Anneke van Giersbergen
Drive

Anneke is probably the only woman who, despite (almost) never having sung metal, has always been appreciated by all metalheads who, like me, discovered her when she was the singer of The Gathering. She won us over with her energy, her beauty, her stage presence, her attitude.

As far as I'm concerned, my attachment to this artist is first and foremost due to her magnificent voice; among all the singers of what was once the "gothic" scene, she undoubtedly stood out among the rest, positioning herself at a level beyond any possible comparison.

This "Drive" is the second chapter of her solo career, following the brief interlude with "Agua de Annique," which served as a buffer between her history with The Gathering and her personal career. Compared to the previous (and equally beautiful) "Everything is Changing," this album is decisively more rock; you can already tell from the cover, which presents us with Anneke with fiery red hair and a much more "aggressive" image compared to the sweet, blonde, femme fatale figure that graced the previous CD.

The structure of the tracks should not be a surprise for those who already know Anneke: nothing experimental or virtuosic but rather "rock-pop-core," fast, direct, engaging; the songs are catchy by the second listen and quickly internalized. Anneke has become highly skilled at writing her songs, and it shows; her voice is powerful, clear, precise, and incredibly beautiful!

Listen to the opener "We Live On" or the title track and tell me it's not so. The guitars are full, distorted but also pop, allowing the voice to always be the star, amidst driving rhythms and vocal "roller coasters." Sure, there are also more "filler" tracks, like the nondescript "My Mother Said" or the banal "Forgive Me," but overall the album flows by and is a real pleasure. A special mention for the beautiful "Mental Jungle," with its Middle Eastern sounds enriched by a successful duet with a male voice, and for the finale "The Best is Yet to Come," for which a video/lyrics has also been released on YouTube, excellently closing this "Drive."

In conclusion, it is a successful album that confirms and consolidates the compositional abilities of Anneke Van Giersbergen; as for her vocal abilities, there was truly no doubt!

Now we await to see her in Italy in October, where we will probably witness an excellent live performance and an intimate but sensational concert!