Souvenirs

The Gathering | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 6, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: The End Records
• ASIN: B00008ZZ8P
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,594 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #94 in Music > Hard Rock & Metal > Progressive Metal

Track Listings

1. These Good People

2. Even the Spirits Are Afraid

3. Broken Glass

4. You Learn About It

5. Souvenirs

6. We Just Stopped Breathing

7. Monsters

8. Golden Grounds

9. Jelena

10. A Life All Mine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Stunning Masterpiece!, November 3, 2003

By 

Clarissa "MoonGoddess" (Ontario, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Souvenirs (Audio CD)

This album is sheer brilliance! I'd been itching to check out The Gathering long before their latest 'Souvenirs' came out but I'm glad I started with this because it's going to be an interesting journey to hear how they've grown from their debut 'Always', which was released back in '93. I now own 'Mandylion' in addition to this and albeit very good, it pales in comparison with what I already consider to be their triumphant masterpiece.

The music found on 'Souvenirs' is dark and melodic. I'm reluctant to call this Gothic Metal but it does pertain to some of their arrangements; however, there's thankfully no screaming or growling here and the rhythms are as elegant as they are heavy. Anneke Van Giersbergen is the main female vocalist for the group and she's got an impressive range that's striking and emotive. With the exception of a few, I've never heard a more beautiful voice in my entire life. Her dramatic singing style captivates and tantalizes the listener to the point where they can't get enough! I admit, the album loses a bit of luster towards the middle but it soon regains its power and there's never a dull, redundant moment on the CD, so there won't be any need for skipping tracks. It's enjoyable from start to finish and I find it quite difficult to pick favorites, although the sad yet gorgeous lament of "You Learn About It" seems to standout the most with me and I can't help but sing the words with her. I also love the closing track, "A Life All Mine", which comes in after about 4 minutes of silence with Trickster G. from the group Ulver lending his gloomy vocals to harmonize with Anneke's.

Step into your mind and 'Souvenirs' will take you places you never thought possible. Every time I listen to this it takes me back to a memory not long ago when my best friend and I were driving in a very cool convertible with the tops taken down. The spectacular drumming and heavy bass lines blared forth from the stereo as the wind blew through our hair as we drove down fog-filled streets that were practically barren until we decided to stop and stare out over the water of a nearby river as the moon loomed high in the lovely night sky.

It is something I will always remember and I can't recommend this enough!

'Souvenirs', and The Gathering in general, truly are too good for words. My only beef is there aren't any lyrics within the booklet, which would have been greatly appreciated.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's so good i don't even know what to say...., September 2, 2003

By 

Lord Chimp (Monkey World) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Souvenirs (Audio CD)

Even now with their fifth album, the Gathering has demonstrably proved that they are only getting better. Yes, _Mandylion_ was their best-selling album but the maturation of this special group over the years has since improved them tenfold. _Souvenirs_ is their best album. I say this because I think it is the deepest and most complex release of theirs, and the first album that barely suffices with peripheral listening. This really demands one's attention otherwise it makes for merely some pleasant tunes, and then you are only hearing 1/100th of the music.

Elements of pure songcraft and sonic experimentation are perfected here, with Anneke van Giersbergen's voice is worth dying for. _Souvenirs_ perfectly captures the Gathering with unfettered creativity, confidence, deep wall-of-sound arrangements that recall Radiohead, polished post-rock atmospheres, and a haunting electronic-acoustic mix of textures. The metal days of heavy guitars and epic synths in _Nighttime Birds_ and _Mandylion_ are gone. The twin guitars are used for texture rather than virtuosity, and hollows of space are filled with sounds that come from no discernible human source. The harmonic and rhythmic development is subtle and even minimalist at times. Themes are sparingly orchestrated and the band keeps its textures astoundingly clean and clear. Synths are minimalist since there is no need for symphonic pretenses because the melodic themes and atmospheres are powerful in their own right. Songs are full of subtle tricks and sounds, but it would all be gimmicky if the songs were no good. But...every song is *unbelievably good*: the pure-pop ear-candy of "You Learn About It"; the aggressive, rhythmically tangled "Even the Spirits Are Afraid"; the eerie, poignant "A Life All Mine" (featuring indelible guest vocals from Trickster G. aka Garm -- speaking of which, go buy Ulver's _Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell_); the minimalist layers that slowly crescendo on "Broken Glass" without a trace of bombast; the smoky funk of "Monsters"; and so on and so forth.

I'm too rotten a music critic to get in-depth into _Souvenirs_ the way I would like to. No matter what I say, this is a very special band.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A journey to be savored every step of the way, January 11, 2006

By 

Staring Girl "Staring Girl" (Thornton, CO) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Souvenirs (Audio CD)

I'm just at a loss for words. Wow...
I found this group from a recommendation on my Amazon friends list. I've never heard any of The Gatherings previous works other than a few songs that are featured on their page on MySpace (which are great songs). I went to a music store near me and was surprised to find that they were listed in the heavy metal section. The songs on MySpace and the clips of Souvenirs on Amazon gave me the impression this group was anything but a heavy metal band, but I was wrong. The music store didn't have Souvenirs, which is the album I was really interested in listening to. Instead, they had Manylion and Nighttime Birds. I liked what I heard from those albums, but they were indeed a lot more `heavy metal' than what I'd heard of Souvenirs so I opted in not buying them. I really wanted my first album by them to be Souvenirs because the sound was a little more in my general taste than their more metal stuff...then once I got a good feel for the Souvenirs album I would start exploring their other stuff.

So I just got Souvenirs and I must say I am blown away. The first song on the album, These Good People, packs a wallop and just immerses and captivates you. The song builds up with this sexy base beat, combined with eerie piano in the background, then the song sort of explodes with the guitars and backup vocals. Anneke Van Giersbergen, the main vocalist, is just truly amazing. There are good singers in this world that are very pleasurable to listen to due to their talent, but they lack that raw emotion that digs its way into your heart. Anneke is an extremely talented singer with amazing range, and then on top of that you hear her emotion in her voice. She sings from her heart and that makes all the difference.

Some of the tracks are a bit grim, starting with These Good People, but some of the songs are lighthearted with a ting of optimism, like You Learn About It. The whole album just takes you on an incredible journey that is to be savored every step of the way. I highly recommend this album and am extremely excited to explore their other works.