Debut? The MCD or the coming album? It isn't out yet, till early August is it?

Written by BV on 19.07.2007 at 16:29


Interview with Neige

"Vocals have a minor role and in the first songs they are mainly concentrated to picture a sinister mood? what was your idea?"

"A sinister mood???.... That really bothers me that you should say that because that proves that I did not succeed in communicating what I had inside me... I just wanted to create a maternal chant, hypnotic and unreal, similar as to what i have heard in the fairy land; certainly not a "dark" chant. My melodies are strange but not stressfull, at least I hope not! The lousy production and strangled chant can maybe explain things. If you could have understood my texts, I don't think you would have said that because they are not texts on sadness or anxiety, I keep that for Mortifera. I plan to re record "Le secret" soon and include two tracks in one album, I hope that this time there will be no compromise as you are not the first person to feel my music as dark music."

"I know you're involved in other important bands of the French scene, can you explain what has been the starting inspiration and idea that moved the decision to start Alcest?"

"Alcest was my first black metal band. I created this project alone in 1999 and then i met Famine of Peste Noire with whom I recorded the first demo "Tristesse Hivernale". Not long after, Alcest became something much more personnal conceptually and musically, so then it became a solo project. At first, I created this project to do melancholic, cold and traditional Black Metal but the "new" Alcest is something completly different; a bridge between two worlds. Since my childhood, I've had the impression of being in contact with a luminous far off country, I have named it trivially "Fairy Land" but it is just a name. My goal with Alcest is to transpose in musique my memories of this Fairy Land, my visions, what I have felt because all of this is far too uncomprehensive and difficult to explain: I have a hard time to talk about it. These memories influence greatly my way of thinking and hold an important position in my existence."

I'm the only one that saw his "Fairy Land" when listening to "Le Secret" and when i first read this interview i was amazed by how I visioned what he was trying to create. I don't see how you could find "Souvenirs d'un autre monde" to be depressive. He used nice warm colors and fairly upbeat images depicted on the cover! I think the music and the clean vocals are even more uplifting sounding on this release.

Thank you for reading.

As I mentioned in my previous post, the vocals are what I found gave the music an uplifting beat. The riffs are what, in my opinion, sounded slightly melancholic to me. Now, maybe that is too harsh of a word to use, but still, I've listened to "Les Iris" for example a number of times now and I still find that that intro sounds more melancholic than uplifting. I can see some parts of certain songs that are certainly uplifting, and as I've mentioned, the vocals are so tranquil that is certainly does make it sound uplifting, yet still the riffs sound very melancholic to me. Maybe I still need to give the album a few more listens but each to their own in the end I suppose.

EDIT: Also, just wanted to add onto what I had previously said, if so many people have gotten the wrong impressions from his music and are finding it quite melancholic, Neige's intentions may be difficult for fans to perceive. But all in all, is it really that important to categorise the music anyway.

Written by BV on 20.07.2007 at 20:24

Well perhaps on that specific song there is a piece of melancholy in the story. However, since neither of us speak french that will be a mystery to us. I haven't heard the new album yet since it's not even released for another month yet.

You should listen to Le Secret.

Good point. I've been trying to find Le Secret but haven't managed to. As I said, I got my copy of Souvenirs d'un autre monde from a friend, so I'm presuming that he downloaded a leaked version of it or he has a promotional copy of it... I really don't know. I will see if he also has Le Secret so I can give that a listen. Thanks.

So, what are your opinions on the new album?

Personally, I think it's brilliant, because it's not brilliant. What I mean is, it is not one of those übergreat superduper releases, but it is a release that perfectly suits my tastes. I really, really love it.

And I should get an Tristesse Hivernale demo + Angmar/Alcest DLP soon.

I totally love the new release. It's not Black Metal whatsoever, in fact I'd be hard pressed to even call it Metal at all, but it's just bloody good music. I can't decide whether it's uplifting or sad. Perhaps 'nostalgic' would be the best word, because listening to it gives me a feeling of a great thing that happened long ago but that is being remembered, and that Neige is happy that it's happened but sad that it's over... The lyrics make for interesting reading too, for those Francophones among us. Beautiful nature poetry.

I'm glad I can't understand french, as I think a language that I don't understand makes it all the more interesting for me.

And I agree with you, eventhough Neige might call it uplifting, I can't agree. Nostalgic would be way better. Anyway, Alcest gets me more depressed than any other Suicidal BM or Funeral Doom band.

Great band, just ordered their new album. Black Metal? I dont thinks so. In MCD, that description would fit barely but the new album is quite far away from black metal. Thers few "faster" black metallish guitar riffs there and there but that about the only thing what reminds me of black metal there.

Anyways, this band kills, seriously recommended for the fans of Agalloch and the likes.

Just received the DLP and it looks prety sweet. Too bad, despite the obvious effort of Northern Silence the corners are still a bit damaged. But that is the main problem of LP's I suppose.

Alcest is a great band and Neige is simply a genius. Although I never really thought of them as being metal


I'm still glad someone made a thread about them.

i really don't like all the hype around Alcest these days. The full-length was decent at max, but overall pretty average.

Written by BV on 19.07.2007 at 10:29



ALCEST IS NOT MELANCHOLIC!

come on! he sings about the nostalgia he feels for a fairy-land he dreamed about when a child!!! it's melancholic and melancholic in a very cheesy way!!!

there's nothing I can stad less than a French in touch with his feelings

Oh , thanks for the new album ..... I worship that album

Their full-length was pretty amazing when I first heard it, but after some time it loses the spark - still great, but nothing so special anymore.

I ordered the new album yesterday and I can't wait to get it. For some reason I thought it was going to sound completely different than the two songs on their MySpace page, but even though it sounded non-aggressive to the max, I still liked it enough to order it immediately. I've only heard those two songs, but I never got a "melancholic" vibe from it. Hell, just look at the album cover...

another great band from France. that's why they are first now, bye bye Norway.

Bahhhh, I can't find any Alcest anywhere, I only have Tristesse Hivernale/Aux Funérailles Du Monde, the split EP and that took me a while to find...I remember my dad told me about them, and said they were like Agalloch, so yeh..I love the whole atmospheric metal thing.

IMO they have post-rock element for the 2007 debut. By the way, also IMO his music is full of French music influence.

Black metal/Shoegaze
Its goddamn pretty good, very dreamy, very touching often.
Not something I hear on regular basis, but I do listen to them from time to time and enjoy them much.
Creative.
Will it enter my best of any list? maybe favorite Black metal albums.

I love Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde, a real innovation in black metal, its music look so melancholic and that what i really need... and lyrics are quietly different and new, a new kind of black metal...

Written by Candlemass on 20.06.2008 at 17:47


Will it enter my best of any list? maybe favorite Black metal albums.

ta da...

http://www.metalstorm.ee/awards/categories.php?cat_id=16

Written by BitterCOld on 20.06.2008 at 19:28

Written by Candlemass on 20.06.2008 at 17:47


Will it enter my best of any list? maybe favorite Black metal albums.

ta da...

http://www.metalstorm.ee/awards/categories.php?cat_id=16

Hah...Debut maybe.
If it would apear in that place in the black metal list...thats unfair to black metal.
What is this album in the black metal realm? barely black metal, not core at all.
WOuld be very populist and would piss off pretty much black-metalers!

When I said my list, I mean I don't really like black metal that much, not Norwegian (the main black metal scene?) or ambient black metal.
Tho I do like what some call "post-black metal".

which is why it was NOT on our black metal nominees list... so why beleaguer a moot point?

Written by FOOCK Nam on 20.06.2008 at 11:53

IMO they have post-rock element for the 2007 debut. By the way, also IMO his music is full of French music influence.

No thay cust criate BM when drink some french wine and enjoy warm wind thats why its so awsoem and incridibile France is not Norway and Geograpchical locatin are important into metal

Written by Bad English on 21.06.2008 at 09:49

Written by FOOCK Nam on 20.06.2008 at 11:53

IMO they have post-rock element for the 2007 debut. By the way, also IMO his music is full of French music influence.

No thay cust criate BM when drink some french wine and enjoy warm wind thats why its so awsoem and incridibile France is not Norway and Geograpchical locatin are important into metal

Well, I referred to Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde that is their only stuff I own. I disagree for that one, it is not black metal. It has distortion guitar but only so far that. It has shoegaze and in my own opinion also post rock element. I havent checked Le Secret, but I guess that first one is black metal.

Anyway, Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde is very wonderful stuff. Recommend me any bands that similar to that debut 2007.

OMG i finally found a copy of Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde its made me so happy! ive been looking for it for like 2 months...

Ahhh Neige is excellent.
I love this band so much, the feelings I get while listening to Alcest are amazing.
I was really surprised about such low ratings on the full-length on other sites like EM, fucking lame.
I can listen to Souvenirs d'un autre monde on repeat for hours.

Hmmm.. seems Alcest will perform their first ever live show right here in Bucharest alongside Agalloch, or so i heard(i knew about the gig but thought it was just another concert).. if that's the case i'll most probably be there.

You lucky barstools! Agalloch AND Alcest?! What an excellent night...

Really looking forward to their new album, hopefully it will be just as awesome as the cover art. And the shoegaze element becoming more dominant.

Seeing them May 1st at a Warehouse! Too good to be true.