Alcest - Écailles de lune (2010)

Back in 2007 Alcest debuted with, ‘Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde,’ which was an album that caused quite a stir, both charming people and disgusting others. So, what would Neige, the bands sole mastermind, have in store for us on his sophomore release, ‘Écailles de lune?’

Somewhat expectantly he continues to blend post rock and shoe gaze music with minimal black metal influences, though this time around he actually uses some black metal style screams as well new drummer Winterhalter even has some blast beat moments on the double bass pedal. That aside you can expect to hear absolutely beautiful and memorable melodies from Neige’s guitar and frankly speaking the first three songs are absolutely the best he’s ever created.

As soon as the sounds of, ‘Écailles de lune – part 1’ flood into my room I’m absolutely immersed in this album and I’m not let go until the third song, ‘Percées De Lumière.’ Each of these songs is crafted so well that you’re drawn in every time and these songs stick with you after you leave them behind too. As stunning as the music is it must be noted that Neige’s clean vocals are among some of the best out there and his black metal screams are honestly some of the most vicious I’ve heard recently too.

The music of Alcest has always said to be influenced by some sort of dream world Neige created as a child and much like the previous album this release has that ability to completely capture your mind and take you to this place. It’s strange how his music carries such diverse emotions too. Sometimes it’s dark and mysterious at other times melancholic and dreamy and even within a few places on this album he sounds completely evil and full of hatred.

Even as the album does start out quite well it unfortunately takes a plunge with the fourth song, ‘Abysses,’ which is a low point for Alcest since it’s just a minute and a half of droning ambiance which does nothing to enhance the album at all and the following song, ‘Solar Song’ is the most shoe gaze sounding piece Neige has recorded to date, but it does very little for me. Fortunately the album comes back in a strong way with the final song, ‘Sur l'océan couleur de fer,’ which is a slow acoustic piece with a very melancholic mood and enormously breathtaking vocals.

Clocking in at just a little over forty one minutes, Écailles de lune is a fairly good album, though I wish perhaps it had been slightly longer. Nevertheless Neige has written another gripping album which will no doubt continue to get plenty of plays from me as well as the rest of his listeners out there.