Tuesday 11 February 2014

Sometimes an album arrives without you realising it was coming..... And such is the case with the new album from Alcest


Shelter sees the band shed any lingering darkly metal traits and, as the cover shows, emerge into a bright sunlit world. Whatever growls which were left on the last album have been replaced with the most joyous almost wordless vocals you will hear this year.


Where Anathema still have a melancholy feel this is just uplifting..... Opale scurries along on an incessant drumbeat with added female backing vocals floating in the mix while guitars dance over the top.


Voix Sereines build slowly over 4 minutes to a wall of guitar riffing whilst another guitar picks out the melody. L'eveil des Muse start with a single repetitive guitar chiming away whilst the song swells behind it.


Away is the most downbeat song sung in English by a guest vocalist with a backdrop of strings and adds an interesting counterpoint to the French vocals. Occasionally you can spot something that reminds you of Blueneck or Sigur Ros but as a band Alcest are not following anyone else footsteps...




The last album Les voyages de l'âme was one of my highlights of 2012 and even though it's only February this will be one of the best albums of 2014

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