Alcest are one of those bands that really divide opinion. The wistful melodies and soft vocal style are about as threatening as a warm, snugly blanket and rightfully some wonder what the f&*^ that all has to do with black metal? Perhaps their sound is more indebted to the shoegaze movement of the late 80s/90s with influence drawn heavily from the likes of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, et al. Alcest are sometimes cited as the acceptable chill-out band that the tr00 kvlt brigade can enjoy without having to uncomfortably justify their reasoning. They do push the question of what constitutes as ‘black metal’ to the very parameter of acceptability, that’s for sure, but the despondent mood and atmosphere of their music does just about place them in the box if only to those of us who associate these elements as being tantamount to the genre.
I discovered the band with debut album ‘Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde’, however for me this was just a little on the fluffy side with 2010 follow- up ‘Ecailles De Lune’ really winning me over to their court with its much harsher black metal backbone to give strength to the shoegazy atmospherics. This here is a re-issue of the bands 2005 EP; at 50 minutes-ish in length you’d be forgiven for wondering how it can be classed as an EP – what you get here is in fact the re-recorded version of the two tracks, followed by the original recordings which are often criticised for their under-production values. I shall briefly state that the re-recorded efforts are personally more palatable on my eardrums, however the original versions do have that certain underground-charm; listening to both versions in succession does however overload the listener just a bit.
The EP floats in gently, a lonely guitar surrounded by the sounds of nature; tweeting birds and rushing water bringing your mind very much into the serene heart of the woodlands at a strolling, leisurely pace. As ‘Le Secret’ really kicks in, propped up by a background of fuzzy, hypnotic blackened guitars, things really continue to keep the mellow tone and that beautiful sense of melancholy in Neige’s clean, almost effeminate vocal delivery are sprinkled atop the music like blossom-petals in the light breeze. There’s a real strength behind this and harsh underlying guitar sound that contrasts the wistful melodies and romanticized vocals and I love the feel of solitude and melancholy that shines through in their sound here. There’s a real sense of sorrow projected as ‘Elevation’ moves in which suddenly lifts into a more ferocious blackened assault with battering drums and Neige’s vocals much contrasting in a harsh rasp. It sort of breezes in and out of moody, dark and atmospheric passages, with some lush synths sweeping around the mix.
I really do like this. It’s got a harsher sound that ‘Souvenirs…’ but still has that mellow, wistfulness that I love about this band; this is great for chilling out to and the perfect accompaniment to a stroll through the wilderness on a spring day. As for the April Fools prank about this not getting a release, shame on you! ;)
http://www.myspace.com/alcestmusic
