Anneke van Giersbergen, former singer of The Gathering. (I have no idea who took this photo. If YOU did, let me know!)
It never ceases to amaze me how much cool stuff never manages to wash ashore in America. I’ve lamented the shaft female-fronted metal has gotten in previous posts. Today’s entry is particularly galling.
Check out the video below by the outstanding Dutch band, The Gathering. Mind you, this was done in 1997! In America, hard music had the joy hoovered right out of it. The heavy music landscape was so dour here in America. Everything was depression and gloom. Yet listen to this sludgy, distorted goodness - and check out singer Anneke van Giersbergen. She is absolutely loving every minute of this. There’s a genuine joy in her, and you can tell how happy she is to see a pasture full of bouncing idiots sharing the rock love with her.
Now I can barely even classify The Gathering as metal. They’re often far too mellow, despite having a heavy guitar sound. The drummer is very un-metal, in my opinion. But still, it’s excellent listening music. It hits a part of my brain that makes me smile, even the slower and more gloomy tunes. The album Nighttime Birds, in particular, mellows me out.
Anneke has a terrific voice and a very engaging stage presence. She left The Gathering a few years ago to pursue a different musical direction, but the band soldiers on with an outstanding new singer. Enough of my blather! Check out the video.
Tags: anneke van giersbergen, female-fronted metal, strange machines, The Gathering
