LIBERTY BELL

To my way of thinking, there are two purposes for a single or EP release. One is to give casual listeners a short introduction to the band; the other is to give listeners familiar with the band something extra to enjoy. The Gathering is one of my favorite bands, so I appreciate this EP consisting of alternative versions. My only complaint is that "Shrink" and "Frail" are too similar in sound and mood, considering they make up more than half of the running time.

I think this EP is terrific. I'm confident that a lot of folks would call How To Measure A Planet "progressive", as in innovative and forward-thinking. If you've already listened to the album, you're already familiar with two of these songs. I really like these alternative versions. I also don't object to the edited version of "Liberty Bell", which drags on a bit in the album version. This is a good representation of The Gathering, and I'm giving it four stars.