albums have been re-released, unfortunately without my consent. But now the latest [self-titled] album will be re-released next year and all members were involved, which is a huge difference. So that’s something I can heart-warmingly recommend to fans or nostalgics. Something’s coming.”
A 15th-Anniversary reissue of ‘After Forever’ is expected in 2022.