ABSTRACT
The introduction of female vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen on The Gathering's third album, Mandylion (1995), is marked as an innovative moment in the history of doom metal. This chapter explores how the opening track—“Strange Machines”—is structured and sonically shaped. I examine how the vocal and instrumental layers are balanced to occupy specific registral positions in the full sonic spectrum and how they are staged within the stereo field. Using sonic visualization tools (spectrograms) from iZotope RX, I illustrate my analyses in a dynamic engagement with both formal and sonic attributes. My aim is to demonstrate how sonic elements—timbre and space—intersect with the formal features of the song—form, temporal elements, and pitch materials. My analysis explores an emergent dialogue between sonic attributes and musical structure, bringing forward moments where sonic space and timbre are paramount to the crystallization of musical structure and expression. I map these sonic attributes to illuminate Van Giersbergen's powerful expressive role in the genre of doom metal.
