The Gathering comes with a new album.

[Snafje JT]

Hi, I want to share the music of a Dutch band with you. There is no strong relation with Jethro Tull, although since 1998 they are an experimental rockband with some 'progressive' influences (before 1998 they were gothic, as many Dutch bands ).

But this band is going to release a new album, 'Home', in April. Their American recordlabel has put the first song of it, 'Shortest Day', online:

http://media.theendrecords.com/TheGathe ... estday.mp3

You hear at the end of the song that it's going to fuse in the next one, but if you want to hear that I'm afraid you have to wait until April .

What do you think about it? I can tell you it's more normal rock than they did previously. I don't know if the whole album is more mainstream, or only this song, but nevertheless it sounds nice to me.

Concerts in Germany this year:

04/19/2006: Hamburg, Markthalle
04/20/2006: Bochum, Zeche
04/21/2006: Aschaffenburg, Colos-Saal
04/22/2006: Berlin, Columbia Club
04/23/2006: Nürnberg, Hirsch

[CaptainFalcon]

A very atmospheric song which especially towards the end reminds me a lot of Within Temptation and WT I like a lot. Maybe I should listen to some songs from the previous Gathering albums.

[Snafje JT]

which especially towards the end reminds me a lot of Within Temptation

Well, funny you mention Within Temptation, because The Gathering was one of the first bands who were a metal band with a female on vocals (the band excists since 1989), and are one of the main influences for WT ! In 1995 came the album Mandylion, and that was realy one of the first gothic albums ever, and sold very well in The Netherlands. From that point bands as WT came with the same kind of product. Well, TG made after Mandylion Nighttime Birds in the same style, but then they want something different and became more 'progressive'.

So, if you like the WT-gothic-esque music, Mandylion and Nighttime Birds are nice. One of my favourites is the 2CD How To Measure A Planet?; a semi-concept album with a 28 minutes song as encore.

[CaptainFalcon]

In know that GT have been there before and I heard WT saying, that they were very much influenced by them. How do the gothic songs by GT sound? Are there just normal vocals, or are they using growls like Wt did on their first record? And how does their progressive stuff sound?. I like Ayreon very much. This is in my opinion the best progressive rock project since many years and I know that on one Ayreon album the singer of GT helped out. Is the progressive sound from GT comparable to Ayreon music?

[Snafje JT]

Well I don't recommend the first two albums (Always... and Almost A Dance) of TG! They have growlers (grunters we call them), and two different female singers. Not nice!

But in 1994 joined their current singer Anneke van Giersbergen, and since then they have no growlers anymore (what a relief!). Well, you have heard her voice in the song you downloaded from their new album. She is, IMO, gorgeous! I truly belief she is the best female vocalist I know. She is classical trained, so she knows how to sing.

The first two albums with her (Mandylion and Nighttime Birds) are the gothic ones. But as I said, normal vocals. Good tunes, even a bit experimental by then, especially the title track from Mandylion. I recommend those if you like the something more recent WT. Maybe you remember the song Strange Machines: that was a modest hit from that eara.

I know Anneke parcitipated in one of Ayreon's projects, but honestly I don't know Ayreon's music that good, so I can't compare it for you.

In their prog stuff you can hear that their roots are metal, but they are not a metalband anymore. How To Measure A Planet? is their most 'proggy' album (2CD), and one of my favourites. It's quite experimental, with use of unusual instuments and long songs, even soundscapes and by example spoken words by astonauts. Semi-concept album with a 28 minute song.

If_Then_Else and Souvenirs have also prog influences, but are more subtle and 'mature'. Not that heavy anymore. Then you have in between Black Light District, wich is a EP with only 3 songs: 2 of normal lenght and a 16 minute song: very strong! It starts very calm with only a piano, and evolves in a rock song with the time.

To make it complete, they have released a live album Superheat from 1998 as I am right. That's a mixture of prog with gothic as they were in the transition period. And a semi-acoustic live album Sleepy Buildings: realy emotional versions of the songs, and the vocals are superb!

[CaptainFalcon]

Thanks a lot for the information. I'm very curious now and I will listen to some of the songs, as soon as I find a way to do that But if I see one the of the albums anywhere cheap, then maybe I cannot resist.

But I definitely recommend you the Ayreon albums. As long as your interested in real progrock concept albums with influences from folk and metal, there is now way other then loving this project. On each record there are lots of famous musicians and singers from other bands like Dream Theater, Focus, Uriah Heep, Dead Soul Tribe, Neal Morse, Within Temptation etc. Even Bruce Dickinson himself helped out on the Universal Migrator album.

What makes those albums so special is the instrumentalization, including lots of real strings elements und flute parts which couldn't have been done better by Ian himself.

If I made you curious now I recommend you listening to the Human Equation album, about which I already wrote some lines in this off topic area. As far as I remember you understand German quite well, when you read it, so have a look, if you want to

[Snafje JT]

I'm very curious now and I will listen to some of the songs, as soon as I find a way to do that.

Well, if you think I can help you, please e-mail me .

But I definitely recommend you the Ayreon albums. As long as your interested in real progrock concept albums with influences from folk and metal, there is now way other then loving this project.

Yes, I think I will buy one or two albums somewhere the next few weeks. I have discovered that Anneke is on at least Into The Electric Castle - A Space Opera, the songs Tunnel For Light (she wrote also the lyrics of this one), Isis And Osiris, The Garden Of Emotions en Valley Of The Queens. Arjen planned a whole day to record her vocals, but she was done in little over an hour..., that's called talent . But do you know this album or one of these songs? If so, is it worth buying, or do you recommend Human Equation more?

[CaptainFalcon]

Personally I like Human Equation a bit more than Into The Electric Castle, but both are fantastic albums! HE has the better story. It's not that abstract and it's only told via the vocals in the songs. On ITEC Arjen plays the role of the narrator and tells parts of the story between the songs. But musically ITEC has some absolutely brilliant moments. There are always songs or sometimes parts of songs on each Ayreon album which are masterpieces, melodies you once hear and will never forget again like the flute part in "Amazing Flight" from ITEC or the second half of "The Garden Of Emotions" from ITEC or the great guitar riff in "Across The Rainbow Road".

[Snafje JT]

Just bought a bunch of CD's, and with them Into The Electric Castle. I will give it a spin soon!