The Gathering

...there's ONE thing I miss on the album!

I really like the album in general. the songs are great, the melodies, lyrics and everything, but what i really miss (as compared to all previous albums) are some parts where René lets his guitar really rip.

I mean, HTMAP? had its loud/heavy moments,
I_t_e had the Amity-solo and Analog Park mid-section
even Souvenirs had some loud guitar moments

the only thing that comes remotely close to what I mean, on Home, is the end part of Home with the descending chords. But it's so short! What's more, I really like the SOUND of the guitars on home. But there's so few...

Must be because i play the guitar myself that I really wanted René to be more present. And I'm not talking about Metal-esque riffing, just some beautiful LOUD breaks, because those are the parts I dig most, live....

Oh well, maybe next album.

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The mind is a strange and wonderful thing...

I agree with you to a certain extent. Maybe it isn't all that fitting on the songs, but I do miss them...

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/Ante

What about halftime in 'In Between'?

COMPLETELY AGREE!!!!

Only "In Between" has some kind of grrrr guitar parts...

I was hoping for more...

But it's a nice album though.

And I add: aren't The Gathering losing something by having a too well-produced record? Isn't Home more a producer's album than a musicians' one? Perhaps it lacks some "raw" stuff in it, I don't know...

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What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me

i agree too. i like the "power" guitars, and Tg used to have it... wtf, Home is some kind of "soft" album in that sense, but is great anyway.

but don't worry my friend, you will get your guitars soon, aparently :

I heard you're already planning a new DVD called "A Noise Severe"?
Anneke: Yeah, the "Noise Severe" DVD, that will probably happen this year, we will record one of the shows we do and make a much more heavy set. And you can put it together with "A Sound Relief" DVD really like a double set. (Taking from decibelsstorm.free.fr)

I found Home to be underproduced actually. It's not nearly as finesse and polished as Souvenirs.

I know what you mean, and in a certain sense I agree. Souvenirs it's maybe more "clean", but I hardly find Home "underproduced" (your quote).

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What is this that stands before me?
Figure in black which points at me

... get better with time

--->>>

ps: i respect your opinions guys

sorry, but i cant agree...
souvenirs was way tooooo much "produced" for me.

home is so clear and straight!

i like that much more.

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thomas

Actually the production of Home is quite awesome but in way because it sounds so live!

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Maybe i'm paranoid, yeah that's my problem
You almost have to be when you look like me

I thought "A Noise Severe" was going to be put on the backburner for a while? http://www.cyclingcolours.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5059

The album is great, Anneke is awesome she sings beautiful, the bass is just amaizing, but I think that is you are looking for a metal album, with good guitars like in the past, well, you can find it there in the past, because in HOME you can't find it, and it's a shame, because I was hoping they play some with the style of Mandylion, like Anneke said in a interview time ago. Like someone said in this topic, "Maybe next Album"

But anyway, I thought that the Gathering's evolution is thaking a way far, far, that they were in the begining of they carrer.

So my Review qualification:
ALBUM = 8
LYRICS = 9
DRUMS = 9
BASS = 10
FRANK = 10
GUITAR = 7

GOOD FOR LISTEN, BUT THAT'S ALL. NOT A CLASSIC

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"This Blood in my body runs for you"

well, aparently not...

I guess the new DVD won't be filmed in Chile then?

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This is my only gripe about the album, is the guitars being alittle whimpy. Not because I want ragging thrash metal guitars, but live, the new songs really rocked hard. Of course the studio can't ever get 100% of that live feeling, Shortest Day being the main one, the big dynamic parts just weren't, dynamic on the album.
Yet, I love the album, I don't over analize things anymore, I simply like the music.

I respect the band's view of how the albums sounds like. It's their inspiration and their implementation. They recorded it and they are happy with it. I like all the albums and all the songs equally. For me, there are no flaws, there are no super songs. There are only touching songs.

Midtempo or uptempo, aggressive or not, I don't care. Less guitars, more guitars, vocals or no vocals, highs and lows all those situation reate the same travellling atmoshpere in my heart and my mind. Bands like "the Gathering", do not deserve Imho 10 or 100 repeats on our sound system.

They deserve a deeper listening while traveling by bus, train, boat. Watching all those flowers, trees, mountains, waves and clouds, smelling the air and feeling the warmth of the sun or the cold from the raindrops....

And then all of a sudden, no more Rene's riffs you hear, no more Anneke's angelic voice exists, no more Marjolein's or Hugo's bass sucking you into the Gathering's world, no more Frank's melodies melting your heart, no more Hans' drums pounding along with your heart-bit...you only swim in an ocean of memories of your past life and of hope and dreams of your future life...

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Luna Obscura (Atmospheric Death/Gothic Metal)
Their demo "Darcanda" (With the permission of Luna Obscura)
New album "Feltia" out: Soon in 2008!

Wow that are really some good words and I think/feel almost the same way.

I do both. The great thing about The Gathering's music is it can handle being played over and over without getting stale - there's always something new to discover.

Hehehehehe...

As a side note, I agree that TG are best when having your mind wander.

Well, I also expected something more about the guitars, and I feel that the album is so vocal-oriented: the music plays a minor role versus the powerfull Anneke's vocals. It is that ok? Well, Aneeke's voice is wonderful, but in my honest opinion, theGathering is a band, not the background of a voice, but despite of that fact, "Home" is beautiful and DIFFERENT. Every album of the band is always different (maybe NB it's not, but who cares? ).

The only thing I can do it's play with the equalizers to make guitars sounds louder...as loud as my earphones could sound

@Burn: Well, I guess that was the intention of the band since they recorded it in a church...somehow every album has a different "look-and-feel". I think that "Home" is more ethereal and magical, but less powerfull and epic.

@thefan: Agree with you, theGathering really take shape when you can listen to their music at 100%, not as a background. I usually listen to them in the bus or travels. And then I become happier than ever

But more than the guitars, the thing I really miss in this album is the DRUMS. Yes, the drums sound weaker than ever this time, although they are complex and well worked and composed, they have lost the "trippy effect" they had specially in the last 3 albums.

About the production...well, I don't think that "Home" is under-produced, it's just different, another sound, another feelings. It is another world so far away from Souvenirs. Souvenirs was a great album, the production was the best production I have ever listened to and that is what made Souvenirs special. And what makes Home special in my opinion is their melodic passages. They can't make the same album every time...that's because they are theGathering, and not another band, because they try to discover new sounds for us

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And all the light that paves the way for me
is the wish and will for the end to see...