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.
Strange Machines
The Gathering Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dreaming about going to the corners of time
I always wanted to fly in strange machines
I want to do centuries in a lifetime
And feel it with my hands
Touch the world war II and Cleopatra
Flying
Could it be that my dream would come true
Building a machine that would actually do
What i want it to do
Russian revolution, let's do that in one day
Beethoven and Gershwin i think that would be o.k.
More than anything i want to fly in strange machines
I want to do centuries in a lifetime
And see it with my eyes
Watch Jesus rise, if he ever did
Flying
I want to do centuries in a lifetime
And feel it with my hands
Touch renaissance and Chaka Khan
Flying
The Gathering's song Strange Machines talks about an innate desire to see and experience centuries in a lifetime. The lyrics describe a longing to travel through time, specifically mentioning World War II, Cleopatra, and the Russian Revolution, and experience moments in history first hand. The desire to build a machine that could make this possible is also mentioned, adding to the dream-like quality of the lyrics.
The song's lyrics could be interpreted as a reflection of humanity's fascination with the past and our desire to experience pivotal moments in history. It also speaks to our curiosity about what life was like during different time periods and our desire to connect with the past.
Overall, Strange Machines is a song that captures the human longing for adventure and the extraordinary. The desire to fly in strange machines represents the desire to explore the unknown and push boundaries.
Line by Line Meaning
It has always been in the back of my mind
I have always had this idea in my mind
Dreaming about going to the corners of time
I have been dreaming of traveling through time and exploring different periods in history
I always wanted to fly in strange machines
I have always desired to travel through time using unconventional means of transportation
I want to do centuries in a lifetime
I want to experience centuries of history in a single lifetime
And feel it with my hands
I want to experience history in a tangible way
Touch the world war II and Cleopatra
I want to physically interact with different historical periods, such as World War II and Cleopatra's reign
Flying
I want to do all of this by flying through time
Could it be that my dream would come true
I wonder if this dream of mine could ever become a reality
Building a machine that would actually do
I could build a machine capable of transporting me through time
What i want it to do
A machine that would follow my commands and take me to the specific places and times I want to go to
Russian revolution, let's do that in one day
I want to experience the Russian Revolution in just one day
Beethoven and Gershwin i think that would be o.k.
Listening to the music of Beethoven and Gershwin during my time travels would be great
More than anything i want to fly in strange machines
My desire to travel through time in unconventional machines is stronger than anything else
And see it with my eyes
I want to experience history with my own eyes and senses
Watch Jesus rise, if he ever did
I want to witness the resurrection of Jesus Christ, if it actually happened
Flying
All of this through the means of flying through time
Touch renaissance and Chaka Khan
I want to physically experience the Renaissance period and listen to music from Chaka Khan
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Anna Van Giersbergen, Franciscus Boeijen, Hendrikus G J Hans Rutten, Hugo Prinsen Geerlings, Jelmer Wiersma, Rene C F J Rutten
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@claudevieaul1465
I saw The Gathering back in the day, well before this show, and they started the gig with Eleanor.
A beautiful opening song, starting with synths, and then a gradual build-up on guitars.
And then...
Anneke started to sing.
It was such a mind-blowing moment.
Since then I've been to quite a few of her shows and collaborations, including Ayreon.
She's still an amazing performer and vocalist, and just all smiles and positive energy off stage too - well, at least when I spoke to her 👍
@Mr_Fawlty
Still listening in 2024. This song/video really never gets old.
@sophi3881
yessss
@guillemmcbass6331
Anneke was the girlfriend every metalhead wanted back in the day. And still she is.
@kevinpatrickcarey3741
im more partial to Liv Kristine sorry :(
@miguelpena3365
Yeah man!!! she is my dream!
@TheSolfilm
@@kevinpatrickcarey3741 Oh, Liv !!!
@TheSolfilm
Her, Liv and also, don't forget, Cristina Scabbia.
@golden.fire.princess9653
Honestly any metal female singer I have seen is just perfect they’re all beautiful
@trev1978
Devin Townsend calls her ‘the Tinkerbell of metal’
@coribueno
Im dead ahahahahhahahahhaah he cant live without her, he loves her they are a great team on stage.