The Gathering is a Dutch band which came to fame in the second half of 1990s with vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen. Their first two albums, Always... (1992) and Almost a Dance (1993), which played a part in the formation of gothic metal, were recorded with four different vocalists. Their subsequent release, Mandylion (1995), featured the debut of Anneke van Giersbergen singing with the band for the first time.
