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.
Travel
The Gathering Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are symphonizing their way
Through your weary head
To feed your distrust
And fill it's mouth with the desire
To soulfully be one with your creation
You call upon a higher power
For help and inspiration
The crowd waits
And turns their faces
Towards you expectantly
You give them what they need
But their useless criticism
Makes you die
A bit more inside
Not a subject to control
You call upon a higher power
For help and inspiration
Oh, I swoon
While loudspeakers play soft music
Leaning
Over your fortieth masterpiece
You must have loved
The colour of these violins
I wish I knew you
Your fit of insanity makes me sad
I wish you knew
Your music was to stay forever
And I hope
I have no clue
If you know how much it matters
And I hope
The Gathering's song "Travel" is a melancholic take on the life of an artist, who is tormented by the creative process and the subsequent criticism that follows. The opening lines describe the music in the artist's head as symphonizing, as it weaves its way through their weary head, offering a touch of respite from their troubles. However, this temporary solace is soon dispelled when they realize that their creation has awakened their distrust, and they long to be one with it.
The chorus beautifully captures the artist's struggle for control over their art while acknowledging their need for help and inspiration from a higher power. The verse that follows showcases the power dynamic at play, as the crowd eagerly waits for the artist to deliver what they need, only to be confronted with useless criticism. The final lines of the song express a sense of longing, as the artist laments not knowing the person they are singing about and hopes that they are aware of the impact their music has had on the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Melodic stanzas
Beautiful musical phrases
Are symphonizing their way
Are flowing and blending together harmoniously
Through your weary head
In your tired mind
To feed your distrust
To nourish your lack of faith
And fill it's mouth with the desire
And satisfy it with a longing
To soulfully be one with your creation
To fully connect with what you make
Not a subject to control
You are not someone to be dictated to
You call upon a higher power
You ask for help from somewhere beyond yourself
For help and inspiration
For guidance and motivation
The crowd waits
The people are anticipating
And turns their faces
And directs their attention
Towards you expectantly
Toward you with hope
You give them what they need
You provide them with what is required
But their useless criticism
But their unhelpful disapproval
Makes you die
Causes a part of you to wither away
A bit more inside
Deep down in your soul
Oh, I swoon
Oh, I feel overwhelmed with emotion
While loudspeakers play soft music
While amplified speakers broadcast gentle sounds
Leaning
Bending over
Over your fortieth masterpiece
Above your 40th great work
You must have loved
You surely had affection for
The colour of these violins
The hue of these stringed instruments
I wish I knew you
I wish I had personal knowledge of you
Your fit of insanity makes me sad
Your episode of craziness distresses me
I wish you knew
I wish you were aware
Your music was to stay forever
That your melodies would last for eternity
And I hope
And I desire
I have no clue
I have no idea
If you know how much it matters
If you realize how important it is
And I hope
And I desire
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Anna Van Giersbergen, Franciscus T H M Fra Boeijen, Hendrikus G J Hans Rutten, Hugo Prinsen Geerlings, Rene C F J Rutten
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arcturus9806
Melodic stanzas
Are symphonizing their way
Through your weary head
To feed your distrust
And fill it's mouth with the desire
To soulfully be one with your creation
Not a subject to control
You call upon a higer power
For help and inspiration
The crowd waits
And turns their faces
Towards you expectantly
You give them what they need
But their useless criticism
Makes you die
A bit more inside
Not a subject to control
You call upon a higer power
For help and inspiration
Oh, I swoon
While loudspeakers play soft music
Leaning
Over your fourtieth masterpiece
You must have loved
The colour of these violins
I wish I knew you
Your fit of insanity makes me sad
I wish you knew
Your music was to stay forever
And I hope...
I have no clue
If you know how much it matters
And i hope...
@arcturus9806
Melodic stanzas
Are symphonizing their way
Through your weary head
To feed your distrust
And fill it's mouth with the desire
To soulfully be one with your creation
Not a subject to control
You call upon a higer power
For help and inspiration
The crowd waits
And turns their faces
Towards you expectantly
You give them what they need
But their useless criticism
Makes you die
A bit more inside
Not a subject to control
You call upon a higer power
For help and inspiration
Oh, I swoon
While loudspeakers play soft music
Leaning
Over your fourtieth masterpiece
You must have loved
The colour of these violins
I wish I knew you
Your fit of insanity makes me sad
I wish you knew
Your music was to stay forever
And I hope...
I have no clue
If you know how much it matters
And i hope...
@auto_lisis
Thank you good man
@evanshochat8758
Thank you Arcturus 9. I've listened to that song so often I can hear Anneke in my head. So many goddesses, so little time.
@Ivan_Rodrigo
It's hard for me to explain what this song does to me. A nostalgic woman who I don't know where she comes from, I always end up with my eyes full of tears, she couldn't understand why
@MPortnoy2007
The last 4 minutes of this particular performance will forever be one of my favorites in the history of music.
@alfbn3299
Nothing compares to Anneke...
@Myrouteappforyou
This song has everything, emotion, composition, atmosphere, a great performance. One of the best songs ever released!
@Muusfulify
I totally agree, it still hits me everytime
@rgibarra
And the best singer!
@theHYmaster
This song will stay forever