MANDYLION

This is the third album by the Dutch progressive metal band "The Gathering". I don't know how exactly the last work by this band is. I read that this band used to be kind of a death-metal band. In their last album there was also a woman, so I guess their last release was a blend of rough death-metal vocals and female vocals.

Now, in "Mandylion", the whole vocal part was taken on by the new vocalist "Anneke van Giersbergen", a fantastic vocalist. She is definitely one reason for the emotional deep music behind "The Gathering", with her impressive and soulful vocals. With her female style and the eldritch synthesizer and sounds in the background, the heavy powerchords by the guitar this is a fantastic progressive-gothic-metal album. This reminds me of the German progressive-metal band "Dark Suns". On their first album, they had a death-metal style, but then turned with their second album "Existence" to a progressive-gothic-metal band with harmonic vocals.

The music is heavy riff based, with spooky synthesizer, good drums, varied percussion, acoustic guitars and the high, soulful vocals. The vocals and the heavy riffs (typical progressive-metal sounding) are the most important signatures for the atmospheric music of "The Gathering".

So, if you like atmospheric, gothic music with a great feeling, you should get this album! Really, a WONDEFUL album!