THE DARKEST SKIES ARE THE BRIGHTEST

Anneke van Giersbergen is one of the most beloved female vocalists in metal. Her stints with The Gathering, Ayreon and Devin Townsend have earned her accolades from different corners of the metal universe, and her work with VUUR and The Gentle Storm have consolidated her status of a symphonic prog metal goddess. Throughout her career, Anneke has also released a stream of atmospheric pop/rock albums, both under her own name and under the moniker Agua de Annique. The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest follows in the footsteps of these previous solo releases. It is a largely acoustic, atmospheric record that toys with a host of different genres, including pop, folk, alternative rock, country and jazz. The metallic content of the album is essentially non-existent, but The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest may nevertheless appeal to readers who have appreciated the more atmospheric rock-oriented releases by The Gathering (If_Then_Else, Souvenirs) as well as Anneke's previous solo records.

The album's background lies in the difficult times Anneke went through in 2018 when her long-lasting marriage with Rob Snijders risked to break down. Anneke turned to the healing power of music to weather these times of crisis, and the eleven songs of The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest are the outcome. The mood of the album is inevitably somber and reflective, but the songs are also pervaded by an infectious sense of optimism and hope for the future, a contrast that is well expressed by the oxymoronic album title. It is a powerful reminder that there is always a calm after the storm and that it is in the darkest times that we often find our greatest strengths.

Musically, the album is centered around Anneke's extraordinary voice. Her style is unique and she is one of those rare metal singers who can be instantly recognized after listening to just a couple of notes she sings. Her voice is warm, lush and expressive and her range is still impressive today as it was on those early The Gathering albums. If anything, with age Anneke has gained even more expressivity and control of her talent, and The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest finds her at her most mature and nuanced. Her performance on the album is nothing short of exhilarating, as she comfortably juggles between sinister low-register singing, otherworldly harmonized vocalizations, and cathartic, full-blown singing.

Even if Anneke's voice is undoubtedly the driving force behind the album, there is substance and quality in the music that goes well beyond the mere accompaniment. Guitarist / producer Gijs Coolen deserves tons of credit for weaving ever so interesting guitar lines throughout the album, displaying a dazzling variety of playing styles and techniques. A string quartet adds sophisticated symphonic touches to "Agape", "My Promise", "The End" and "Love You Like I Love You", while Coos Zwagerman lends his expressive trumpet to the finale of "Hurricane".

These rich and sophisticated arrangements, coupled with the variety of styles covered across the album's eleven songs, are the biggest strength of this release. It might have been tempting for Anneke to fill the record with plenty of slow acoustic ballads that would prove easy ground to showcase her vocal talents. Fortunately Anneke is an accomplished singer-songwriter who knows better than this. Stomping anthems like the country-tinged "Hurricane", the post-rockish "I Saw a Car" and the bluesy "Lo and Behold" possess an electric bite that elevates the music well above what one may expect to find in an otherwise largely acoustic album. Elsewhere, opening track "Agape", "My Promise" and "The Soul Knows" may move in more traditional folk / singer-songwriter territories, but they are no less beautiful and do not lack elements of surprise (the Eastern-tinged, dramatic violin dissonances on "My Promise").

Admittedly, the album loses some steam in the second half, where the overabundance of acoustic, atmospheric pieces slows things down somewhat excessively, giving the record a slightly unbalanced feel after the incredible fireworks of its opening five tracks (from "Agape" to "The Soul Knows"). However, there are elements of redemption in later tracks too, especially in the tribal rhythms of "Keep It Simple", the magniloquent dramatics of "Lo and Behold" and the lively up-tempo of "Survive".

All in all, The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest is a strong return to form for Anneke, after the somewhat mixed reception to her latest solo release (the bland debut album of her prog metal project VUUR). The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest does not have any metallic edge whatsoever, so it remains to be seen whether Anneke will be able to channel her newly found songwriting verve into heavier material. But while we wait for an answer, this new release is a more than welcome return to the spotlight for Anneke, which fans of her previous work would better make sure not to miss.

[Originally published on The Metal Observer]