I am a relative newcomer to extreme metal and all of its branches. Having grown up listening to punk, goth, postpunk, and the like, metal was a parallel music scene that sometimes overlapped, but often was a bit at odds. Kinda funny to think now as there are so many crossover and convergences between all of those music styles now days, but this was the early 80's to earlyn90's so the genres were still in their adolescence. I've over the past 12 or 13 years started incorporating more and more metal genres into my music mix - to the extent that it comprises the bulk of my musical tastes at the moment. I do love delving into the seemingly endless subgenres and back catalogues of metal and exploring new to me gems. So take that in context in my reviews. Now, the band plays on...
Alcest is a French band formed in 2000 that blends the harsh dissonance of Black Metal with the dreamy haromics of shoegaze. That might sound like an odd pairing, but in this case, opposites make for very attractive tunes. I am not a French speaker, but I find in this case, the music and vocals convey the mood without ever being able to directly understand their meaning. This album, Les Chants de l'Aurore is quite simply entrancing. Released in 2024, and their seventh studio album. The music, while ostensibly derived from the black metal asthetic, is quite simply transcendant. The melodies soar with a dreamy melancholy that I find to be elegant and haunting. My favourite song is Flamme jumelle. It is simply haunting and every time I hear it, I feel a bit wistful, yet hopeful. The official music video has stunning choreography. Check it out here: Flamme jumelle .
L'envol is another excellent track. The video for it is simply one of the most beautiful videos I have ever seen. Artful animation soars along with the music. Go check it out here: https://youtu.be/haQ_zgn9ck4?si=xZN871tyCJB0qAT5
Anyway, the album is simply a treat from begining to end. Go check it out. You can order it at Bandcamp and directly support the artists. https://alcest.bandcamp.com/album/les-chants-de-laurore
Cheers and happy listening!