SLEEPY BUILDINGS - A SEMI ACOUSTIC EVENING

The idea of a rock band presenting an acoustic or, as in this case, a semi-acoustic show is these days not that unusual. But Dutch rockers The Gathering were probably not one that many people ever imagined would fall into that camp. Not all of the songs on this album are fully acoustic, but even those that are electric (such as "The Mirror Waters") are treated in a totally different fashion to how the listener would usually expect. The result is an album that is deeply emotional and atmospheric, with the whole band being tied together by the delicate yet powerful thread which is Anneke van Giersbergen's voice.

It shows how much structure there is within their music and how even though they normally belt it out there is a far more evaluated side to their nature. From opener "Locked Away" to closer "Like Fountains" the listener is taken for a ride through fourteen songs that have a craggy beauty which is going to introduce them to a whole new audience. Fans of the band will just lap this up while newcomers will wonder how they have never come across this style of music before. It is often piano-based with acoustic strumming but it is Anneke that is the pin that holds it all together and she comes out of this with a lot of credit.

Originally appeared in Feedback #78, April 2004