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With seminal Dutch rock outfit The Gathering celebrating the 30th anniversary of breakthrough album ‘Mandylion’ in 2025 by reuniting with vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen (it seems disrespectful to simply refer to the magical van Giersbergen as vocalist), once again, a genuine masterpiece of an album has been thrust back into the spotlight.
The change of pace and style from a more traditional, out-and-out doom metal sound to an atmospheric metal-meets-shoegaze melodic sound is often attributed to van Giersbergen’s influence, and the result is still revered today. So much so that The Gathering with Anneke van Giersbergen are back for more shows, commencing with a rare UK show in London on May 19th before a long summer of headline shows and appearances at festivals like Graspop, Hellfest, and Wacken. If ever there was a time to reconnect with the vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen, then that time would be now, and to keep the momentum going, there is the small matter of the recently released ‘La Mort’ EP, the second part of the ‘La Vie, La Mort, L’Amour’ trilogy.
Even though it’s been five years since the release of van Giersbergen’s third solo album, ‘The Darkest Skies Are the Brightest’, the Dutch singer-songwriter has been busy. Tours such as the ‘Heavy Strings’ tour, which saw Anneke rearranging classic metal and rock anthems into breathtaking semi-classical renditions with a string ensemble (do seek out Anneke’s version of Sabbath’s ‘Changes’ on YouTube), and 2025’s ‘The Irish Road Trip’ tour (a Dutch theater tour dedicated to Irish music, featuring rock and traditional folk covers), highlighted the versatility to be found when encountering Anneke van Giersbergen, and it’s that versatility that makes ‘La Mort’ such a joy to unwrap.
The siren-like intro of opening track ‘Fade In Fade Out’ reels the listener in, while the simple piano strikes act as hooks running throughout the five minutes that the story unfolds. Contrasts of darkness and light everywhere. Proggy synths, touches of latter stages Pink Floyd to the music, a fantastic, alluring drum sound, weeping guitar tones, a perfect acoustic guitar, and those trademark vocals from van Giersbergen. So good. ‘Handle Me With Care’ immediately follows with a throbbing, pulsating mixture of keys and drums working perfectly in tandem. Experimental, highly percussive, and if a comparison is needed, then Depeche Mode with Enya on vocals might be a good place to start. Totally unexpected change of style, after the opening track, but in a good way.
‘Red Sky’ is irresistible. Happy, and soaring (although the lyrics suggest something different, “Maneuvered through my dreams/All the sagas that I’ve seen/I’ve lived a hundred lives, and now I’m haggard as can be…”) with a fantastic gumbo mix of synth, brass, strings, amongst a hypnotic drum beat from Rob Snijders, and some of the dreamiest vocals this side of Kate Bush, Bjork, and Enya. Anneke leaves the most personal to last, with the reflective ‘Sail Towards The Sun’, which acts as a tribute to her late father. A gorgeous, thought-provoking way to bring part two of this intriguing trilogy to a close.
Available to stream, go via Bandcamp, HERE, with a special vinyl edition available on Record Store Day 2026 (April 18), ‘La Mort’ is a delightful, enchanting, and hopeful excuse to take 20 minutes out of your daily slog.
Anneke van Giersbergen has a busy few months ahead of her; a short brace of club dates in April/May before joining up with The Gathering for most of the summer and autumn. Once the dates with The Gathering conclude, it’s back out on the road with her band for a run of dates in November. All dates can be found HERE.
Review: Dave
Photo credit: Mark Uyl
