Discs Of Doom: Anneke Van Giersbergen, The Gentle Storm

Features
By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Every month we ask metal heavyweights about the records that changed their life.

Anneke Van Giersbergen chooses her favourites.

The First Album I Bought Was…

FAITH NO MORE: THE REAL THING [SLASH, 1989]

“I was about 15 or 16. I saved up all my pocket money for it! I love, love, love Mike Patton. FNM are catchy and poppy but still really heavy. I was blown away by their sound and Mike’s voice… he’s still one of my favourite singers ever.”/o:p

The Album With The Best Artwork Is…

TOOL: AENIMA [ZOO, 1996]

“I don’t like really gory metal album covers! Ha ha ha! But I love the darkness of Tool’s artwork, and also the thought behind it. When Aenima came out there was a 3D version, I think it was limited edition, and I spent hours looking at it.”/o:p

The Album I Wish I’d Made Is…

A PERFECT CIRCLE: MER DE NOMS [VIRGIN, 2000]

“It’s like Tool but with romance and softness. It’s melodically super-rich and the songs are genius. It’s easy listening but it has so many layers. It opened up a new world for me. If I could make an album like that, I’d die happy!”/o:p

The Album I First Had Sex To Is…

DEFTONES: DIAMOND EYES [REPRISE, 2010]

“I never have sex when there’s music playing, as I find it distracting. But when it comes to sexy music, it has to be Deftones. Chino’s voice comes pretty close to sexy and he’s a very sexy man. I saw them in Holland and I squealed like a 16-year-old. Diamond Eyes is sexy music.”/o:p

The Album I Break The Speed Limit To Is…

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: DECONSTRUCTION [HEVYDEVY, 2011]

“I play it in the car a lot. Wherever you’re going, you’ll definitely arrive on time! I like that feeling of buzzing, my head is spinning, and this is the perfect record for that. At some points it’s really heavy and at others it’s beautiful. It’s perfectly balanced.”/o:p

A Kid Asks Me What Metal Is, I Hand Them A Copy Of…

METALLICA: …AND JUSTICE FOR ALL [ELEKTRA, 1988]

“For me, metal starts with Metallica, at least in the days when I was getting into the scene. I had this album on vinyl, I borrowed it from a friend, and I played it so much. It’s a classic album. It’s heavy, it has deeper meanings and great lyrical content, but it’s also pop-orientated, with catchy melodies and good choruses.”/o:p

No One Will Believe I Own A Copy Of…

BARRY WHITE: WHITE GOLD: THE VERY BEST OF… [UMTV, 2005]

“Many people know I’m into lots of different music, so if I picked Madonna or Streisand, people wouldn’t be that surprised. But Barry White… I just think he made really cool, feelgood music.”/o:p

The Album I Want To Be Remembered For Is…

THE GATHERING: MANDYLION [CENTURY MEDIA, 1995]

“When I joined The Gathering, I knew they were one of a kind in the scene. We had a great sound together right away. That whole experience, being young and naïve and carefree, it was wonderful. These days there’s much more at stake and I have to maintain a career and that’s great and I’m happier now, but those days were special. I’m super-proud of that album.”/o:p

The Album I Want Played At My Funeral Is…

MASTODON: ONCE MORE ’ROUND THE SUN [REPRISE, 2014]

“My favourite rock band! This album would fit in most of the categories! I love every album but especially The Hunter and this one. I want people to go home from my funeral feeling energised, because that’s the way my life is.”/o:p

The Album That Should Not Be Is…

METALLICA & LOU REED: LULU [WARNER BROS., 2011]

“Before I heard it I thought, ‘Oh, it can’t be that bad!’ so I checked it out… and it was really bad. Not because they tried something new, because even Metallica should try new things and I applaud that, but it doesn’t make any sense. It wasn’t real or genuine. I like Lou Reed and I love Metallica, but together they were terrible!”/o:p

FOR THE RECORD

The Diary, by Anneke’s new band The Gentle Storm, is out now via InsideOut/o:p

Dom Lawson
Dom Lawson
Writer

Dom Lawson began his inauspicious career as a music journalist in 1999. He wrote for Kerrang! for seven years, before moving to Metal Hammer and Prog Magazine in 2007. His primary interests are heavy metal, progressive rock, coffee, snooker and despair. He is politically homeless and has an excellent beard.