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.

Treasure
The Gathering Lyrics

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We found our stepping stone
Over darkest hours
We left no trace at home
But saw our footprints ahead
It was our dream stone

Stardust would shine our way
There was a beautiful vision that night

All shades were bright
With hope to catch the sight
Of northern lights
And touch a cooling star

We watched the moonstones
Swim in brightest colours
Reached for horizons
To touch the line that separates earth from sky

Stardust would shine our way
With hope to catch that sight of the northern lights
With hope to catch the sight
Of the northern lights
And touch a cooling star

(Lyrics by Silje Wergeland)

Overall Meaning

The Gathering's song "Treasure" is a beautiful and uplifting piece about pursuing one's dreams and finding hope in the darkest of hours. The song tells the story of a journey to find a dream stone, which becomes a stepping stone towards the realization of a greater dream. The use of metaphorical language, such as "footprints ahead" and "northern lights," suggests that the journey is both physical and spiritual. The lyrics paint a picture of a world filled with beauty and wonder, where even the stars are within reach.

The band's use of imagery is particularly powerful in conveying the theme of the song. The mention of "moonstones" and "brightest colours" creates a sense of enchantment and mystery that is echoed in the soaring melody of the chorus. The repetition of the phrase "Stardust would shine our way" reinforces this idea of a journey that is guided by something greater than oneself. The final lines, "With hope to catch the sight/Of the northern lights/And touch a cooling star," suggest that the ultimate goal of the journey is to connect with the divine and to find peace and solace in the midst of chaos.

Overall, "Treasure" is a poignant and uplifting song that speaks to the human experience of striving towards a greater purpose. The lyrics are rich in metaphor and imagery, and the melody complements the message perfectly. This is a song that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt lost or uncertain, but who has also held onto the hope that something greater is waiting just beyond the horizon.

Line by Line Meaning

We found our stepping stone
We discovered the means for moving forward.

Over darkest hours
Despite going through challenging and difficult times.

We left no trace at home
We didn't leave behind anything that would indicate where we went.

But saw our footprints ahead
We could imagine and visualize the direction we wanted to go.

It was our dream stone
It was the foundation for our aspirations and ambitions.

Stardust would shine our way
Our path would be illuminated by a magical and ethereal element.

There was a beautiful vision that night
We were blessed with an inspiring and awe-inspiring image or experience.

All shades were bright
Every aspect of what we saw was dazzling and vibrant.

With hope to catch the sight
We yearned to witness this moment to remember it always.

Of northern lights
The natural, haunting beauty of the aurora borealis.

And touch a cooling star
To connect with a celestial body and feel its radiating energy.