by Eduardo RivadaviaAnneke Van Giersbergen's abrupt departure from the Gathering was understandably traumatic for their small but loyal fan base, signaling the end of an era for one of the most quietly iconoclastic and influential acts of the '90s, one responsible in large part for the proliferation of female-fronted heavy metal bands across the European mainland. But listeners who had stuck with the Gathering throughout their most recent, almost entirely post-metal efforts will actually be hardly surprised at Van Giersbergen's new direction and its slightly more pronounced commitment to gentle sonic dreamscapes, intimate singer/songwriter fragility, and occasional electronic sounds. The difference really is minimal, and since Air's mellow opening track, "Beautiful One," could have feasibly fit right into the Gathering's 2006 album Home (as could have later offerings like "Day After Yesterday," "My Girl," and "Lost and Found"), the reality is only driven