The last few years for Dutch rock act The Gathering has been a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Their lives have changed. The music scene has changed. The world has changed. For most bands out there a situation like this would’ve be their downfall, but The Gathering embrace it and continue to feed their ongoing creative process.
Ever since their inception 15 years ago the band has always pushed forward with their music, never settling on one set style and rarely ever duplicating themselves. And because of this ongoing perseverance they have become one of the most celebrated bands in the world.
The early obscure rock albums of ‘Always’ (1992) and ‘Almost A Dance’ (1993) were the foundation for the band’s hefty rock riffs set amongst a gothic/doom backdrop, each song’s movement aided by death growls and beautiful female vocals. The style was something new and the band took note of it when they hired then unknown singer Anneke van Giersbergen to take main vocals duties for the now classic 1995 release Mandylion (Century Media). Like a match to hay, the metal music scene ignited with numerous bands adopting the style the band had carefully crafted.
The band followed up Mandylion in 1997 with Nighttime Birds (Century Media), considered to one of the favorite albums by fans worldwide for its lush melodies, haunting atmosphere and stellar production. In the years to follow the success of those two albums, the band ventured forth into new territory with the music, taking on multiple new styles of ambient, techno and trip-hop.
While the constant evolution of styles from album to album was a gamble it was something the band believed deeply in if they wanted to stay happy with their music. The band also took the initiative to form their own label Psychonaut Records in 1999 as they had grown tired of label woes and wanted full-control of what they were doing. As the years have gone on fans of the band – both metal fans and newer ones who have come on board after the release of such eclectic albums like How to Measure a Planet? (1998) or Souvenirs (2003) – have grown accustomed to the work of the band shifting.
Following the birth of singer Anneke van Giersbergen’s first child in March of 2005 the band spent time organizing and recording the live DVD A Sound Relief at the world famous Paradiso Club in Amsterdam. The double-DVD features special documentaries on the band’s career, 3-D animate videos and a tour diary of their 2004 world tour.
In November of 2005 the band -- guitarist René Rutten, bassist Marjolein Kooijman, keyboardist Frank Boeijen and drummer Hans Rutten -- built a professional homemade studio inside an old church in the small town of Maurik, located in the south of Holland to begin recording their 9th studio album, Home. With the help of producer Atti Bauw (producer of the band’s 1998’s How to Measure a Planet?) the band spent a month their before heading to Bauw’s studio to mix and master the music.
Home is now complete and will be released April 18th, 2006 (via The End Records in North America). The new album finds the band heading back to a bit more of rock vibe, yet still maintaining the delicate nuances and passages that fans worldwide have grown to love. But the momentum here is not entirely based on emotional highs, as the band still manages to capture the dark spirit that most human beings have had to deal with. Variation has always been the key, case in point the diverse offering of such numbers as “In Between,” “Shortest Day,“ “A Noise Severe” and the powerfully moving title track. Like most of their past releases, Home offers up so much and more for the listener.
The band is currently gearing up for their Homeland’s World Tour, which will see the band touch down in North America for their debut appearance at the world-renowned South By Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas as well as a small string U.S. tour dates to follow.
It’s been a long gap since their last recording, but as always it’s a treat each time a new album by The Gathering surfaces. Welcome home, The Gathering.
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