The Gathering
„Sleepy Buildings – Live“
Alternative, Prog-Rock. CD, 2004.

One more album was needed to fulfill the terms of the old contract. A quick compilation of greatest hits? Or a collection of demos and remixes? Instead they released a semi-acoustic live CD from 2004. The actual concert took place at the Lux venue in Nijmegen in 2003. It featured songs from her last six studio albums. Anyone expecting a collection of weak, watered-down acoustic versions can rest assured: this release allows us to fully immerse ourselves in Anneke van Giersbergen's powerful vocals. It offers melancholic atmosphere at its finest, even for the songs from theirr grimmer, doom-death metal era.

And the two songs from the band's early doom-death metal album "Always", "The Mirror Waters" and "Stonegarden", were interpreted and sung so beautifully by Anneke that they became my all-time favorite tracks. "Like Fountains" from the album "Almost A Dance" is also a powerful interpretation and performance. "In Motion Part Two" and "Eleanor" are from the album "Mandylion". What can I say? Atmosphere, atmosphere, atmosphere! This woman simply knows how to use her voice, and I get completely lost in it. "Shrink" from "Nighttime Birds" is a beautiful song, even on the original studio album. Five songs come from the brilliant "How To Measure A Planet?". "Red Is A Slow Color," the only song that didn't quite grab me initially, has a completely different impact on me here. I like it. Next up are "Locked Away" and "Travel," which was, is, and always will be a powerful song. I ​​don't need to say anything about "My Electricity," do I? "Marooned" rounds out this selection. "Saturnine" and "Amity" from the album "if_then_else" already have a lot of atmosphere. These songs, including "Sleepy Buildings," were wonderfully performed in a semi-acoustic style.

I really enjoy stripped-down versions of various songs, as The Gathering have presented here in their live performance. "Stripped-down" doesn't mean bland or simplistic, though. Instead, it evokes an atmospheric melancholy, and Anneke's voice effortlessly breathes new life into the songs. She is a truly powerful vocalist. The band clearly knows their craft, and in my opinion, this is their best live album to date.

The Gathering in 2004 are:

Anneke van Giersbergen – Vocals, acoustic Guitar
Rene Rutten – Guitars
Hans Rutten – Drums
Hugo Prinsen Geerlings – Bass
Frank Boeijen – Keyboards, Piano

14 Songs, 72:39 Minutes.

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©25.09.2025