To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of their legendary album *Mandylion*, The Gathering returns to Hellfest with Anneke Van Giersbergen on vocals for a memorable gothic metal mass. There are some bands that, due to their tendency to change members or styles, make it difficult for anyone to categorize them. The Gathering is one of them. Formed in 1989 around the Rutten brothers, the Dutch band cut its teeth in the doom metal scene, notably with *Always…*, their debut album released in 1992. But the band quickly moved away from the growling vocals of their early days and began exploring gothic sounds carried by the voice of Anneke Van Giersbergen, who had just joined as the lead singer. Then came *Mandylion* in 1995, a masterpiece of gothic metal with rock and trip-hop influences that cemented their success across Europe. Following this album, the Rutten brothers’ band continued to explore new sounds, despite Van Giersbergen’s departure in 2008 to pursue solo projects. But nearly twenty years after her departure, and thirty years after the release of *Mandylion*, The Gathering reunited with Van Giersbergen for an anniversary tour celebrating the album that made them famous.