History

After The Silence was found back in september 2000 by ex-Septic Child and ex-Expire / ex-Yardhouse-members. Leadsinger Ingrid van den Hof-van den berg and guitarists Willem van den Hof and Ardy van Breemen were members of among others descended from Leerdam melodic hardrockband "Septic Child" and played with bands like; Gilgamesj, Baroque, Diamond Evil, Henk & his Friends, Big Bam Boom Band, etc. Septic Child quit in 1996. Bassplayer Marcel van Rooij played in the speed/death/trash-metalband "Expire" from 1995 untill 1998. In 1998 this band fell apart when the guitarist and leadsinger became bandmembers of the band Serpentor, which is known now as Xerpentor. Marcel also played in the band "Yardhouse", where Edward van Galen played the drums. In 2000 Marcel found this advertisement request by Willem in Dutch hardrock / metalmagazine "Aardschok" to raise a new Rockband, and this is where it all began..... Ingrid, Willem, Ardy, Marcel and Edward joined the band and started to write new music. The first months leadsinger Ingrid also played the keyboards untill an official keyboardplayer was found in Joop de Rooij.

The band had succesfull gigs with enthousiastic response from their audience. In the beginning of 2003 After The Silence recorded some songs on CD in their rehearsalroom, which was originally ment as promotion material to get more gigs. The promo CD, called "Weary Angels Heart", contained 5 tracks; "King Of Hate", "Let Love Surround Me", "Roaring Silence", "Resurrection" and "Weary Angels Heart". After The Silence received many positive response to this promo CD by their audience and also by professional music critics and radio deejays etc., who intercepted a CD promo copy. The ball was set rolling and the promo CD got airplay on several local radiostations. For example, Ernst van Ee (drummer Highway Chile) in his Heavy Rock Radioprogramm "Come on feel the noise" at SWY-radio and Kees Visser did the same in his radioprogramm "Helemaal Goud" (translated: "Totally Gold") at Radio Westland. The band also got positive reviews by among others Struttermagazine and Metal Maidens Magazine.

Later on in 2003 After The Silence got in touch with Erik Prins from M.A.M. Agency. M.A.M. Agency has a well-established reputation and also presents acts like Highway Chile, Ozzmosis, Wastelands, Carthago, Montany, Pluis & de Struikrovers and many others. Erik Prins was very enthousiastic about the After The Silence sound and decided to contract the band.

In october and november 2003 After The Silence entered the Plug Unit Studio in Reeuwijk to record their first official MCD. The CD was recorded, mixed and produced by John Radersma and René Speksnijder. Co-producing by After The Silence themselves and Edwin den Haag (bassplayer Highway Chile). The CD was mastered by Peter Brussee, who also works for Wisseloord Studio's and also mastered CD's from Kane, Ayreon and many others. In january 2004 the CD release is a fact and many gigs will follow. The After The Silence MCD, titled "Final Fantasy", contains 4 tracks; "Final Fantasy", "Weary Angels Heart", "C'est La Vie" and "Resurrection".

In 2005 After The Silence decided to end the cooperation with M.A.M. Agency, because M.A.M. Agency was more and more adding to "coverbands".

Because of several differences of opinions ATS bassplayer Marcel, keyboardplayer Joop and drummer Edward left After The Silence in july 2005. ATS guitarplayers Ardy & Willem and frontlady Ingrid will continue the band as well. After many auditions and a long search After The Silence is finally complete again in the beginning of 2006 with the addition of bassplayer Daniël van den Engel, keyboardplayer Erik Slooten and drummer Ron Vielvoye.

Ron Vielvoye was the former drummer for Fantastic Visions (hardrock) 1987, Wreckin' Crew (hardrock) 1987, Murphy's law (Heavy Rock / hardrock) 1989 and Witness (Heavy Metal) / Eén Pot Nat (a little bit hardrock, music in Dutch- and English language) 1990 - 2005. (The last named bands where the same collective, but somehow some nutcase decided to change the name into "Eén Pot Nat", Ron comments).

Erik Slooten already plays keyboards since he was 8 years old and formerly was the keyboardplayer for the pop / rock cover band Crossfire.

In 2006 the band applied on rehearsing the After The Silence setlist with the new bandmembers. In september that same year the first show with new bandmembers was a fact. On december the 1st After The Silence was very honoured to be the openingact for dutch Gothic band DELAIN (with ex-Within Temptation-keyboardplayer Martijn Westerholt) at "De Bosuil" in Weert.

In december 2007 keyboardplayer Erik Slooten left ATS due to personal reasons. Meanwhile ex-ATS keyboardplayer Joop de Rooij performed on stage with ATS again temporarily during gigs which were planned already.

In october 2008 bassplayer Daniel left the band because he wanted to play punk music. In december 2008 Daniel was replaced by bassplayer Hans van Iersel (he played in bands like: Scarlet (covers like Metallica etc.), Agent orange (bay-area speed/thrashmetal), Malfunction (complex speedmetal), Inquisitor (extreme thrashmetal) and Concrete garden).

After a very long search for a new keyboardplayer for about one year and a half, the line up of After The Silence is complete again at last in august 2009 by the arrival of Eddie van den Boogaard. Eddie is active in music since he was a little boy. The last 12 years Eddie has been a bendmember of Cloudbreak.

Meanwhile the band is also writing new songmaterial.