Label : Psychonaut Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
The Gathering is a band that has got all of the fans quite used to change, evolution from album to album and “Disclosure” makes no exception. After the atmospheric, liquid sounds in “Home”, the catchy, classy rock of “The West Pole” (and the introduction of new singer Silje Wergeland), the Dutch combo is back with an eerie, downtempo, psychedelic record that reminded me of Slowdive and all that music populating the lands of electronic/darkwave/ambient. Guitars have not been forgotten, but they have no a major role in the album. “Disclosure” is opened by “Paper Waves”, a mid-tempo in which electronic and rock mingle creating a lush sound and Silje‘s vocals are soft, emotional, a bit melancholic, though not sad. The already known “Meltdown” follows. The opening always reminds me of Muse and alternative/indie rock in general. Male vocals appear (courtesy of ) and the song goes on til it becomes more uptempo and in it has that progressive feeling to it without sounding boring. Silje is fascinating in the bridge, only backed by electronica and a few instruments. And here you are one of my favourite: “Paralyzed” opened by strings and electronic plus sexy Silje. It is a slow, sweet ballad where synths cradle us as sea waves, soft, hypnotic, absolutely oustanding. “Heroes for Ghosts” was releases more than a year ago with a nice video, so most of us already knows the song by heart. It is a long piece where Silje‘s vocals shine, especially in the chorus, the music is more an accompaniment, never too intrusive. “Gemini I” is maybe the rockiest of all the songs, the riffs recall those of older works such as “Nighttime Birds” as long as the overall atmosphere. A track that nostalgic fans will appreciate. Back to atmospheric sound in “Missing Season”, another slow song full of melancholic longing but with a pinch of hope. “I Can See Four Miles” is another beautiful highlight (well, the whole album is full of stars, these just stand out a little bit more). As “Paralyzed”, the song is eerie, embraces the listener til half when it becomes more rock, well more post-rock maybe, with strings in the background. The songs finishes after this long instrumental that is connected to “Gemini II”. Unlike part I, this second section is slow-paced, quiet with a strange final part where far away sounds echo, like pipes in the wind. What can I say more? The Gathering never made an album that was similar to the previous one, they always try different things and manage to stay interesting, never boring and catchy. Another masterpiece.
Rating – 90/100
Tracklist
- Paper Waves
- Meltdown
- Paralyzed
- Heroes for Ghosts
- Gemini I
- Missing Seasons
- I Can See Four Miles
- Gemini II
Line Up
- Silje Wergeland – Vocals, lyrics & piano
- Frank Boeijen – Vocals & keyboards
- Renè Rutten – Guitars
- Marjolein Koojiman – Bass
- Hans Rutten – Drums
Links