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Band: The Gathering
Album title: Interference [EP]
Release date: 29 April 2022
Label: Psychonaut Records
Genre: Alternative Rock, Trip Rock
Tracklist:
01. Stronger
02. Disconnect
03. How To Measure A Planet ? (Live)
The Gathering released Interference, a three-song EP, on the same day as the amazing and mind-bending Beautiful Distortion, the band's eleventh studio album. Although I contemplated whether these tracks should be included as a part of reviewing the full-length, I ultimately decided not to do so. If the band had concluded that these two brand new tracks alongside a live version of an epic ''How To Measure A Planet?'' do not belong to Beautiful Distortion, it is only natural to respect that. When listening to Beautiful Distortion and Interference, the listener quickly understands why these tracks were released separately. There is a certain play of ambiences on Interference, and the sounds of the three tracks combined are far more psychedelia oriented and experimental to be suitable for Beautiful Distortion. Furthermore, The Gathering has enjoyed some success with many of its EPs throughout its career, so why not give it some attention too?
The opener "Stronger" takes a slight departure from the doleful and profound feel we know from The Gathering and exposes more sinister and dark moods; there is an unexplainable eerie atmosphere, sending shivers down your spine, which is perfectly synchronized throughout the entire song. The piano chords create distinct strange psychedelic vibes, which are beautifully accompanied by Silje's vocals, demonstrating her ability to transition from sounding sweet to sounding vile and stygian in a matter of seconds. Just as it happened with the plethora of emotions Beautiful Distortion brought to me, this particular track also sent me down memory lane, this time to the opening of 2003's Souvenirs, with ''These Good People'' and ''Even The Spirits Are Afraid'' being conjoined in a dramatic and somehow monstrous opening of an album. ''Disconnect'' takes over from there, changing the dynamic by 180 degrees. While the initial moments of it seem calm and pleasant, it slowly speeds up the pace and develops into a catchy, dreamy ballad with a far more light-weight atmosphere than ''Stronger'' holds. But it does catch me off guard with its slightly darker ending. This serves as an introduction to a live version of "How To Measure A Planet?''; a track that excels in every aspect. The almost 30 minutes lasting experience from the eponymous 1998 release was re-shaped for this live performance, and it displays as a ten-minute spellbound journey of 70s psychedelia, trip rock, krautrock and ambient music. In other words, this live performance impersonates The Gathering in its every being.
In addition to wanting more of that dark and sinister atmosphere, I found the dynamics a bit off, and I daresay it is because both the opening and ending tracks take the spotlight, which makes ''Disconnection'' sound a bit mellow and uninteresting at times. However, Interference falls nothing short of an excellent play of atmospheres, a 22-minute-long space-like experience, with some menacing guitar work taking the place alongside electronica and doomier influences. It is a fine addition to the otherwise rich discography of EPs The Gathering has brought us throughout the years. Interference surely deserved to be released on its own, as it is not a collection of songs that didn't find their home on Beautiful Distortion.
The review was written by Ines
Rating: 7,5/10
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