The Gathering
Souvenirs

July 2003
Released: 2003, The End
Rating: 2.5/5
Reviewer: JP

At first I didn’t like this at all. I revisited it and it has grown on me for a couple of reasons, the undeniable quality being one. However, let’s get one thing clear. The Gathering are no longer rock, let alone metal. The Gathering have morphed like so many bands like Tiamat into some bizarre ambient prog-realm which while delightful reminds of Enya.



I’m going to keep this short and sweet and say that the band we knew and loved is no more. They have evolved and good for them. Anneke still sounds great, lush melodies but wait, what was that I heard on track two, “Even The Spirits Are Afraid’ ? A guitar! Wow! An electric guitar! This is pretty dull musically. Even-paced to the point of being slow to the point of being dull. The techno flourishes on the drums didn’t help either.



Despite a complete lack of lyrics, band photos the package is nice but non-descript. The production is great but the music is so minimalist it would be hard to not produce this. I’m disappointed to say this is my least favorite TG album so far, it has little or appealing features to me anymore. I understand that artists embrace change but The Gathering have changed into something I no longer like. For die-hards only.