There are several bands called The Gathering is an:

1. alternative… Read Full Bio ↴There are several bands called The Gathering is an:

1. alternative rock / progressive rock formed in Oss, the Netherlands, in 1989. Similar to: Anathema (mid/late albums), Pink Floyd, The 3rd and the Mortal (late), Radiohead, Portishead, Piano Magic, Talk Talk (late), Motorpsycho. However, in their first albums they were more similar to Anathema (early), Paradise Lost, The 3rd and the Mortal (early), Type O Negative, Dead Can Dance, Theatre Of Tragedy (early), My Dying Bride, Tiamat.

Initially, at the start of their career, they were a gothic metal / doom metal band. Their most successfull album in this period is their 1995 release "Mandylion". However, they shifted towards their current form, incorporating many influences from atmospheric rock, trip hop, space rock, dream pop, post rock, pop rock, alternative rock, with their 1998 release "How to Measure a Planet?" . Their historical singer was Anneke Van Giersbergen , who joined in 1995 for the album "Mandylion" but left the band in 2007 after the album "Home". She was later replaced by Silje Wergeland , who debuted in the album "The West Pole".

The band announced a hiatus in 2014, which was later interrupted in 2022 with the release of "Beautiful Distortion". The current line-up consists of Silje Wergeland (lead vocals), René Rutten (guitars and flute), Frank Boeijen (keyboards), and Hans Rutten (drums). The band had some line-up changes during the years, the most notable being Silje Wergeland replacing in 2009 the former singer Anneke van Giersbergen (who was a member from 1994 to 2007).

Initially they were in the vein of bands like Paradise Lost, Anathema or The Third and the Mortal.
Their first two albums, Always... (1992) in the death metal/doom metal style of the era and Almost a Dance (1993) that, though always regarded as a failure, played a part in the formation of gothic metal, were recorded with four different vocalists. Their subsequent release, Mandylion (1995), on which Anneke van Giersbergen sang for the first time, was a dark, haunting, and emotional piece of music. It was also one of the first albums of its kind in respect to female fronted metal bands, and it is still considered a standard by many female fronted metal bands.
Nighttime Birds (1997) continued in the same vein.

How to Measure a Planet? (1998) signed a departure from their previous style, while adopting an atmospheric sound with roots in space rock, shoegaze, trip hop, progressive and alternative rock. Their following studio albums if_then_else (2000) and Souvenirs (2003) showed progress and maturation of the band.
There is also an electro-acoustic live album Sleepy Buildings: A Semi Acoustic Evening, which was released in 2004, and was followed by a similar semi-acoustic tour.

Their 8th studio album, Home, was released in April 2006. The Gathering has promoted this album with a tour and festivals for the rest of 2006-2007.

Last March 24th, in Santiago, Chile, the band recorded a live DVD entitled "A Noise Severe" more rock oriented, to complete the previously released DVD "A Sound Relief", which featured a more acoustic set. It was released with little delay at the end of November 2007, together with live 2CD from same place.

On June 5, 2007 it was announced that Anneke is going to leave The Gathering in August 2007 to focus on her new project, Agua de Annique and her family.

After van Giersbergen leaving, the band started working on new songs and finding new singers. With finding Silje Wergeland from Norway the band again completed the line up. Silje has been the singer of the Norwegian band Octavia Sperati for 8 years including several other projects. 9th album The West Pole also includes two very talented guest singers: the Dutch Anne van den Hoogen and Mexican Marcela Bovio (from Stream of Passion). The West Pole is a very vital, atmospheric and extravert rock orientated album, with all the quality and power the band is so famous for, also with many new elements. The sound is guitar driven, alive and urgent; a strong and beautifully coloured album with haunting female vocals. It’s produced by guitar player René Rutten and mixed & mastered by Zlaya Hadzich, who also did the production of Souvenirs.

10th full length Disclosure was released in September 2012.

They released Afterwords in 2013. ]Marjolein Kooijman (bass) left only a few months later.

http://www.gathering.nl

2. Gothic Rock band from Pretoria, South Africa, active in the second half of the 1980s. The Gathering released the 7inch single "Night and Day/Falling Crimson" and a handful of compilation tracks, e.g. "Perfect Souls" and "Wooden Walls" in 1988. The Gathering’s only full-length album, titled 'In the End", is a labour of love that’s taken the better part of 23 years to realise.

Morphia's Waltz
The Gathering Lyrics

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I see your eyes
Blue and wide open
Take your time
My divine creature
My arms will provide
Undivided attention

Sleep, child sleep

Rest your eyes
Until the sun comes up
And you'll awake
To light, everyone's day
Up again

Rest your head
In my lap, honey
The day I wept
Is when I had you my love

Sleep, child sleep
Rest your eyes
Until the sun comes up
And you'll awake

To light everyone's day
Up again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Gathering's song Morphia's Waltz are touching and emotive. The song seems to be addressed to a child, perhaps the songwriter's own, and the lyrics convey a sense of love and protection. The opening lines "I see your eyes/Blue and wide open" create an image of the child looking up at the singer, and the line "Take your time/My divine creature" expresses the singer's tenderness and affection. The following lines "My arms will provide/Undivided attention" further emphasize the protective and nurturing nature of the relationship.

The second verse of the song is particularly poignant. The lines "Rest your head/In my lap, honey/The day I wept/Is when I had you my love" suggest a deep emotional connection between the singer and the child, and perhaps also hint at some personal pain or adversity that has been overcome. The refrain of the song, "Sleep, child sleep/Rest your eyes/Until the sun comes up/And you'll awake/To light, everyone's day/Up again" reinforces the theme of safety and warmth, and creates a sense of reassurance to the listener.

Overall, Morphia's Waltz is a beautiful and affecting song. The lyrics are simple, but express deep emotions and convey a powerful sense of love and comfort. The song seems to have been written from a very personal place, and it is this intimacy that makes it so impactful.

Line by Line Meaning

I see your eyes
I am looking into your eyes and noticing your emotions.

Blue and wide open
Your eyes are bright blue and wide, implying innocence.

Take your time
Do not worry, take all the time you need.

My divine creature
You are sacred and unique in your own way.

My arms will provide
I will hold you and provide comfort.

Undivided attention
I will listen to you and give you my full attention.

Sleep, child sleep
Close your eyes and fall into a peaceful sleep.

Rest your eyes
Take a break from looking around and relax.

Until the sun comes up
Sleep until the morning when the sun rises.

And you'll awake
When you open your eyes, you will be awake.

To light, everyone's day
Your presence brings light and happiness to everyone's day.