The Gathering Albums (14)
What The Critics Say
Ever since their debut as a fairly standard-issue black metal band in the early '90s, Dutch rockers the Gathering have shifted their sound and style a few times, particularly since adding lead singer Anneke Van Giersbergen on 1995's Mandylion. Home, the band's first studio release in nearly three years, comes after the birth of Van Giersbergen's first child and is their most overtly pop-oriented album yet. First single "Shortest Day" sounds like an only slightly harder-edged version of the Cardigans (a good thing) and other songs, like the keyboard-heavy "Alone" and the echoing, atmospheric bass-led pop of "In Between," are goth-oriented alternative rock with no metal influence to speak of. Home may be a bit of a shock to some longtime fans, but it's the logical conclusion to an ongoing trend in the band's music, one that suits Van Giersbergen's low-key murmur of a voice quite nicely. ~ Stewart Mason, All Music Guide
'Sleepy Buildings - A Semi Acoustic Evening'
Release Date 1/26/2004
Tracks 14
Label Century Media
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What The Critics Say
Sleepy Buildings will serve to fuel the dichotomy amongst The Gathering's fans: Those who appreciate the increasingly ambient and subtle direction in which the Dutch outfit moved with If_Then_Else and Souvenirs, and detractors who believe the band peaked with the doomy, metallic and melodic strains of Mandylion and Nighttime Birds. So this collection, recorded live at the LUX Theatre in Nijmegen, Holland, reinterprets older songs -- three of them, "The Mirror Waters," "Stonegarden" and "Like Fountains" reaching as far back as Always and Like a Dance, released prior to siren singer Anneke van Giersbergen's recruitment -- minus electric guitars, with an increased emphasis on piano and keyboards. The most attractive aspect of Sleepy Buildings is its showcasing of Van Giersbergen's heavenly voice, which is front-and-center in the mix, although a few lengthy "triprock" instrumental excursions dominate a few tracks (including "Travel" and "Red is a Slow Colour"). Completists should also note that the piano-ballad title track is previously unreleased, even if it feels incomplete arrangement-wise, and is almost needlessly stripped-down. Thus Sleepy Buildings fits nicely into The Gathering's latter-day, less-metallic catalog, although critics may find the title all too appropriate. ~ John Serba, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For those in the know, the release of Souvenirs was one to watch closely. In the two years since If_Then_Else, the Gathering had decided to push their more experimental side even further, as well as part ways with the label that they had been with for years (many said that it was the new directions of the Gathering and the inability of the label to market them that signaled the end). Fortunately, this band has learned to experiment with a fully realized sense of purpose, so it doesn't mean that Souvenirs has any wild new changes thrown in, outside of a guest vocalist. Sure, it's not really all that different from If_Then_Else or How to Measure a Planet? at first glance, but repeated listens open up the detailed touches of a band clearly interested in taking its progressive tendencies to new levels. The album has keyboards that are never overbaked ("We Just Stopped Breathing," "Jelena") and vocals that are absolutely angelic ("You Learn About It," "A Life All Mine"), not to mention spectacular drumming ("Even the Spirits Are Afraid") and a sly sense of keeping riffs from getting too monotonous ("Monsters"). It's not a huge step forward, but it's most certainly the best step the band could have made at this point. One senses that while they're leaving some of the more pedestrian metal elements of the old days behind, in a way the Gathering are attempting to forge new styles based on slow, careful, almost studied growth. With each album an improvement over its predecessor, the only way is up. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide
'Black Light District'
Release Date 12/10/2002
Tracks 3
Label Psychonaut
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What The Critics Say
What can be said about the cosmic rock act that hasn't already been said? Surpassing every rock and metal trend, the Gathering can do no wrong. Everything they touch turns to gold and this release seems to glimmer brighter than all before it. For some bands, there is a point in a career where everything clicks -- every nuance, every guitar tone, every vocal hook -- and the entire album just comes together. If-Then-Else is that album. From Anneke's blistering performance on the appropriately titled opener "Rollercoaster," which takes the listener on a loud, cerebral journey through the past and present creative eclipses of the band, to the haunting introspection of "Amity." A deep crash of lush melody and tempest aggression encounter one another on "Analog Park" and "Saturnine," creating a timeless focal point for the listener to fall into. Anneke's performance has never blazed this bright, as she channels out all of her famous ardor into an angelic sound, which can only be experienced through the intimacy of headphones. Take, for example, her dynamism on the doom rocker "Shot to Pieces" or her unleashed torment on "Herbal Movement" -- both send a shiver down the spine as she journeys the unexplored regions of her band. Rene and Frank craft a burgeoning wall of sound, evoking the spirit of the evil metal version of the Dust Brothers, while Hans and Hugo romance a rhythm section that owes more toward early Bowie than anything metal. After toying with commercialism on the previous studio album, How to Measure a Planet, success continues to elude this sharp, brilliant band, but one senses bigger things are in the works for the band and for loyal Gathering followers. Highest possible recommendation. ~ Jason Hundey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Recorded on their How to Measure a Planet? tour, Superheat is the Gathering's first live album. Songs like "Sand and Mercury," "Nighttime Birds," "Rescue Me," and "Probably Built in the Fifties" demonstrate the band's ability to shift from ethereal bliss to malevolent metal, and these contrasting styles are only emphasized in concert. The album also includes a video for "Eleanor" as a bonus track. Superheat displays the Gathering's passionate, mercurial music at its finest. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
'How to Measure a Planet?'
Release Date 11/4/1998
Tracks 14
Label Century
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What The Critics Say
If Mandylion and Nighttime Birds were the warm-up, then How to Measure a Planet? is the real deal. The Gathering have always had a talent for progressive-sounding metal, but with this release they take the style to a whole new level. Anneke Van Giersbergen's vocals are the stuff of dreams, and the band's sound is stepped up more than just a few notches. Centered on the concept of travel and movement, all the tracks on this two-disc set actually make you feel like you are on a journey with the band. From the gentle "Rescue Me" to Sabbath-esque rockers like "Liberty Bell," the band is able to create an ethereal atmosphere without sacrificing any of its power. This album takes metal to a beautiful new place. ~ Chris True, All Music Guide
