ALCEST Schallplatten & CDs

Review: With the latest release of 2024's triumphant Les Chants de l'Aurore, label Nuclear Blast have opted to reissue the 2019 predecessor project from French post-black metal/blackgaze pioneers Alcest. Spiritual Instinct initially marked only the second time the band's live bassist Indria Saray had performed on record following on from his in-studio inclusion on 2016's Kodama, while musically, the material is noted for continuing to restore some of the previously eschewed metallic malevolence absent from their previous efforts. This restoration reembraces cataclysmic blastbeats and despair-laden vocal shrieks yet reliably subdued, compressed and drowned under swathes of shoegaze haze and bombastic yet lilting crescendos. In short, no one makes black metal sound as pretty as the French.

Review: This is a limited edition black and yellow marbled vinyl version of Alcest's Les Chants de L'Aurore". In the midst of a bewildering world, the album emerged as a beacon of transformative power. Hailing from Bagnols-sur-Ceze, and led by Neige, the group defy heavy music norms as they famously blend darkness with radiant light. Since their groundbreaking debut in 2007, they've reshaped the metal scene, infusing beauty and melody with extreme metal's intensity and their latest release again offers hope and renewal. Recorded intimately yet expansively, it reinvents their sound with newfound depth and sophistication. Neige's ethereal melodies counteract darkness with positivity, offering a sanctuary of blissful beauty. All in all, this record marks a poignant evolution in Alcest's journey as it resonates with both charm and conviction.