The Gathering Appreciation Thread

Let us indeed show some love for the Gathering.  I've been hooked ever since picking up if_then_else in the cheapo used bin at the record store.  Anneke's voice is utterly gorgeous (and she ain't bad to look at either  ).

Edited by zappaholic - August 23 2006 at 21:09

Great band - great music - and always evolving.

I agree with most of what people said here

Always and Almost A Dance are atmospheric/doom/death metal with the first one far better.. it was concidered one of the best debuts in its field along with Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride and Anathema's first releases but you have to be into death metal in order to like them...

Mandylion and Nighttime Birds are considered to be masterpieces in atmospheric metal but, sorry i don't see it...

How To Measure A Planet? is just perfect!!!! it's very Floydish and trippy and i consider it to be their best release...

if_then_else is good but not sth special, i just like it...
Souvenirs is great... their second best, more of a trip hop but still great...

i haven't had the chance to listen to Home but, believe me i'm gonna...

small tip...check out Black Light District EP.. the self titled suite is breath taking...
    

Edited by toolis - August 24 2006 at 11:11

avestin wrote: Well, Toolis,  we agree in general about their albums (except for Souvenirs). I have all of their albums but I will mention my favourites: If you like doom/death (and I do), then Always will be a real joy for you to listen to. Mandylion is good, especially Eléanor and and and Mercury. How to measure... is excellent. The first cd has a winning track llist and Travel is fabulous. The 2nd disc is a less exciting, but mostly because of the lenght of the title track and the fact that it begins well, but gets lost somewhere in the middle. The difference between their 1st, 3rd and 5th are remarkable (quite like what happened to Amorphis, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost musical sound).

    
i can't say i'm a big fan of doom/death (i like bands more like Carcass and Arch Enemy...) but i sure can see why Always... is considered to be a great album... i didn't say i don't like Mandylion or NB but i don't think they deserve the status they received... i agree with you about the second CD of How To... but the first one is brilliant... why? what do you have against Souvenirs? by the by, have you heard Black Light District, yourself?

P.S. i once read an interview of Anneke and she, too, thinks Travel as her fav track...

avestin wrote: I have nothing against Souvenirs, I just don't have that much for it, that's all [IMG]height=17 alt=LOL src="http://www.progarchives.com/forum/smileys/smiley36.gif" width=17 align=absMiddle>   I heard Black... a few months back (I only own the full LP's not live and EP's), but I don't remember it so well, so I cant comment on that. I like all genres of metal, so for me Always was a real pleasure when it came out (I still remember the day I pirchased it at this underground metal shop and the man at the counter told me this was some new band from The Netherlands and it is a real killer band... and he was right...). Well, NB is good but nothing special, and I rarely listen to it anymore. mandylion is an album I like because of those two tracks I've mentioned above, but it's not better than How to...   Their semi-acoustic live show (Sleepy Buildings) is nice and relaxing and suitable for late night listen. They perfomed there 2 songs from Always, and it was funny to hear Bart's part being sung softly... (a similar feeling I had when listening to Orphaned Land's remake of Mercy/Gothic by Paradise Lost).

    
i bought Always.. and Black Light... only because i'm a collector freak... they have played live here in Greece too but for reasons only my dark side knows i never went to see them... and if i want to listen to doom/death i prefer "Shades Of God" by Paradise Lost...

The Gathering's two albums, pre-Anneke, seems to be insipid and contrived.  As noted above, theres better doom metal out there than the Gathering's first two studio releases. 

The Gathering. 

Edited by Asyte2c00 - November 21 2006 at 20:06

Hate to be the dissonant chord around here but I think The Gathering is pretty boring... I have to say: I only have Home and Nightime Birds, so maybe my opinion is not at all grounded firmly... but from those two, I can only say: boredom. Anneke sings well, beautiful at times, and she by herself saves this band... the musicians are nothing to write home about, the songs are dull, all sound much alike, they have almost no dynamics, everything is so quiet.... I'm all for quietude but when there's ome dynamics, not a infinite pianissimo barely audible.... the songs themselves are just average, no good melodies, no good instrumental parts... I was expecting so much when I bought Home, that even when I got dissapointed, I gave this band a second chance, but no, still uninspired. Please let me know, what album is the best one, I still have hopes, I still see a decent band through the curtain of numbness....

Great band! My comments on their albums with Anneke:

- Nighttime Birds: Not the best album to get started with ... still good, and the closest they got to Gothic Metal.
- Mandylion/If_Then_Else: Great! Get those two if you don't like Post Rock / Ambient/Atmospheric music too much (if you're bored by it).
- How to Measure a Planet?: Their best album IMO. Very calm, beautiful melodies ... takes some time to get used to though. The title track DOES get lost in the last 15 minutes - but I think it's intentional, and I don't mind at all, since this is a 2CD album for the price of one.
- Souvenirs: A very electronic-influenced album ... it's still rock, but the metal influences are almost completely gone. If you like slightly experimental modern rock with interesting melodies/vocals, then you might give it a try.
- Home: A bit like Souvenirs, but a bit more sad/melancholic, and with less electronic influence.