Mandylion is the third studio album by the Dutch band the Gathering. It was released on 22 August 1995 by Century Media Records. The record is their first album to feature vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen. The album was recorded and mixed at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany between 1 and 16 June 1995, under the guidance of Siggi Bemm and Waldemar Sorychta.
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.
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Anneke van Giersbergen; all music is composed by The Gathering.
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