I remember when I was first introduced to this band, I was floored by the level of maturity and casual elegance that emanated from their music. The female vocals paired with this swirling keyboard laden mixture of poppish progressive music with dark undertones was just unique and wonderful at the time.
Ten years later, and the glow has still not worn off.
"Mandylion" is The Gathering's ultimate magnum opus. Before this, they were almost a death metal type band, but with the addition of Anneke van Giersbergen on lead vocals, their sound changed dramatically, and for the better. "Nighttime Birds" continued the legacy but afterwards they kind of fell off into their own world and began to repeat themselves. However this first disc shines on like the bright diamond it has always been. A slight depressed, and somber in tone, but a diamond nonetheless.
There is crunch and power still lingering from their previous two outings, and this combined with the complex fluidity of the progressive world makes for a lingering masterpiece. Anneke's vocals are clean and beautiful, she allows her voice to flow over the music like water. A raging ocean of vocal prowess that doesn't wash away despite the charged music surrounding it. Epic, building pieces like
"Sand and Mercury" continue to standout even now as a masterwork of harder prog.
There's plenty of flutes, synth and unusual percussion such as windchimes and tambourines. This is all part of the atmosphere created here. And even though there is crunch, the songs are mellow and mostly slower paced, for a careful, casual experience that drifts like dreams.
Century Media has packaged this up in a gorgeous gold toned deluxe edition that has not only the original album but also a bonus disc that is packed with demo versions of many songs that appeared on "Mandylion", but left in their original, raw form. These range in quality from a little rough to quite nice, such as the previously unheard guitar laden instrumental,
"Solar Glider". A shame really that it has been locked away in the vaults for so long.
"Third Chance" is also unique, as it appeared later on a single, and has a Middle Eastern type flair.
For fans of The Gathering, I can't think of a better way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of their breakthrough release than picking this up. "Mandylion" sounds better than ever in the sound department, and the extras disc is just the perfect topping. Also anyone that has been tampering with the likes of
Nightwish and Lacuna Coil thanks to a minor surge of popularity in the U.S. should also look into this. It will likely charm you with its glorious atmosphere and beautiful melodies. An otherworldly release, even after all this time.
Written by
Alanna Thursday, December 22, 2005
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