There are not enough great metal bands fronted by women, but Dutch band The Gathering brings me to the first of my four favorite female metal vocalists. There are some singers that are so compelling that they can singlehandedly push a good band into great territory. We've heard from a few men who fit that bill in Midnight of Crimson Glory, Kenn Nardi of Anacrusis, King Diamond of Mercyful Fate, Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, John Arch of Fates Warning, and of course the inimitable Ronnie James Dio of Rainbow and Black Sabbath. I don't mean to imply that these bands were not terrific apart from their impressive vocalists; just that these singers play possibly a larger than usual role in what makes them special. The Gathering's vocalist from 1995 to 2007, Anneke van Giersbergen, certainly fits that bill. Her deep, beautiful and powerful mezzo-soprano along with her joyful performance style make her a true pleasure to listen to. The rest of the band are no slouches either, producing interesting and thickly textured music as they piled influences on top of their atmospheric doom metal origins, notably alternative and prog rock as well as post rock and shoegaze over the height of their output between 1995's Mandylion and 2000's If Then Else. They've always reminded me a bit of Pink Floyd, thanks to a blend of progressive, psychedelic and hard rock influences, frequently slow and trance-like grooves and smooth vocals.
I'm torn on what song to share with you, as I generally like the precision and effects of studio recordings. But The Gathering is really a special live band. If you'll indulge me, I'm going to share two. The first is a recording of their first hit "Strange Machines" from Mandylion performed at the Pinkpop Festival in their native Netherlands in 1996. The song is a good one, although early in their development, and the performance is so enthusiastic, it's a real treat to listen to.
The second is one of their more straight ahead rockers, this time in studio. Again the sound is fat and the performance just so heartfelt and joyful. Enjoy "Shot To Pieces" from 2000's If Then Else.
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