In an industry where consistency is often a key, if unspoken virtue, Alcest have long been a rather odd proposition. From their rough, promising roots as a somewhat experimental black metal band, to gently meandering shoegaze solo project, to whatever the hell you prefer to call them nowadays, it’s been quite a journey for Neige and his childhood visions of fairyland. No longer a solo project after Les Discrets’ Winterhalter signed on for drumming duties a few years back, the Alcest sound is slowly but surely evolving into something both distinctive and beautiful. Les Voyages de l’Âme is another slightly new turn in Alcest’s path, but one that, in the best possible way, involves a few steps backwards.

Released in 2001 and 2005 respectively, Tristesse Hivernale and Le Secret form the first part of Alcest’s evolution and, to the casual observer, seem completely unrelated to the later studio albums Souvenirs d’Un Autre Monde and Écailles de Lune. Of course, they’re anything but unrelated, and Les Voyages de l’Âme is the first Alcest album to successfully tie some of the loose ends up and combine the surreal black metal of Tristesse Hivernale with the childlike wonder of Souvenirs in a coherent way. That’s not to say any of this previous material is bad, far from it, but Alcest has at times felt like at least two very different bands fighting it out under the same name, and it can be quite disconcerting. Neige’s work is frequently brilliant and staggeringly original, but eight years as a one-man band led to Alcest slipping much farther off the beaten black metal track than it might otherwise have done. Having another permanent member on board has fleshed the basic sound out enormously, and the difference is palpable.

It has to be said that, despite being a fully paid-up Alcest addict and thus unlikely to seriously dislike Les Voyages de l’Âme, I’ve ended up surprised not only by how much I like it, but also why. Souvenirs d’Un Autre Monde ranks as one of my favourite albums of all time, and Écailles de Lune isn’t far behind, but both lack a certain something that early Alcest had by the bucketload. That certain something is, to put it bluntly, metal. Écailles de Lune had a spirited go at reintroducing a heavier sound but ended up feeling harsh and a little bit bare in places; a tendency that has been more than corrected on Les Voyages de l’Âme. Intertwining the enchanting black metal of the early days with the soft, beautiful shoegazy fantasy of more recent work without diminishing either is quite a feat, and Alcest are very nearly there with this album. The harsh vocals creeping in are highly effective, especially in ‘Là Où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelle’, where they meet the wispy, clean vocals of Neige’s solo days. The title track, on the other hand, has a subtle, if unsurprising, Les Discrets influence that makes me want to dig out ‘Septembre et Ses Dernières Pensées’. ‘Nous Sommes l’Émeraude’ is different yet again and not quite like anything Alcest have done before, yet with clear reference points to Le Secret.

I could go through and dissect every track. If I did I’d probably still be writing this time next week, and it would still be inadequate. One of the consistent joys of Alcest and Neige’s sprawling wonderland is discovering all the magic and quirks for yourself, which I thoroughly recommend anyone with an overactive imagination does immediately.

Alcest’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alcest.official
Prophecy Productions’ Website: http://www.prophecy.cd

One Response to “Alcest – Les Voyages de l’Âme”
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  Jason says:

  Great album! Just bought it on white vinyl. Lovely…

  July 30, 2012 at 22:33