If I remember right, then this is the album where I fell in love with Anneke Van Giersbergen as a vocalist-and more importantly, The Gathering. It hasn't changed since. In fact, "Leaves" was the introduction to the band for me and so inevitable I checked out Mandylion, and I'm sure many others have gone the same way. As for the album itself, I've determined over the years that the best thing about Mandylion is that the instrumental arrangements are just as prominent and useful as Anneke's vocal delivery. The songwriting here is, for the most part immaculate. "Strange Machines", both parts of "In Motion" and "Sand and Mercury" are all elegant, powerful and emotional in the right ways. A couple of songs are consdierably weaker in my opinion ("Eleanor" and "Fear the Sea"), but aren't so enough to drag the overall experience down. If one song really stands out to me from Mandylion, it has to be the title track. That's simply the cream of the crop, which uses the flute to the fullest advantage I think.

I guess what I'm really saying here is, I love this album.

Last comment being five years old.... we should remember this immensely unique piece of art -- spinning right now.
A gem, a classic for me it has ever been. ...but of what precisely?
I've always found it hard to put the genre tag here. Some sort of Gothic maybe, but then again not really.
Damn, I can still remember, back at the time, this stuff was so ... mind-blowing in its originality.
While being nothing I would spin once a week nowadays, it still serves for bringing back a lot of memories right now.

Somewhere between good and great. I'd rate it a 7.5 if that was an option. The best moments are all the moments where Anneke doesn't sing.

Written by Metren on 18.01.2021 at 15:18

Somewhere between good and great. I'd rate it a 7.5 if that was an option. The best moments are all the moments where Anneke doesn't sing.

are you serious?

Written by JoHn DoE on 18.01.2021 at 15:37

are you serious?

Yes. I don't like Anneke's vocals, never have. I have no idea why so many prog bands and masterminds of projects (Devin, Arjen etc) love her so much and feature her on their albums. I also know it's probably only me, Daniell and Marcel (RIP) that have/had this opinion. Everyone else seems to love her.

For some reason I find Annekes vocals a bit too overpowering, and they annoy me a little bit. I'm not faulting her vocal talent tho it's stunning, it's just that I'm more for hearing instruments rather than vocals. The music tho is great and I especially like the first two songs, but I can't really concentrate properly with the overpowering vocals. That's just me though.

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 06.04.2021 at 13:32

For some reason I find Annekes vocals a bit too overpowering

Interesting point, never thought about that.
Now that you are mentioning it I can totally see it. Has just never been an issue for me since IMO Anneke is just so incredible on this album, her vocals make the album, yes, and that is why this album is so unique.

Written by Redel on 07.04.2021 at 00:16

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 06.04.2021 at 13:32

For some reason I find Annekes vocals a bit too overpowering

Interesting point, never thought about that.
Now that you are mentioning it I can totally see it. Has just never been an issue for me since IMO Anneke is just so incredible on this album, her vocals make the album, yes, and that is why this album is so unique.

She has definitely got a beautiful singing voice, that does make the band so unique when compared to other bands in the gothic scene. I think this album could grow on me after several more listens. I might try Nighttime birds if this album warms to me.

Written by AndyMetalFreak on 07.04.2021 at 11:48

I might try Nighttime birds if this album warms to me.

Do that, it is my second favourite Gathering album, together with How to Measure a Planet. Quite different stuff to some degree, though, both albums.

Not much instrumentation that stands out, but the vocals are very impressive and beautiful

Wow, really? I think the instrumentation on this is fucking amazing. One of the best written gothic metal albums of all time. Anneke's vocals are also great, but everyone knows that.

Written by nepalski on 12.08.2022 at 00:53

Wow, really? I think the instrumentation on this is fucking amazing. One of the best written gothic metal albums of all time. Anneke's vocals are also great, but everyone knows that.

Like Andy said in an earlier comment, "I can't really concentrate properly with the overpowering vocals". It's good overall, but the vocals clearly dominate this release, so I didn't really notice much about the instrumentation during my casual listening

Written by F3ynman2000 on 12.08.2022 at 00:56

Like Andy said in an earlier comment, "I can't really concentrate properly with the overpowering vocals". It's good overall, but the vocals clearly dominate this release, so I didn't really notice much about the instrumentation during my casual listening

I don't think the vocals dominate, the songs are constructed in a way so there are many passages and bridges without any vocals, giving a time for insturmentation to shine. But I can understand the moments with Anneke's vocals on display may be a bit too distracting. Perhaps it's because there's heavy doom and ethereal wave vibe to it, and those powerful vocals might not always fit. I think if you find the vocals to be too strong, Souvenirs might be just for you.

Personally, I prefer The Gathering's prog rock and art rock albums, but it's hard to deny how masterfully crafted this one is. At times it almost feels as progressive metal album with some goth female vox attached to it. I mentioned it's doom metal influence, but it never feels like they rehash the same ideas or motives to fill up the overall running time, while also being developed enough to not feel lackluster in any way. The best track here is easily Sand and Mercury, it manages to be both epic and melancholic and the transition between each epic and melancholic segment feels very smooth. Might be my favorite track by them, even tho I enjoy their rock albums more as a whole.

Written by nepalski on 12.08.2022 at 01:22

The best track here is easily Sand and Mercury, it manages to be both epic and melancholic and the transition between each epic and melancholic segment feels very smooth. Might be my favorite track by them,

+ the perfect ending of this track