Alcest

Alcest
Alcest performing in 2020. From left to right: Zero, Winterhalter, Neige, Indria Saray
Alcest performing in 2020. From left to right: Zero, Winterhalter, Neige, Indria Saray
Background information
OriginBagnols-sur-Cèze, France
Genres
Years active2000–present
Labels
SpinoffsAmesoeurs
Members
Past members
  • Aegnor
  • Argoth
Websitealcest-music.com

Alcest is a French post-black metal band from Bagnols-sur-Cèze, founded and led by Neige (Stéphane Paut).[1] It began in 2000 as a black metal solo project by Neige, then became a trio, but members Aegnor and Argoth left the band following the 2001 release of their first demo, leaving Neige as the sole member.[2][3] Neige began incorporating elements of shoegaze and post-metal into the project's sound from 2005 onwards. In 2009, drummer Winterhalter from Les Discrets joined Alcest, after eight years with Neige as its sole full-time member.

Since its creation, Alcest has released seven studio albums and three EPs. Their fourth album, 2014's Shelter, marked a shift towards a distinctly shoegaze sound, while their subsequent album Kodama (2016) returned to their earlier blackgaze sound.[4][5] Alcest is widely credited with pioneering the blackgaze/post-black metal genre, particularly with their 2005 EP Le secret.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Ratliff, Ben (13 January 2012). "Spooky Cathedrals and Twilight Moods". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  2. ^ Neige explained: "At the beginning, I created Alcest because I really loved Black Metal and I wanted to play some. With the help of Famine (Peste Noire), I wrote four tracks with a theme based on winter and the sad feelings this season conveys.""Klemi, From dream kingdoms to metro tunnels: ALCEST / AMESOEURS, Kaleidoscope mag, Issue number 4, 2007". 6 March 2012.
  3. ^ Aegnor (aka La sale Famine) explained: "I played in ALCEST. In the beginning. I composed the best riff in Tristesse Hivernale, the searing riff of 'La Forêt du Cristal'. But at the behest of Neige, ALCEST became an Eden of elegant and overly nice fairies, the pastoral dream of a tender hobbit's brain. To put it bluntly, ALCEST became a fairytale country. So I had to carve out my own path...I took a shit in those cute flowery groves, sodomised the fairies, and put those elves to bed with a dose of rat poison to allow the song of the toads to flourish. Yes, I made PESTE NOIRE...because PESTE NOIRE was born only to fuck shit up.(Diary of PN)""KPN-V interview, April 1st, 2013". Archived from the original on 17 January 2014.
  4. ^ "Alcest: Shelter Album Review | Pitchfork". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  5. ^ "How terror attacks and spiritualism inspired the new Alcest album". 22 August 2016. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).