The Gathering – Disclosure (2012)

Today we have “Disclosure”, the long-awaited full-length release of the legendary Dutch band The Gathering. Keeping on their element of experimentation, this release contains eight tracks of beautifully crafted music that expands on the band’s melancholic Atmospheric Rock soundscape with hauntingly beautiful melodies and ethereal guitar work.

After wowing the non-believers with Silje’s vocals on “The West Pole”, the band’s ‘new’ singer seems more in her element and sounds even more comfortable on the tracks of “Disclosure”. Opening with the catchy “Paper Waves”, the band quickly establishes their trademark dreamy mood via melancholic vocals and delicate guitar work. The bass guitar line in this track nicely accompanies the serenity of the music and marks its way into your subconscious very easily.

The upbeat “Meltdown” features a more cheerful mood and some clean male vocals provided by the band’s keyboardist Frank Boeijen. This track also has an electronic edge that gives it a bit of a pop-ish vibe, reminding us of Liv Kristine’s stuff from “Deus Ex Machina” particularly the track “3 A.M” with Nick Holmes on guest vocals. On “Paralyzed” we are back to the dreamier and more ethereal side of things, with a very slow and intoxicating track.

The 11-minute single “Heroes for Ghosts” we all know is pretty epic (and is our favorite track of this release), particularly the excellent buildup and even better climax. On “Gemini I” we have some FX on some of the vocals that makes them sound a bit muffled, but well fitting for the experimental nature of this track. There are a few Post-Rock influences here that nicely fit the overall pace of the song. One of our favorite tracks is the jazzy “Missing Seasons”. We are suckers for mainly piano/vocal songs of The Gathering and this is one of those magical tracks.

The odd percussions on the experimental “See for Miles” make the track a bit hard to digest, but once you get in the groove of things, Silje’s ethereal vocals take the show away and drown you into the band’s melancholy. Closing with “Gemini II”, the band leaves things in a high note thanks to the very dramatic vocal performance on this track. This is greatly accentuated by the minimalist atmospheric elements that nicely surround this piece.

Overall, The Gathering has proven to us once more that no matter how much time they take, they will produce an outstanding record as a result. “Disclosure” features beautifully crafted musical passages that are very nicely adorned by Silje’s vocals. This release is one of those albums that the more you listen to it, the more you fall in love with it. We have nothing else to say other than any fan of The Gathering, and Atmospheric Rock in general, will be completely enthralled by such a majestic release.

Release: September 12th, 2012

Genre: Atmospheric Rock

Country: Netherlands