Falling in Love With an Angelic Voice

Falling In Love With an Angelic Voice
The Angel Anneke

   Early in my bookmarks, I had put Strange Machines from The Gathering's landmark Mandylion into my rotation, being completely amazed by the melody and an impossible range of their singer, Anneke Van Giersbergen (see previous posting: The Others II) It lead me to want to discover more from this band, having only a vague idea of the band already as a chick metal band, I was pleasantly surprised to bookmark several standouts. But it's that hyper-critical part that comes out in myself and says "Yes -BUT..." So, here is the "Yes, But She's Hot" or "Yes, But she can Really sing" or "Yes but they did this back in 1995". Needless to say, there are a few things to take into consideration here.
 
  Number 1. They are NOT Gothic Metal. Whoever told you they are has no idea what the term Gothic refers to. (But- on that mark neither do most "goths").
  Number 2. Its more like "Metal-lite". The term Metal here is used very loosely. But - Its just their roots peeking out on occasion.
  Number 3. Anneke really is an Angel. No Buts.
 
  On point 3, this is what makes The Gatherings' fan base the most obsessive Ive encountered. They are also seemingly scatter-brained on what is the bands' best albulm. No one can tell, (its Mandylion btw) they all lean towards their favorite and dump on only one. Its bizzarre actually. Out of the bands Ive researched to find what I like the most, I couldn't go by anything I had read. Not even the suggestions- which I requested for, got me anywhere. I just was beginning to learn one thing- apparently millions of people are in love with an Angel. The level to which people take their obsession with her and her abilities (rightly so, she should be ranked way up at the top of any list) really intrigued me.
  So I quickly put into my favorites, any song that seemed to stand out. Knowing they are not a heavy band, that their sound changes on every release, makes it quite daunting to take on the giant list of 9 studio albums and 14+ years. So out of the 6 early bookmarks, Ive only added 1 since then. I featured Strange Machines like I said, and now the 3 that follow.
 First up from Mandylion (the first release with Anneke singing, 1995), is Leaves. A powerful heavy rocker with layered on keys, a few electronic drums (the only thing that sounds dated today) and her vocal soaring overhead. Then the next 2 come from Home (the last release with Anneke singing, 2006). Which show in comparison to Leaves, how much the band evolved. Since the release of Home, Anneke has left to do her own thing, a solo project called Agua de Annique and The Gathering recruited Silje Wergeland from Octavia Sperati, one of my favorite discoveries through my endless search. (See previous postings: The First Batch, and The Others I)
 On a side note, this blog has now featured 3 dutch female singers, Simone Simons (Epica), Floor Jansen (After Forever/ReVamp) and now Anneke. That is one Uber-talented bunch.

The Gathering, Netherlands Alt-Metal Ambient/Atmospheric
CD version


Leaves- Video Edit


The Gathering- Leaves 1995
 Another giant off of Mandylion. This song is simply a vehicle for Anneke's souring voice to showcase its strength and versatility. Her range is on complete display, at the upper sections of the chorus lines and the low drops within the verses. The melody hangs, seemingly impossibly in air, as it takes the entirety of the chorus to resolve.
  Perhaps what I really love more about this song is the lyrics. The song alludes to, a doomed relationship, like as if a one-night stand is being celebrated, knowing good and well it will end. To me it sounds like its from an actual experience Anneke had- perhaps on tour, perhaps with some fellow in some unknown town. As each chorus ends with the lines "Although I dont really know you- I dont really care" which gets flipped around in the final stanza as "Now that I do really know you- yes I really care". That should get your attention... hmm...
  There is one negative here. I dont care for the "solo" Its a far cry from the heated and passionate vocal delivery, one of pure joy and excitement and even melancholy. It seems unconnected to Anneke's passion.. The video version has this instrumental section shortened. There are so many strong songs from Mandylion and later releases (particularly "How to Measure a Planet") but this is the one which opened my eyes to Anneke's angelic talent and ability.


The Gathering- Alone, 2006
  This is the type of song I would hardly ever give a chance to. But I was lucky to have stumbled onto a huge variety of videos for this song. It was a part of a contest- Make a video for The Gathering. This was the case for this song from the albulm "Home", which tends to get widely mixed reviews from even TG's fans. The winner got thier video to be shown as an Official Gathering video. I ended up myself choosing my favorite version (its not the Official One)- which means I sat through at least 8 versions. This video really at times captures the feeling of movement and attempts to display isolation even within a city. Some of the imagery falls right in place but its the middle breakdown that completes it for me.
  My favorite part, the middle section to the song (mark at 2:59)- is so beautiful, its as if truly a choir of angels is singing it. In a song of bleakness and desperation, its an amazing resolve, Watch for the line "You will find peace of mind" you will see what I mean. All in all out of the many songs I have listed in my favorites and have made it into my blog - this is the only one which has permeated my actual dreams. There has been times I yearn to hear that one section it touches a nerve deep within- so well. So I recommend it to you and also recommend if you are planning on making a video for a contest - not to put yourself in it, or local landmarks. Record execs know well enough that people will wonder later who and where was that guy in the Alone video?


The Gathering- The Shortest Day, 2006
  As a reminder, this is not an American band. But seemingly masterful use of the American language shows throughout in this song. Better so, or at least more creatively, than a huge portion of American artists. I happened on this video while creating this posting, which is fan-based and I feel it illustrates the lyrics nicely. The fan base of this band is one of most fanatical I've seen from just about any band. As The Gathering continues on its path of re-imagining their sound, it is interesting to see the portion of their fan base that dislikes this 2006 release and the other half- who consider it their best. This is the CD's opener. For me it's the simple chromatic melody is the major selling point. Although there are vocal nods to The Cranberries and Alanis, I still find the song- after a year and half in my playlist, as inspired. The marching drum sounds in place even as Anneke smoothly oohs and ahhs over it almost all the way through the end.

  As I filter through more from The Gathering, there is a chance I will share more of what I fall in love with here, all in due time. But it is time to shift gears again back to the format which lead me into this Endless Search, Symphonic Metal.

Next update: Getting into Mega-Therion.

After Forever Blows My Mind II

After Forever Blows My Mind Part 2
3 more songs that convinced me Ive been listening
to the wrong music for too long.

  There is a moment when, as a fan of a particular band, you begin to become aware of the artist's limitations, tendencies, or shortcomings. After repetitive listens you begin to breakdown what you like, don't like, what you admire or even perhaps what you would change. I could look at a band for example, Rage Against the Machine and use many terms to classify or describe stylings, influences and bright moments. But to turn to the critical, in most cases really boils down to personal likings. If I would say the guitar player (Tom Morello) plays too basic, that would be my own interpretation of what he is playing vs my own personal preferences. To wish he played more like another guitar player (insert random Guitar God)  is such an elitist mentality, such short-sightedness, that it actually takes away from the listening experience. To custom mold every band into your personal accepted level of virtuosity or styling, would in essence make every band sound exactly the same.
  The main thing we as fans should keep in mind is the end result which we listen to is the cumulative effort from a group of musicians at a certain point in time. I find timelines pretty important when lending a critical eye in music. And also pureness. I had written a few short essays on the state of the modern music industry and pureness of artistry. I may one day link those essays here, which were just before I began to fall in love with symphonic metal. Which in my timeline, occurred one night when  I listened to the songs Transitory and Who I Am from After Forever (see previous posting: Blown Away by After Forever, Forever). The following links in this post are 3 more songs from After Forever that blew me away and aided in my desire to discover and fall in love with more songs like this. That is where the problem begins. I want everyone to sound like them and honestly there is only one Floor Jansen on vocals.
   I wish I was writing this blog at the time I began to listen to these songs, since my descriptions that will follow will be affected by time, by re-listens and by my own critical ear from everything else I listen to (which certainly has grown since then). I do know I am certainly not treading on undiscovered territory here. If you are a fan of what I call the sister genres (Symphonic, Power and Gothic Metal) you would know of After Forever. I didn't at the time I began this Endless Search though, and as I discuss more and more with my friends and even the random music lover, I find that 99% of them do not listen to the sister genres nor have even heard of Symphonic Metal, let alone Epica or a band like After Forever.
   I write this blog in a manner to treat these bands not as an elitist wishing for the perfect band in every release. But as a fan who trys to keep an open mind to possibilities and to encourage others to research through the internet, and resources like this blog that essentially allow anyone the ability to begin their own Endless Search for the widest range of stellar moments and performances from nearly any genre. Its this, my love for these performances, that I wish to share and perhaps convince a few people- no matter what form of music they currently listen to- that there is a whole world of new (to them) music waiting for them.
   Breaking down what After Forever is about to the typical Metal listener is quite simple. There is a little variance in their long career (1999-2009) but the main style does persist. They were indeed a phenomenal band with an outstanding vocalist Some people do refer to AF as following instep with what Nightwish (FIN) was doing. Mixing a level of classical and operatic stylings with full-on Metal attack and variance, with the addition of progressive stylings, and some speed of Power Metal. I would not call them Gothic Metal one bit though a huge portion of their fanbase considers them from that genre. I believe its the mix of the progressive element here (and Floor's voice) which sets them apart from the majority of bands of this style. Floor Jansen has since moved on with her own band ReVamp, after the breakup of After Forever, which is a good thing so we can continue to be amazed by her abilities- which apparently are only getting better. So lets get to my 3 choices in this update. They are 3 classic examples of what this band was capable of and are certainly are great songs to add to your own playlists, even if you have never heard of this thing called Symphonic Metal ever before, which is where I was just about 2 years ago.


After Forever (NL)
Emphasis (Progressive and Symphonic Metal 2002)
  From their second full length release, this is a perfect example of their progressive influence. The band is at top notch here, syncopated rhythms, double stops, double bass drums, great bass lines, tight guitar work and even more amazing a stellar performance on both drums and vocals. Reading back through my blog I have noticed I dont talk enough about the drummers' performances and there is a lot of great ones so I must put an emphasis on this one. There are accents just about anywhere a jazz drummer or a progressive drummer could think of, the pace quickens when the song picks up in intensity and overall is really imaginative. As a guitarist I actually listen more to the drums and Andre Borgman is hauling ass on this one. As an example of why After Forever means so much to me, it showcases 100% what is possible - Operatic and Symphonic sounds mixing with a very metal performance, with progressive phrasings and all this going on. Its a feast for my ears. Add in another phenomenal performance by Floor, specially during the mind melting middle breakdown. There are times I listen to this one and it simply takes me to a time when I was excited about music, about playing it, learning it, catching every nuance and there is plenty to catch with this one.


Monolith of Doubt (2002)
 From the same CD (Decipher) Its just songs like this arent everywhere- not even within the standard Symphonic Metal entries. This is one of those songs which makes everyone's playlist no matter what. It has all the bells and whistles and with Floor, you get the wide landscape of her voice here at times spoken and soft, and softly soaring during a few quiet piano moments. Somehow even though the pace matches most Power Metal this doesn't have a PM feel. It does remind me though, that I am not here to list every song in my playlist or bookmarks, or every single After Forever song, that I am being diligent in selecting only the ones that represent to me the best of what it is that I love so much about these genres. I have picked it as a representative since it shows a change in the landscape somewhat, it shows there is artistic decision, direction and a quantity of imagination occurring within the band. Also note that founder Mark Jansen was still in the band at the time, but would leave AF after this release to form Epica.


De-Energized (Beauty & Beast, Symphonic Progressive, 2008)
Now to kick things into high gear. This song is from their final-Self Titled release and its hard to imagine any band would consider to stop writing together when they have the ability to write this - and perform it at such a mind melting ability. But as history goes, it is what it is - which is a standout moment in time, for us to enjoy forever. This song is a downright aura assault - in a good way- where all that production (not over production), arrangement, and imagination all come together and obviously inspired performance. It is simply an awesome moment that rivets me today, still makes me head-bang and revel in all that ecstasy of full-on metal as much as it did the first time I heard it.
  Beauty and Beast vocals (a big time strength on this CD), classical breakdowns, insane choirs, a very talented band performing at full throttle. Then there's the middle section - amazing progressive styled breakdown lead-in by a radical jamline on bass. Followed by textural keyboard lines from Joost van den Broek and its all just overload. Eargasm, if you will. The breakdown follows with more frantic operatics before it falls back for the final verse and final verse at which the best part, you can hear Floor actually holding back, taking her time with the words as her vocals fill out to the last second.
  For me its moments like these 3, after each, which I stared amazingly, at my computer screen and just thought to myself, that without the internet, without some of the resources Ive been using, like Amazon, youtube, wiki, last.fm, and eventually Pandora, I wonder if I would have ever heard and experienced these songs like I had. It all added up to, eventually my desire to write this blog. And its 100% certain I would have never fallen in love with the songs I will put into my next update...

Next Update: The Angel Anneke

The Greatest Moment in Symphonic Metal History - So Far.

The Greatest Moment in SM History... So Far
Floor Jansen and Simone Simons Duet at FVMF VII, 2009

    And now on to what I call "The Greatest Moment in Symphonic Metal History". There is plenty of backstory to cover here to reveal the importance of this one moment but allow me to do a quick comparison, one that people who don't follow symphonic metal can understand. Imagine if you were at a heavy metal festival watching Metallica headline and in the middle of their set, Dave Mustaine walks onstage with a guitar. Then they break into a Megadeth song but- the song they play is actually a song that Dave wrote while in Metallica, but recorded as Megadeth. The next twist to make the comparison complete would be that song would have a genuine relevance to today's times, in both past and present and was a significant beginning of a story-board that would go on to shape the entire discography of both bands.
  All this happened here when Epica had Floor Jansen (formally in After Forever, after they disbanded) join Epica in a modified version of the classic After Forever song "Follow in the Cry". I have mentioned in this blog before but in case you've missed it, or wasnt sure what was 'the beef' between these 2 bands, this is the low down. Mark Jansen (no relation to Floor, just a common name in Holland) had formed After Forever and recruited Floor Jansen as their singer. They recorded the first CD with the average age of the band at 19. A remarkable feat, but its shortly after a few CDs when Mark Jansen left the band and formed a new one, Epica. He brings on board another young female singer, Simone Simons (whom he was dating at the time) and the rivalry had begun. As After Forever garnered both praise and criticism, Epica strived for recording with full orchestras and choirs and their popularity soared. As the years go by, fans generally shared love equally between the 2 bands but it seemed they weren't on the same page with each other, just like fans of Metallica and Megadeth are. After Forever releases a self-titled cd in 2008 and makes tremendous waves with it, though they toured with little success in the US (Symphonic Metal doesnt fare well in the US currently), it seemed the band was at its best and the verge of a major breakthrough. Then they called it quits, breaking many hearts of SM fans.
  There is much to this story I simply cannot compound here but through all this, Epica then releases probably their best CD, "Design Your Universe" (2009) and began to tour for it extensively. A significant stop would be the result of our magic moment, at the Female Voices of Metal Festival VII in Belgium, 2009. Floor Jansen had made it known she was going to be onstage with a few bands, mostly to announce the facts were true, that After Forever was no more and that she had a new a project and announced its naming (ReVamp) at the festival. What no one knew nor expected, was that she would join Epica onstage.

Follow In The Cry (After Forever Cover by Epica ft Floor Jansen guest vocal)


  The clip I share here is the better one that Ive found (just about everyone at the show recorded it somehow), and it was practically posted right after the concert. The song Follow in the Cry had been in Epica's set for some time, being that it was written by Mark Jansen while in After Forever so to have Floor onstage to sing it had significance. In this version though, to allow Floor more mic time, she sings the first verse, which Mark typically sang, in grunt voice. And its great to hear her low range and outright quality in her tone. What is seen onstage though is something else even more magical. The voices of 2 Symphonic Metal Queens singing in unison and their newly found camaraderie.
  I have researched and found they shared the stage recently before this event, when both Simone and Mark from Epica joined After Forever onstage for the duet "Beyond Me" (original AF was a duet with Sharon from Within Temptation) in 2007. But it was here, in this performance that it appeared they had a great time and were natural together. Amazingly the song, seemed to connect here. Now the 2 have done collaborations together, as guest appearances and now Simon joins Floor's new band, ReVamp (singing a duet with Floor) in a tour which saw Epica take ReVamp out as opening act. Also on the same tour Floor sings with Simone for a great version of Sancta Terra (Epica).  It seems the 2 have become good friends and whatever kept the
2 supergroups with a common founder apart doesn't seem to affect the bond the 2 singers of each have formed.
  This can only mean great things on the horizon. For this moment has done much unifying and is significant in cementing them both as Metal Queens of an entire genre. With technology and the internet, specifically youtube.com, we can experience the moment, as if we were there, as if it happened yesterday. And its implications will be felt world wide. Instead of taking a hit, losing one of its glowing crowns in After Forever, it has gained a union between 2 master artists and therefore gained a wider stretching kingdom- the fanscape of Symphonic Metal.
  You are welcome.

Epica version eta circa 2007


Original After Forever version. (Symphonic Metal, NL 2000)


Other Notable Moments in Symphonic Metal History:Therion "Live Gothic" DVD
Epica "Classical Conspiracy" DVD


Next Posting: After Forever Blows My Mind II