The Gathering - If-then-else -2000- -eac-flac- Jun 2026

In the vast, often glacial landscape of 2000s gothic and alternative rock, few albums have aged as gracefully—or as enigmatically—as fourth studio album, if-then-else . For the uninitiated, the title itself reads like a programming command, a binary fork in the road. For those who have lived with the album, it represents the Dutch band’s most introspective, brooding, and sonically adventurous moment.

The year 2000 was a transitional period for audio mastering. The "Loudness War" was beginning to escalate, but if-then-else retains a remarkable dynamic range. The original 2000 CD pressing (often identified by its distinct black-and-green artwork) is prized because it avoids the brick-walled limiting found on later remasters. The Gathering - if-then-else -2000- -EAC-FLAC-