THE GATHERING "The West Pole" /CD/

The ninth full-length studio album by legendary Dutch Atmospheric Rock band.
The first album to feature new vocalist Silje Wergeland.
It goes without saying that this is a band that isn't afraid to push boundaries. From their roots all the way to the present, each album of theirs has been unique. Some have stylistic conventions in common, but each album has a distinct direction that keeps their listeners interested and intrigued.
“The West Pole” will undoubtedly remain a milestone in The Gathering's discography for a few reasons. The most obvious, of course, is the departure of former lead vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen. It's always a large deal when a vocalist leaves a large band, but for a band whose main focus is atmosphere, it would have been extremely easy for the band to pick someone who is completely unsuitable for their music. Thankfully, this isn't the case at all. The band chose Silje Wergeland (of Octavia Sperati fame) to take over the importance of replacing the void Anneke's departure left behind, and she does so very well. Fans of Anneke will be disappointed if they are still mourning for her departure - there is, simply, no way to replace her. What The Gathering did, however, is provide us with a vocalist who is technically proficient and can convey the meaning of the band's lyrics beautifully. To say she fits in with the tracks on “The West Pole” is an understatement.
The album itself is quite different from The Gathering's previous album, "Home". The use of electronics in the foreground is no more; this is perhaps the band's most Rock-oriented album to date. Sometimes albums like this tend to drag on too much, but at ten tracks, “The West Pole” has the perfect length to keep your attention.
The songwriting is strong in each individual track, and by the time "A Constant Run" ends, the only thing you'll be thinking about doing is listening through the album again.
Yes, Anneke will be missed, but “the show must go on”… “The West Pole” is hopefully only the beginning of a new and beautiful era for the band! Long live The Gathering!!
Psychonaut Records/Voice Music/Rock Machine Records/Die Hard Records/Rock Brigade Records/Overload Records, 2009/2011 (TG 001). Made in Brazil.


Tracklist:
1. When Trust Becomes Sound 03:53
2. Treasure 04:06
3. All You Are 04:34
4. The West Pole 06:35
5. No Bird Call 05:38
6. Capital Of Nowhere 06:35
7. You Promised Me A Symphony 02:54
8. Pale Traces 07:46
9. No One Spoke 04:32
10. A Constant Run 07:44
Total playing time: 54:17 min.