Review by Allan on June 1, 2003.

Progression is somewhat of a double-edged sword. Much of the time fans become disgruntled with the new sound or direction of a band. The band loses a lot of fans, who think their time is best spent complaining about the new stuff and talking about the good old days. On the other hand, there are people out there who enjoy progression. There are those who really don't want to hear the same record three or four times. Twice, even. And by stomping across new ground, the band usually gains new fans. Depending on which side of the fence you stand, you either put that smug "I love 'Mandylion'" grin on your face, or you float in enjoyment when you think about the beautiful thing that Holland's The Gathering have become. Their latest album, "Souvenirs," is once again a progression into new territory.

It's hard to say what the best album by The Gathering is. They all have their own qualities that make them stand out in a peculiar way. With "Souvenirs," though, I can definitely say that The Gathering has taken a great leap in terms of quality. Not that the albums before now are any less. It's just that "Souvenirs" is much more mature. It might have to due with the fact that The Gathering took three years to write this album, as opposed to the relatively short amount of time that they took to write "If_then_else." What makes "Souvenirs" much more mature is the song writing. The songs themselves are far more in depth than previously. Layer upon layer of guitars, vocals, drum loops, and electronic effects are what the songs are comprised of. Each subsequent listen will often open up new doors inside the music. Little details will make themselves known to you that you hadn't noticed before. Furthermore, the songs have a lot of color to them. This might have to do with the layering and depth that has been put into the songs, but I credit most of it to the amazing song writing skill of The Gathering. Many times an album will have songs that are very similar and are void of anything that helps to differentiate the songs. With "Souvenirs," listening to each song is like looking at the album from a different angle. Each angle shows you something new, yet you know you're listening to the same album. "Souvenirs" is a very cohesive effort.

I feel a need to point out a few other details. Anneke van Giersbergen's vocals are absolutely beautiful. They are somewhat of the focal point of the music, and rightfully so. Her presence is wonderful and welcomed with open arms. Her abilities have continued to grow with each album. Otherwise, the song 'A Life All Mine' features Garm, or Trickster G. (of Arcturus and Ulver fame). It's quite an amazing song that will be enjoyed by those who are quite fond of his vocals.

Bottom Line: I'll just say it right now: "Souvenirs" is one of the best albums of 2003. Do yourself a favor and at least check it out.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Faithless on March 12, 2020.

Many moons ago an emerging movement was taking the world by storm, a movement that formed deep in the bowels of earth; mostly fed by unequal societies and tropical climate. Countries like Brazil, Chile and Colombia aborted proto underground metal acts like Sarcofago, Sepultura ("Morbid Visions" era) Atomic Aggressor, Masacre and Parabellum, bands that were difficult to label in those days due to their sheer aggression and relentless violence. Genres were blurry and the amalgamation of influences created a monster shaped mass of blood and guts that inspired first world acts like Mayhem (it’s a fact that Euronymous was actively engaged in exchanging demos with some of the bands mentioned above).

Nowadays, you just have to click, and the world is at your hands. Bands from all over the globe are displayed, many sub-genres have appeared for better or worse and the old days can be revived, homage and honor. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls and metal heads of all ages; I introduce you to Putrid. This is a Peruvian band that demonstrates how to incorporate a bunch of subgenres in a blasphemous blender and spit hate all around. In other words, here we have the ultimate blackened trash/death metal from South America. The band pays tribute to all the forefathers and proto creators of this subterranean scene in their last full length called Antichrist Above.

The concept on this record is pretty simple, narrow and sometimes predictable: hate upon religion and all it represents. Lyrics are just a compilation of insults, mockery and blasphemies towards holy concepts; something very common in this type of approach. For instance, 'The Corpse Of the Messiah', 'Morbid Prayers Of Death' and 'Three Nails Of Hate' are just illustrations of my argument here. I do not want to imply a negative connotation, I just want to point that this concept is a little burnt out by now. However, it matches perfect with the band’s aesthetics and concept.

Sonically talking, this record is a chaotic mismatch of hellish riffs, blast and screams (I mean it in a good way). Chaotic invocations and anathemas are vomited by the singer Evil Avatar. Did I say singer? Well, I think, beast or daemon would be a better adjective. Rage is unleashed in every single track of Antichrist Above, there are no melodic or acoustic passages, just a storm of fire and hate that flashes back the times when Sarcofago were kings of the South American hell. Generally speaking, the band has a monotonous formula of hammering the listener with relentless blast in the kit, chainsaw like guitars and infernal vocals. There is no much to say about the bass player here, I know he is there because the band lists him in the lineup, but his contribution just fades away in the wall of abominable sound.

All in all, I respect the band because they keep alive the flame of the South American metal roots, being proud of their bloodline and in a way honoring the forefathers of this hellish sound. The influences are countless, but they are just that, influences; you can taste the personal touch that Putrid ignites to this chaotic style of metal. Folks, I leave the rest to you, go and check this recording yourself if you like current Peruvian bands like Anal Vomit and Goat Semen; just remember to dust off your pentagrams and inverted crosses.

Rating: 7.8 out of 10