The Gathering / Agua De Annique / Anneke Van Giersbergen

Ok, this topic is to discuss and talk about the greatest musicians from Nederland: Anneke Van Giersbergen and The Gathering .
I know they're separated acts nowadays, but I think they're still connected (and will be forever actually) so I thought it would make sense to make a thread to chat about The Gathering (with and without Anneke) and Anneke's solo career (Agua De Annique, In Parallel and other projects and colaborations as well).

About The Gathering:

A beautiful band from The Netherlands with a very unique style which includes elemnts from several genres such as Prog Rock, Alternative Metal, Death Metal, Gothic Metal, Trip Rock, Electro Pop and many more
The basic sound of the songs have changed dramatically since the band's creation, yet the compositions share a unique and distinctive style, that makes you recognize their mark in a heartbeat.
Their songs are generally very atmospheric and experimental, and the line up is quite unstable as well
But these are the current band members:



Their albums are:

Always...
Almost A Dance
Mandylion
Nighttime Birds
How To Measure A Planet?
Superheat - A Live Album
If_Then_Else
Souvenirs
Sleepy Buildings: A Semi Acoustic Evening
Accessories: B-Sides And Rarities
Home
A Noise Severe
The West Pole

(they've got some others but these are the important ones ).

About Agua De Annique:

This is Anneke Van Giersbergen's new project. The music is Indie Rock Pop, nothing groundbreaking, but certainly beautiful .
They got three albums out:

Air
Pure Air
In Your Room

A new live album is coming soon and I can't wait for it



Some info might be missing, but well, I think this is the basic stuff about them if you havent' checked this artist out, do it!!! they're great, you'lll love them, I'm sure

The Gathering... definitely THE best band from The Netherlands. I love them, their music and they had the best singer replacement I've ever seen. By the way... dutch bands know how to choose their new singers, because Autumn also have a great new singer. I love Silje's voice since Octavia and I was very surprised and pleased when she was announced as their new singer. She's a great live singer and the tone of her voice is just lovely. Their songs are pure perfection.
The Gathering and Marjan (the new singer of Autumn) playing Saturnine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_GavAMJt2g

I hope they'll bring Autumn to South America their next tour. I'll try to attend as many concerts as I can.

I totally agree, I think Silje's voice is great and she totally fits the band, I loved "The West Pole", the music and her lyrics are just beautiful (specially on "Treasure" I adore that song for some reason).
I also think they're the best band from Nederland .
Anyway I haven't heard a single one of the old tracks performed by her... don't know why but I just can't I feel like cheating Anneke or something , I know that's stupid, but is the way I feel, I just can't listen to those songs without Van Giersbergen's touch; I'm sure Silje did a great job though, since she has a wonderful technique and her timbre is not too far from Anneke's one... but I still can't listen to her on the old songs (I will someday I guess, but not now, I'm still kinda sad because of the dutch girl's departure ).
And I haven't heard of Autumn before, I'll check them later

I completely understand you. But I think you'll be surprised when you decide to listen to the old songs. I love them sang by Silje. On Most Surfaces sounds BAD ASS! And Great Ocean Road brought tears to my eyes the first time I listened to her singing it. After all the butchering that other singers do with the work of former line ups I just couldn't believe what I was listening.
Even if there is a change of feeling here and there, she still manages to give her own touch to the songs without ruining them or making them sound like something completely different.

You should check Autumn, they're a very good band. They're the second best band from The Netherlands, imo... but completely underated. Much cooler than Epica, ReVamp and the other overated Female Fronted Metal bands from that country.

Another G R E A T band from The Netherlands and also related with The Gathering is Le Dimanche. Do you know them? It's Marjolein's band, the bass player of TG. She sings and plays guitar there!
Le Dimanche creates cinematic music, with hints of postrock, jazz and triphop. I love it!

HD videos:
Bight Sky - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFfDK0t7URM
Le Quartier Latin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOQ1XhV0FG4
Blood Red Chevy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6i4G1YVQqU
Two Minutes East of Everything Else - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkEFeDGCs3c
Dissolved Girl (Massive Attack cover) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ru_NAO7Hpsc&feature=related

I didn't knew that Marjolein had another project! that's cool, I think she's talented and seems to be a nice person (don't know why but I guess she's friendly ).
I'll try to check the videos later (can't do it now because I have several issues with my stupid computer and Flash Player... Twiekieman knows about it he has been reading my complaints for months now poor Henry ).
And Im'sure Silje did a great job, I think that's why I don't want to check the videos , because I know she has done a good job, so I don't want to listen her versions and think they're good, I'd feel like cheating on Anneke , because those are like "her" songs, she wrote the lyrics and took part in the composition process ... it's like... I'd feel guilty if I like Silje's versions more than Van Giersbergen's , so I'm scared of giving them a try.
It's like... if Vibeke Stene would replace Tarja on Nightwish: I'm sure she'd do a great job, but it wouldn't be the same for me because she's not Tarja and I cannot concieve "Ever Dream" or "Deep Silent Complete" performed by another person (even if it's a talented person), to me those are Tarja's songs (Nettie's version do not count because they're hilarious so I've got no problems when it comes to listen her tries in old songs ).
I know it sounds stupid and fanboyish, but I'm romantic when it comes to these things .
I like Silje and I think she's great, I'm happy the band found her, but I can't listen to her performing Anneke's songs, at least not for now, maybe in the future I'll get over this thing ( well, I hope so... ).

I truly love The Gathering and Anekke
I am truly said that I missed their show in Bratislava

And you tell me: last time they came to Argentina I could have attended the show but I was too lazy to go. They performed TWO shows, so I had a DOUBLE chance to see them, but I thought "nah, they'll return next year, I'll see them next time".
Some months after their concerts in Buenos Aires Anneke left the band ... I'lll never forgive myself for being such an idiot .
I hope they'll return with Silje though

I'd become suicidal if that had happened with me. What a bad luck you had, but it's a pity that they hadn't announced she'd leave earlier. It was really a surprise.

They'll come back with Silje next year. They'd tour South America this year, but as they did that special concert in Chile to raise funds for the victms of the earthquake, the chance for a whole tour had to be postponed.

Yeah, I was ready to throw myself at the ocean after that . I thought they'd return because the previous year they also played in Buenos Aires so I thought: "they came not so long ago and now they return to make two shows... I can wait for next year, they'll come back for sure" ... few months later Anneke left... and I was like: "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, why do I have to be so stupid????!!!!" , but there was nothing I could do, so I basically screwed myself (once again in this life ).
Anneke wanted to make a special concert for Chile in The Netherlands as well, but the response of the audience was so lame that she had to canell it due to lack of sold tickets (but she performed for benefit in Chile anyways, and the incomes were to help the people affected by the earthquake too).
And I checked Marjolein's band!! I got to their MySpace profile and after SEVERAL tries, I could finally make my stupid computer work with Flash Player, and I saw one of their live videos. It was a instrumental song (don't know the name of it) and I liked it very much!!! and if being honest it reminded me a lot to The Gathering (specially the prog rock moments of "How To Measure A Planet?").
It's a really nice band, thanks for the tip

Belial wrote:

I didn't knew that Marjolein had another project! that's cool, I think she's talented and seems to be a nice person (don't know why but I guess she's friendly ).
I'll try to check the videos later (can't do it now because I have several issues with my stupid computer and Flash Player... Twiekieman knows about it he has been reading my complaints for months now poor Henry ).
And Im'sure Silje did a great job, I think that's why I don't want to check the videos , because I know she has done a good job, so I don't want to listen her versions and think they're good, I'd feel like cheating on Anneke , because those are like "her" songs, she wrote the lyrics and took part in the composition process ... it's like... I'd feel guilty if I like Silje's versions more than Van Giersbergen's , so I'm scared of giving them a try.
It's like... if Vibeke Stene would replace Tarja on Nightwish: I'm sure she'd do a great job, but it wouldn't be the same for me because she's not Tarja and I cannot concieve "Ever Dream" or "Deep Silent Complete" performed by another person (even if it's a talented person), to me those are Tarja's songs (Nettie's version do not count because they're hilarious so I've got no problems when it comes to listen her tries in old songs ).
I know it sounds stupid and fanboyish, but I'm romantic when it comes to these things .
I like Silje and I think she's great, I'm happy the band found her, but I can't listen to her performing Anneke's songs, at least not for now, maybe in the future I'll get over this thing ( well, I hope so... ).

You damn right with 'poor Henry', although you know already the cause of your pc-problems and it ain't my famous Holy Dutch Coffee, it's a swedish pc-virus called: NettieDPP...

I'm only familiar with one of their albums, which is Nighttime Birds, but it is one of my favourite albums ever. I adore its "psychedelic" sound, and Anneke's voice reminds me of a brook in the mountains which has ice in it ... The lyrics are beautiful, too.

Funny anecdote: When I first heard a song off that album, I was using shuffle and not looking what song is playing right away, so my first thought was: Hmm, this sounds like a mix of Dream Theater (the closest comparison I could come up with at the time for the sound of the instruments) and Lacuna Coil (because of the voice, mostly, though I believe LC were really influenced by The Gathering at the beginning especially), kind of. (By the way, I can see a slight influence of TG on AFF, too, for example the beginning of "The Carpenter" resembles the intro of "Kevin's Telescope", stylistically at least.)

I'm not familiar with their other albums, but I've heard "Liberty Bell". Juliana "DarkMoon" Novo has made a cover of this one. Cool song, and I adore the space travel theme.

Twiekie:

Yeah, your creepy virus ruined my computer, but I'll sent you a worse one: "the-mad-hatter-monstrous-ego-keyboardist-virus", it turns all your e-mails into open letters truly dangerous and annoying

Almagest:

"Nighttime Birds" is probably my favorite one of their albums, but they're all so good is almost impossible for me to choose only one, so if you havent's checked the rest of their discography, I could give some tips to start with, this band truly deserves to be discovered:

Always...

"The Mirror Waters" and "Stonegarden" . Amazing songs which represent the very roots of Gothic Doom (and pioneer tracks in the use of the "beauty and beast" vocal contrast).

Almost A Dance

There's a problem with this album: the compositions are ground breaking, but the vocals are horrible and do not fit the instrumental side at all... anyway, "Nobody Dares" is a nice job form the singer (Niels Duffhües). There's a new female singer on backing vocals on this record as well.

Mandylion

Anneke joins the group and magic is all around . Experimental songs build with prog rock, alternative metal and gothic atmospheres sent the basis of all the future female fronted bands in the metal world.
All tracks are unforgettable, but the highlights are: "In Motion #1", "In Motion #2" and "Fear The Sea" (Lacuna Coil and Evanescence stealed a lot form this album, it doesn't matter if they deny it ).

How To Measure A Planet?

The dutchies leave their hardcore sound behind for a while in favor of their trip rock side. Proggresive songs with a pop feeling catch your senses in The Gathering's most controversial album (the metalhead community accused them of being "sell outs", for making sofeter music). Stand up tunes: "Great Ocean Road" , "Probably Built In The Fifities" and "Liberty Bell" (my favorite one is "The Big Sleep" though )

If_Then_Else

A partial return to their initial sound. With a "harder" guitar work, the album deambulates between rock driven hits and electronic ambient melodies. We'll find some classics here: "Saturnine" , "Rollercoaster" and "Herbal Movement"

Souvenirs

And that's it: The Gathering makes no more metal , inspired by bands like Portishead and Radiohead, Anneke and the Rutten brothers start their new trip into electronic fields, and the guitars are more an excuse to create intense moments, rather than to make some headbanging. "Broken Glass", "You Learn About It" and the bonus track"Debris" shine a bit more than the other songs.

Home

In the same vein of the previous recording, but with catchier compositions, the band presents their last work with Van Gierbergen. Electro pop machines painted with alternative rock are the basic elements of this lovely masterpiece.
"Home", "Box", and "A Noise Severe" make their ways into your heart without bigger problems.

The West Pole

With a new singer, but the same passion for melancholy, The Gathering succeed at making the soundtrack of our lonely moments again.
No big changes here (apart form Silje being the new female vocalist), but a memorable album for sure. "Treasure", "A Constant Run" and "All You Are" , my favorites

Well, all this long post about the band made me wanna listen to them *goes to his CD collection and selects "If_Then_Else"*

hahaahahahaha Pauli, you are freaking funny!!

i loved the virus thing it turns emails into open letters!! ROFLMAO

Yeah Nati, Twiekie will learn that no one messes with me , next time he wants to sent an e-mail to his girlfriend she'll only receive accusations of greedy behaviour and diva attitudes , this "mad-hatter" virus is a serious thing

oh no..plz don't cause any great divide! we already had one several years ago... and that one was enough!

Although the Gathering was a fantastic band it's not, surprise....., my favorite band from my country.
That was and still is EPICA...
Of course is Anneke van Giersbergen a more divers vocalist then Simone Simons, that's no secret but songs like 'Cry for the Moon' and 'the Phantoms Agony' are some of the best songs made in the Netherlands...

But i have to admit that i haven't listen to all the albums of the Gathering because for some strange reason the music doesn't impress me much.
Nonetheless i am a huge fan, thanks to Juampi, of Anneke van Giersbergen...
Besides the Gathering, Epica, Within Temptation we also have Delain and of course we also have one of the best voices in music: Floor Jansen...

I'm proud to be Dutch...

Yes, Floor is great, but Anneke is better in all aspects , she's the best dutch girl ever (waaaaaaay better than a certain dutch copycat from a certain band that I'm SO not mentioning *Twiekie knows what I mean* ).
Amyway, yeah: Anneke is awesome, that's the important thing