THE WEST POLE

Well I’ve never been a huge fan of the Gathering, and when ‘Home’ released it was apparent the group had played itself out, at least with the existing lineup. While Anneke was a much beloved dominating presence for the band, she also seemed to me to be too much the heart and soul of it as well, weaning the rest of the members away from their heavier neo-post-metal roots and toward a sort of boring, adult-contemporary sound. Lyrically (and to a certain extent musically) ‘Home’ reminded me an awful lot of Kate Bush’s ‘Aerial’; a bucolic portrait of a nesting young mother whose interest in music was being supplanting by that of family and other concerns. Good for her, but not at all good for the band or their music.

Well, best wishes to her in her new endeavors; the band hasn’t missed a beat as far as their front-woman or her lyrics & vocals. Silje Wergeland has proven more than capable of carrying on with aplomb. In addition, the rest of the band seem to have rediscovered heavy riffs, more dynamic arrangements than the sometimes rather than pastoral ones on ‘Home’, and most importantly an aura of creative exploration for the first time in at least half a decade. The persistent and heavy riffs and rhythm on the opening “When Trust Becomes Sound” and “Treasure” prove the group more than capable of ratcheting up the tempo while maintaining the better characteristics of their trademark sound.

Wergeland wrote or co-wrote the majority of this album, which also indicates the degree to which she has adjusted to her new role as the band’s voice and not just Anneke’s replacement. On the other hand, the extent of her hand in this album also calls into question how much creative input the rest of the longstanding members have (or ever had) in the group’s musical direction. One has to wonder.

To this point, at times the music seems to lack any concrete focus or direction, despite the tempo and energy being quite good for a group in the midst of such a significant transition. The title track especially, as well as the unnecessarily long “Pale Traces” seem to languish at times, caught as much in their own tedious riffs as in any epiphanic inspiration.

There aren’t any standout tracks really, and the one strong bright spot (“You Promised Me a Symphony”) is also a bit concerning simply because it reinforces the concern about Wergeland’s dominance – she wrote this mellow vignette and is also the featured performer. And don’t get me wrong – I love strong and personable women fronting bands; heck, I’m the guy who spent half of the eighties and much of the nineties collecting everything from Lone Justice to SSQ, not to mention Renaissance to Dead Can Dance. But this is supposed to be a full-on band, not Martha & the Muffins or something.

One can only hope the group continues to gel and finds their new muse with the next album. This one is certainly not a masterpiece, but it may be a step in the right direction if only all five members manage to place their mark on whatever comes next; otherwise, this lineup runs the risk of becoming just another soundtrack to an evolving femme fatale (albeit a charming one) on her own personal journey. Three stars (just barely) for showing some promise and a glimmer of former glory, but only mildly recommended.

peace