Fits In A Teardrop

The Gathering – Souvenirs

The Gathering used to be a death metal band. Then they were a doom metal band for a bit. Today they are neither. Sublime mostly laid back rock with more than a touch of electronics in their music. Souvenirs is a logical progression from their last full length If_Then_Else. The rockier moments from that album have been discarded. Everything is about textures now. A multi layered musical backdrop and Anneke Van Giersbergen’s magnificent voice.

After If_Then_Else came the ep Black Light District which was done in collaboration with Ulver headman Trickster G. The electronic elements on Souvenirs may have come from this union. Whatever the cause, its all for the good. All ties with the band’s heavy metal past has been decisively cut. This too is for the good.

Souvenirs for me has no basis for comparison. Mellow laid back rock is a thought that comes to mind but the noisy discordant ending of Broken Glass is anything but mellow. You Learn About It sounds like the cranberries and IS laid back and mellow. The title song bang in the middle of the album is all swirling guitar feedback and ponderous bass line.

Anneke’s voice can be an incredibly powerful tool but she is subdued through most of the album and the tapestry of sound helps in creating a slightly claustrophobic feel to the whole album. Point in case being the superb We Just Stopped Breathing. A trip hop beat, distortion, various electronic trickery, a saxophone and Anneke’s dead pan vocal style makes this the center piece of the album.

If you thought the band sold out after Nighttime Birds, Souvenirs will do nothing to change your mind. If you stayed with the band through the brilliant If_Then_Else then chances are you’ll like Souvenirs a great deal.

<>The gathering is still a well kept secret. Souvenirs won’t do much to change that. The Gathering rock. Souvenirs will do nothing to change that either.