Even though she left Dutch experimental doom metallers The Gathering so many years ago, most people continue to associate Anneke with that certain party of her music journey. And rightly so – for even though she demonstrated talent and character of going beyond the boundaries of metal, Van Giersbergen steps cautiously outside the metal perimeter. She did some softer records with her bandmates in Agua de Annique but then again she did collaborate with Moonspell, Novembers Doom and within Temptation. Thus ‘Everything is Changing’ comes with the right type of message – Anneke’s solo works are to be very personal, with softer rock guitars, pop sensibility and some tasty electronic beats here and there. Things are changing indeed – deal with it and don’t expect to find any doom metal in here. And even though the pop rock tag fits it well, ‘Everything is Changing’ is too smart of an album to be confused with the usual sleazy MTV sound. Not a masterpiece by any means, but a courageous and well thought of step forward and away from her metal past, ‘Everything is Changing’ is not an immediate hit but rather a gift that keeps on giving with each play of the record. Tempo and mood vary a lot – between the melancholic (try the title track Everything is Changing’), the upbeat and positive (‘Feel Alive’), the alt rock (‘I Wake Up’) and even modern gothic rock (‘Hope, Pray, Dance, Play’). The last two tracks (‘Too Late’ and mostly ‘1000 Miles Away From Home’) are there to further assure us how great they must sound like live. Good thing we’ll be able to make sure very, very soon.