BLACK LIGHT DISTRICT

It took The Gathering quite a long time to come with a followup album to "If_Then_Else" (2000). To not completely lose the public's attention, this EP was released as a kind of teaser. Its raison d'être became apparent in hindsight: these songs wouldn't have fitted on "Souvenirs" (2003), apart of course from the third track which is a stripped down version of the song that would later appear on that next album.

Obviously, the main course of this EP is the sixteen minute long title track, which is a slowly building epic in post rock vein. Probably the track could have been done in thirteen or fourteen minutes as well, without losing too much of the point. On the other hand, it's fine to see the band record a long developing track again, completely different from the bizarre, space oriented title track of "How To Measure A Planet".

Debris is a more hard rocking tune, harkening back to "If_Then_Else" as well as to classic non-album tracks like Adrenaline. It's a fine song, though a bit untypical. The 'piano version' of the then new song Broken Glass is ok, although I prefer the 'plugged' version that would be released on the album later.

"Black Light District" is a good EP, next to the albums, but the patchy nature and the fans-only character makes 3 stars the real maximum.