Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 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
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.
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7 of 7 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
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.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Highly atmospheric and highly enjoyable., December 18, 2004
Souvenirs isn't The Gathering's best release, but it's still ranks among the top of the list in my opinion. Seeing as I'm a relative newcomer to The Gathering's music, I have yet to hear everything they've done. So, of course this would be an amazing release. I think most everyone can find at least one thing about this CD that they really like, and for me that's Anneke's voice. It truly stands out among the elite few. This is, like many reviewers before me have stated, very atmospheric. It's extremely soothing and puts you in a transe for hours. The drawback to this CD is that it's kind of meant to be experienced as a whole, as opposed to the popular formula of just putting a few good songs on a CD. This CD is more of a journey through the unknown than just a casual listen, meaning you need to invest time into listening to this, the same goes to all of The Gathering's CDs.
I find it hard to pick just a couple particular tracks that stand out since they all flow together so perfectly. Nonetheless, one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard is on here. That song is You Learn About It. This song consists of a piano and Anneke. Her voice is proudly put on display in this track, and it never sounded better. Monsters is another track that I really love on here. The drums are what caught my ear at first, and then with further listens I found that the lyrics are simply astounding as well. The only track that aggrivates me is the last track, A Life All Mine. If it wasn't for the male vocals, this would be one of my favorite songs. To me, it sounds like the guy should be screaming, not singing. He's got a gruff voice that just doesn't sound right in a calm setting. Don't let that drive you away from purchasing this though, the female vocals in the song more than make up for it.
A couple of the best songs on this CD are You Learn About It, Monsters, and Golden Grounds. As I stated before though, this release seems to be intended to be heard all the way through, so try to make a point to actually sit down and listen to it all. I would reccommend this CD to people who like to be engulfed by music, also to people who are getting into female vocalists.
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by The Gathering 
