Can someone do The Gathering?
This is the first one of these I've done or will do, and it's for a band with whom I'm not incredibly knowledgeable, but I'll do my best.
Band Name: The Gathering
Genre: Early days - Goth/Black Metal with male and female vocals (from my understanding), Mid-'90s - Ambient Prog-rock, Currently - Ambient rock with emphasis on sonic soundscapes
Your Rating Of Them (1-10): 8
Best Album: Of the two I have, I'd have to say "Nighttime Birds" is better than "Mandylion." These two are from the mid '90s when Anneke van Giersbergen first joined the band and they entered their prog-rock phase. I've heard their second-most recent album, "Souvenirs" is their best, though. Based on the material I've heard from that album on their live DVD, I might have to agree.
Songs: *I'll go into more detail here when I'm at home and can really look through their albums*
- Best All Around: Shrink
- Loudest/Hardest/Most Rockin':
- Most Relaxing: Shrink
- Most Played/A song by them you may have heard:
- Song That Best Represents The Band:
Bands Like This Band: Similar to Nightwish, Lacuna Coil, Theatre of Tragedy, etc. All those bands are pretty distinct when you really compare them to one another, but a fan of any would probably appreciate The Gathering.
Coolest Thing About This Band: How much a band of mostly the same members has changed over time. To me, it shows that these musicians just do what pleases them musically, and they welcome fans to come along for the ride.
Characteristics: Anneke's voice. I always describe it as honey poured over satin.
If you really want a good assessment of their material, go on Amazon.com and look for album reviews written by "Lord Chimp." His reviews were essential when I was trying to decide whether I wanted to get into The Gathering or not. And if you want a quick purchase to show you what the band is like these days, get your hands on a copy of their live DVD (about a year old now) called A Sound Relief. Hope that helps a little bit.