French undergroundist gets his black metalgaze on
“I’ve never been influenced by shoegaze since I did not know this kind of music when I wrote Le Secret and Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde,” claims Alcest mainman Neige. “One day a friend said me, ‘Hey, do you know Slowdive and My Bloody Valentine? Alcest is very close to them in a way.’ Now, I really like these great bands, but Alcest in its primary aims and sources of inspiration had absolutely nothing to do with them. This resemblance is a pure coincidence in fact.” While it’s easy to find sonic similarities between Alcest and some of shoegaze’s finest, behind the gauzy/shimmering guitars, fey vocals and rhythmic pitter-patter, it’s probably just as accurate to compare Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde to Agalloch’s The Mantle or Ulver’s black metal-lite moments on Bergtatt.
But when labeling Alcest black metal, Neige is quick to react. “Black metal is rich enough to express a wide variety of themes and soundings, but, in my opinion, it always has to stay in a dark register. For example, many black metal bands use industrial or electronic elements, but they keep dealing with dark concepts. Since Alcest’s feelings are certainly not obscure, my project can’t be categorized as belonging to that type of music. Ethereal metal would be more appropriate.” The distinction, however, between Alcest and creator Neige’s other projects—he moonlights in cult black metal act Peste Noire and avant-black outfit Amesoeurs—is that musically, lyrically and conceptually it’s based on a parallel universe to the one inhabited by black metal’s sacrosanct, yet myopic values. Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde is bright, warm and verdant like a lazy Sunday morning in May. Songs like “Printemps Emeraude,” “Les Iris” and “Sur L’autre Rive Je T’attendrai” uplift the spirit, embracing it with positivity and innocence. “It is based upon a mix between sadness and strong hope,” he confirms, “a very ambiguous feeling that’s hard to describe. Alcest is never melancholic in a depressive and unhealthy way; the emotion expressed is sweeter and almost pleasant to feel. Alcest could not be negative or connected to any suffering in life. It is not the project’s aim.”
It would be hard to hear misery or enmity in Alcest’s music. Even if it’s in French or some other language (both “Les Iris” and “Tir Na Nog” employ glossolalia à la Cocteau Twins), the impression is something rather unique. “There is a particular meaning behind my vocal approach,” Neige says. “I have been using them since Le Secret in order to reproduce the fairy-like chants I perceived in my visions of Alcest’s realm; distant ethereal voices. Moreover, I simply could not imagine black metal vocals or powerful pop-rock vocals on my songs. It would not be appropriate.”
Alcest - Tristesse Hivernale [2001] demo - pass: blackmetaldungeon.blogspot.com
Alcest - Le Secret (EP) [2005]
Alcest - Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde [2007] - pass: Galadriel
