Customer Reviews

Always

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Take a trip a decade backwards and The Gathering resembled little of what they are today. Back in those days they were playing a kind of keyboard laced doom-metal with male death vocals and occasional female ones (Gathering were also one of the pioneers of this tyle) . This album is probably loathed by fans of the bands more recent albums and revered by some doom/death fans. I rest in the middle - The album is good in some parts and cool in a way. It still has that mystical Gathering atmosphere, but at the same time it never raises itself to the great plains of their future albums. I like to think of this album as the creation of things: A young world that has never known daylight.

Recommended for Doom-metal fans and for anyone who is interested in the history of this amazing band.

"Always" was an album truly before its time.

Released in 1993, almost 10 years ago, this album is truly a predecessor for today's melodic death/doom metal.

Incorporating deep, dreary growling and occasional female vocals with keyboards, flutes, windchimes, and even a grand piano The Gathering truly produced a melodic metal masterpiece with "Always".

Not nearly as hard as metal contemporary Amorphis' release "Karelian Isthmus," "Always" makes up for it with beautiful acoustical work and symphonic keyboard interludes... all the while never losing its distinct metal edge.

With the exception of two tracks, all songs on this album are over 6 minutes long, which provides the listener with plenty of melodic instrumental work and dynamic death/doom vocals. If you're into the newer releases of Tiamat, Lacuna Coil, Therion and the like, you'll be more than pleased with this early work of The Gathering.

This their worst album. The production is terrible and the male vocals are awful compare to the future female vocals. This album reminds me Paradise lost in their beginning . Nothing special not even average.

Always is different from the later work (with other bandmembers). Because of the male singer and deeper gitar sound it seems more deathmetal but it has the same beauty of the recent work from the Gathering(to give an idea: besides the normal instruments they use keyboard, piano, flute, triangle, windchimes and female vocals) The music on this cd is comparible with Amorphis' Tales from the thousand lakes, and a bit between Type 'o negative and Therion. It's the best album from the Netherlands I know of.

This is back in the day when they had low, death vocals. It's amazing how much they have changed from then 'til now. It's a really interesting album; nothing else quite like it for sure. New fans probably won't like it. No, actually I'm quite sure they won't like. But it's still good.

This is one of the best Doom albums, if not the best one. It has so much emotion in it, that sometimes it can actually make you cry (not really weep, just kinda feel emotional, that's all). I find that this is one of two albums that sort of "energizes" me (the other one being Gothic by Paradise Lost). Anyway, if you like doom metal, this album is a MUST HAVE!!!

this is the first disk of the swedish melody death metal band - The GatherinG. Not too laud but still very strong, this great disk of all original material. Buy it, it's a must.

The Gathering's "Always..." is a unique work of dark, melodic Death Metal with a slight Doom Metal tinge to it at times. The music is quite original, and the best general description of this music I can give is that it resembles what a combination of Crematory's sound on "Just Dreaming..." mixed with the darker sections from Therion's "Symphony Masses/Ho Drakon Ho Megas" might sound like. This is not a heavy work of music by any means. The music is virtually always accompanied by keyboard and/or synthesizer, and these are used on occasion to produce some rather bizarre melodies. Most vocals are growled but are quite discernable. Female vocal accompaniment is used occasionally during the middle to latter tracks of this release however, and some somber, male clean vocals resembling those heard in Therion's "Symphony Masses/Ho Drakon Ho Megas" can be heard on a few occasions as well. A few tracks incorporate some clean/acoustic guitar. Track five, "Second Sunrise", ends with a nice interlude combining piano and flute. The following track, "Stonegarden", ends with the sound of crashing waves which continues directly into track seven, "Always...". This title track is a short but tranquil piece in which flute, keyboard strings, and female vocals overlap the sound of the ocean.

I personally find that there are aspects of The Gathering's "Always..." that I like and dislike. This release may appeal to Metal listeners who can appreciate heavy use of keyboard and female vocals in a unique Death/Doom Metal setting.

This is absolutely the best "light" doom metal with angelical vocals sided by rough gloomy ones. There is no comparison when it comes to true talent surfacing behind the entwining mixture of melodic, hard and soft soul touching poetic music such as this. This is what you want, to look at the stars at cry.

it only gets a 4 because it's somewhat boring by today's standards, but im sure if i heard this in 1993 i would've hailed it as one of the greatest metal concepts of all time; if you're into melodic death metal or any experimental form of metal, these dutch metal masters definitely had an idea 10 years ago and provided a great listening experience for you; ...
now for the song-by-song breakdown:
"The Mirror Waters" = introduces the CD well, but doesn't really engross or excite the listener too well; 7/10
"Subzero" = My fav off the CD; has the coolest death vox; 10/10
"In Sickness and Health" = odd keyboard usage, but eventually evolves into a great song, vocals get progressively louder until vocalist Bart reaches a Pete Steele-like howl, very cool; 8/10
"King For a Day" = very gothic feel with some low-tone lyrics and female backdrop, "Dream on..." part kicks serious ...; 9/10
"Second Sunrise" = good intro, acoustic guitar and lead solo really shine through on this track, beautiful piano outro; 9/10
"Stonegarden" = gives a sense of melancholy but really dumbs down the overall flow of the CD; 6/10
"Always..." = short but very sweet, no vocals, simple with just a flute, keyboard, tympani drums and female voice occasionally wailing in the background, absolutely beautiful; 10/10
"Gaya's Dream" = Kinda picks up and compensates for the dreary and boring "Stonegarden" track, nice acoustic interlude and solo, ends mid-solo during second guitar solo but works well; 8/10

in conclusion, not a must-buy, but if you want a little piece of melodic metal history, go ahead and buy the original 1993 release with the original artwork, otherwise just get the re-release