AFTER FOREVER Guitarist Completes Work On HDK Debut

AFTER FOREVER guitarist Sander Gommans — who suffered a seizure last November while en route to a gig — has issued the following update:

"First of all, again, I'd like to mention that I really appreciate your great support the past weeks! I know [AFTER FOREVER's decision to take a] break was a surprise and disappointment for many of you, but the way you deal with that is simply amazing!

"This has given me, and also the rest of the bandmembers, a lot of energy! It always sucks when you have to quit with something you put all your efforts in, but it helps a lot if people react respectful, and that's what you did! Like I mentioned, this is a possibility for all AFTER FOREVER members to explore their individual talents, and already some really interesting projects have started!

"Obviously, this is a blog about my HDK project, that I started already 3 years ago. Yesterday, Joost (van den Broek; AFTER FOREVER keyboardist) and I finally finished the mix of the album (in my own Eternia Studios),which will be called 'System Overload'.

"Mixing the album wasn't easy, since the songs have all kinds of vocals and styles, but the main goal was the make an agressive project with more dynamics than the hardcore thrash/death/heavy metal bands. Don't get me wrong, I love the common extreme metal styles, but I thought it would be cool to give it a different approach. Due to the awesome singers and instrumentalists who have contributed, I can honestly say this has become the album I was hoping for with lots of brutal moments but still enough melody and emotion.

"I'd especially like to thank Amanda Somerville, Peter Vink, Joost van den Broek and my friend John Holterman who constantly gave me advice and support in finishing HDK, without their help and of course the talents of the people I worked with, I'm sure it would have taken even longer. I'd also like to thank the people over here in MySpace who always showed their interest in this, you rule!

"Now it's time to definately find a label, create the album artwork and RELEASE these lullabies.

"Next time, I'll give you the definite list of people who contributed and in which song, but I can already tell you that Arjen Lucassen (AYREON, STAR ONE) played an incredibly cool solo on one of the songs!!! That's not all though, more info about some other Dutch solo monsters later!

"I think that the AFTER FOREVER fans can also enjoy this record, it's certainly different but due to the collaboration with Amanda Somerville, who wrote the lyrics/lot of the vocallines AND the only female singer on the project, the vox play a very important role in the project! The topics of those lyrics are very important to me, and I'll be giving the songtitles and a describtion of what they're about soon!"

Gommans previously stated about his HDK project: "HDK is much more agressive and guitar-oriented than AFTER FOREVER, but in combination with the varied vocals we now have, I think we've created a unique style that might be very difficult to market, but shows a combination of all kind of metal styles. We've combined rap (yes, aggressive rap, I think it really works out awesome in combination with grunts and clean vocals),grunts/screams, whispers etc, male melodic voices and Amanda's [Somerville; the American singer-songwriter and vocal coach who is better known for her collaborations with various European metal bands, including EPICA, AFTER FOREVER and EDGUY — Ed.] vocals without making it too intense.

"I think people who love AFTER FOREVER might still find the project interesting, because obviously I've still put some of the AFTER FOREVER elements in it (I've written music for AFTER FOREVER since 1995 so it's impossible not to do so). Amanda's vocals are also perfect for this kind of music, especially while she's able to sing great melodies combined with lots of emotion. She can do practically every style, she can record and edit stuff and has great ideas for melodies and lyrics. What more could I wish for?"

HDK features contributions from the following musicians:

Amanda Somerville: Vocals
André Matos (ex-ANGRA, SHAAMAN, VIRGO): Vocals
Ariën van Weesenbeek (GOD DETHRONED): Drums
Joost van den Broek (SUN CAGED, AFTER FOREVER): Keyboards
Jos Severens (SUSTAIN): Vocals
Patrick Savelkoul (CALLENISH CIRCLE): Vocals
Paul Niessen (I WITNESS): Vocals
Peter Vink: Bass
Sander Gommans: Guitar, Vocals