* ORIGINALLY FEATURED IN SCRAWLSHOP ZINE

ONE OF THE INFLUENTIAL BANDS IN THE SCENE. THESE DUTCH DOOMSTERS RETURN WITH THEIR NEWEST CONCEPTION, "HOW TO MEASURE A PLANET?". THE THIRD ALBUM TO FEATURE THE AMAZING VOICE OF ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN AND THE FIRST WITHOUT GUITARIST, JELMER WIERSMA.

THIS IS ONE LONG ALBUM, SO LONG IT'S A 2-DISC. IF YOU LIKED "MANDYLION", "NIGHTTIME BIRDS", THEN YOU WILL CERTAINLY LIKE THIS ONE TOO. THE ONLY CHANGE IS THAT THEY TUNED DOWN THE DISTORTION AND IS MELLOWER THIS TIME AROUND. BUT THE MAIN ESSENCE THAT WAS ONCE THERE IS STILL INTACT.

ANNEKE'S SINGING IS STILL SOULFUL AND EMOTIONAL AS EVER, TRULY THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE BAND. THE SPOKEN SAMPLES ARE STILL THERE. THE COLD ATMOSPHERE, THE LIGHT BUT DARK MOOD. IT SEEMS THAT THE GATHERING ARE LEANING IN THE EXPERIMENTAL STAGE HERE WITH THE ADDED OBSCURE SOUNDS ADORNING THE BASIC BACKDROP OF THE SONGS. AND THERE'S THE PARTLY AMBIENT 28 MINUTE TITLE TRACK WHICH ALSO CLOSES THE ALBUM.

THE GATHERING HAS REACHED THE POINT WHERE THE ONLY WISE THING TO DO IS TO REALLY PROGRESS WITH THEIR SOUND, BECAUSE THEY HAVE DONE ALMOST THE SAME THING FOR 3 ALBUMS STRAIGHT. IT WOULD BE QUITE DISAPPOINTING IF THEY WILL CONTINUE TO THRIVE ON THE SAME WATERS. I REALLY HOPE THAT THEIR EXPERIMENTING WILL DO THEM WONDERS AGAIN NEXT TIME, BUT I'M QUITE CONFIDENT THAT THEY WILL.

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON