West Pole

The Gathering | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 2, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Season of Mist
• ASIN: B0026LYM5U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #115,448 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Promising, June 8, 2009

By 

philippe deroin (Gaithersburg, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: West Pole (Audio CD)

The question was: can The Gathering survive the departure of one of the most versatile singers of all female fronted bands ? The answer is a clear yes, Silje Wergeland (from the norwegian band Octavia Sperati) replacing Anneke Van Giersbergen with a style which is somewhat similar and works well with the band, even though no one will forget Anneke, at least with this record.

Anneke's departure was scrutinized because of the stunning influence she had acquired over the years, leading the evolution of The Gathering from their metal origins to the alternate/experimental band of recent years. If her influence was in doubt, it is enough to listen to her own solo effort Air by Agua de Annique to realize how much of her inspiration went into The Gathering. In this sense, following her departure was more akin to replacing Neal Morse in Spock's Beard than Tarja Turunen in Nightwish.

In my mind, it is the Spock's Beard model that applies here and The West Pole evokes the same kind of transition as the immediate post-Snow efforts from the Beard; familiar sound, in a sense free from a dominating influence, but also a little more repetitive, having more difficulty looking for a direction. As a result, all the tracks are good but I don't hear yet a classic stand-out track in the lot. Perhaps a matter of getting used to the new balance.

To be clear, The West Pole is no Mandylion or Nightime Birds and The Gathering is still a way off from those glory days. But the energy is there (the wall of guitar sound of the first track When Trust Becomes Sound) and the delicate lace is there too (the completely Silje Wergeland written and composed You Promised Me a Symphony).

The most promising aspect of the new record is the extent to which Silje has already integrated with the band. Not only does her work mesh well with the guys (and gal) but she has penned seven of the ten tracks, suggesting she is game for the challenge.

With this recipe in place, not only is The West Pole a very enjoyable record but it is also a transition album that suggests a bright new life for the band.

UPDATE: in fairness to the band, five months later, I must say that The West Pole grows on you. While it is not Mandylion or Nightime Birds, it does recapture a lot of the raw, hypnotic energy of those early gems, energy perhaps a little lost in the latter, more intimist Anneke-years albums.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Under the circumstances, better than expected!, June 8, 2009

By 

David Parker (burlington, vermont United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: West Pole (Audio CD)

I must disagree with the other negative review here, as I found this to be an exceptional album, in many ways, even surpassing "Home". I'd expected the worse with an "Anneke replacement", as her voice is simply one of the best, and brought this band from obscurity to world fame. But I must say, the new singer definitely holds her own here, sounding a bit like her predecessor on a few tracks, while adding her own flavor to other songs. I also find some of the music here to remind me of some moments from my favorite Gathering album, "How to measure a planet", while offering a few slightly heavier, guitar-oriented pieces that harken back to the "Nighttime Birds" days. My only complaint, really, is the lead track, a one-note guitar riff song with no vocals, that simply doesn't belong here at all. Thankfully, everything that follows is a big step up. If you like this band at all, you should find this Anneke-less version just as compelling.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Surprise, June 1, 2010

By 

Mary Walker (Lexington, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: West Pole (Audio CD)

I have been a fan of The Gathering for many years and I consider Anneke van Giersbergen to be a personal hero to me. She is hugely inspiring and I was quite despondent when I heard she had parted from The Gathering. However, 'The West Pole' has been a wonderful addition to my collection and I've been listening to it regularly since it came out. The sound reminds me more of earlier songs, such as 'Frail', and is overall very mellow.

Silje Wergeland sounds like an angel. Her voice is smooth and very legato, floating gently and with ease. Does she compare to Anneke? I think so. She hasn't proven herself to be anywhere near as dynamic and powerful, but she does have a beautiful, unique voice that I admire.

I enjoy every song on this release, but here are my top 5:

1. 'Capital of Nowhere' - This is the song I listen to absolutely the most, but is also one that I didn't like at first. It sounds almost like she is singing predominately in head voice throughout the track which is something that had to grow on me. It so did, though, and the instrumental bit at the end reminds me very much of older Gathering songs ('Confusion').

2. 'The West Pole' - The title track was the first song of the album that I listened to and it was a very promising introduction. It is slow to moderately paced and very beautiful. It is one of the catchier songs, in my opinion, so if you're just starting to get a feel for this new release, I would recommend listening to 'The West Pole' as one of your first.

3. 'You Promised Me a Symphony' - A gentle piano melody accompanying very sad, gently spoken lyrics. This song is a bit heartbreaking and bitter, and I was very attracted to its honesty. 'You Promised Me a Symphony' is in 3/4 time and is a bit different from the other tracks on the CD. Definitely a winner for someone who is a fan of slow, sad piano-predominant songs.

4. 'No Bird Call' - It takes a while to get started and is very slow, but is also very interesting and beautiful. I LOVE the end of this track, "She had it all...", backed by beautiful strings and vocal harmonies.

5. 'No One Spoke' - My favorite upbeat song on the album! If you're looking for a faster, more commercial introduction to the CD, I recommend this song.

Again, I enjoy every song on this CD. Is it for everyone? Probably not. This release isn't very commercial and, in my opinion, would probably appeal more to fans of more down-tempo music. Is it for me? Definitely. I hope this review is useful to you, as I don't typically write them, but I felt 'The West Pole' needed more positive words spoken about it.