Alcest - Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde
Prophecy Productions

file under Different metal

Vera: Alcest is the one-man-project of the French multi-instrumentalist Neige, native of Avignon (France). As devoted black metal fan he founded Alcest around 1999 and a first demo contained traditional black metal. After that the music evolved towards a more esoteric, atmospheric direction. The EP ‘Le Secret’ and the split CD with Angmar were witnesses of this development. Now Alcest is picked up by the label with a fine taste for eccentric, yet engrossing musical projects (Prophecy Productions) for no less than five albums.

‘Souvenirs D’un Autre Monde’ is the first one and it offers six compositions to the listener - all about six or seven minutes long - on which you can fall in reveries and dream. Guitars with lots of reverb and distortion (think on Katatonia, or even more on Agalloch) pass into acoustic guitar interludes. Vocals are dreamy and nostalgic. The lyrics are in French, but if you do not pay special attention to it, it is not that obvious. I know this sound kind of strange, but let us say that the sound of the voice is more important than words. Neige seems to be a pretty exceptional person: a hermit who prefers to be alone most of the time and only wanders through the city at night to be inspired by those blackened impressions. This music includes much transparency; it is an ode to the purity of nature in a very refined way.

It is ethereal music from another world, just as the title suggests. Finally it gets a bit difficult to keep focused, because the songs are pretty similar to each other, but when you are in the mood, this wall of guitars with lyric leads all over and cosy acoustic guitars will give you a sea of tranquillity and contemplation in this hectic life. And we all need moments like that.

Rating 85/100 (details)

http://www.alcest-music.com