Martine van Loon

The Gathering are a Dutch rock band formed in Oss, North Brabant in 1989. The band's lineup currently consists of founding brothers René Rutten (guitars) and Hans Rutten (drums), Hugo Prinsen Geerligs (bass) and Frank Boeijen (keyboards), with former lead vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen currently a touring member.

The band's earliest releases were categorized as atmospheric doom metal with influences from extreme metal acts like Celtic Frost and Hellhammer. They underwent numerous vocalist changes before breaking out in 1995 with Mandylion. It was The Gathering's first album to feature lead singer Anneke van Giersbergen and the first to chart in the Netherlands. With van Giersbergen, the band's sound shifted from gothic metal to one influenced by shoegaze, post-rock and trip hop, starting with their fifth studio album, How to Measure a Planet?, in 1998.

In 2007, van Giersbergen left the group to focus on her new project, Agua de Annique. Norwegian singer Silje Wergeland of the band Octavia Sperati replaced her in 2009. They released their first album with her, The West Pole, later that year. The band released three albums with Wergeland. Van Giersbergen toured with The Gathering in 2025 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mandylion. Wergeland left the band at the end of the year.