Mandylion (album)

The Gathering was signed to Century Media Records from 1995 to 2001. This era is widely considered the band's most commercially successful and influential period, marking their transition from death-doom metal to atmospheric rock and trip hop. Mandylion was their breakthrough album and their first to chart in the Netherlands, featuring music videos and the hits "Strange Machines" and "Leaves". Additionally, is one of the first albums of the gothic metal genre to focus on female vocals, replacing the harsh male death growls. == Musical style ==

This album is a radical change from the dark content of doom metal of The Gathering's first two albums, towards a more melodic sound that explores themes of nature, emotion and mysticism. All the lyrics were written by the new singer at the time, Anneke van Giersbergen, to whom the band would give total creative freedom from then on. Instrumentally, the sound is built on slow-to-midtempo, heavy "doomy" guitar riffs intertwined with "omniscient layers" of atmospheric synthesizers, with complex song structures and long tracks. Two of the songs have quotes from popular culture inserted into them: "Strange Machines" contains a passage from George Pal's film version of H. G. Wells's The Time Machine, and "Sand & Mercury" ends with a recording of J. R. R. Tolkien reading a quote from Simone de Beauvoir. ==Track listing==

Disc 2, 1–3 demo recorded in June 1994 at Beaufort Studio. Disc 2, 4–7 demo recorded in early 1995 at Double Noise Studio in Tilburg. ==Personnel==

;The Gathering • Anneke van Giersbergen – lead vocals • René Rutten – guitars, flute • Jelmer Wiersma – guitars • Frank Boeijen – keyboards • Hugo Prinsen Geerligs – bass • Hans Rutten – drums ;Production • Siggi Bemm, Waldemar Sorychta – producers, engineers, mixing ==Charts==

Weekly charts Year-end charts ==Certifications==