They say there is a light at the end of every dark tunnel. For Alcest front man Neige (born Stéphane Paut in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France), this dark tunnel had been illuminating gradually over the past fourteen years. Shelter, the band’s fourth studio album, is the aural representation of this light, the journey towards which has been an inevitable transition
Starting as a straightforward three-piece black metal band in 2000, Alcest quickly shifted gears when the other two members left the group leaving Neige (French for “Snow”) to continue Alcest in solitude. For Alcest’s first two releases, 2005’s Le Secret EP and 2007’s Souvenirs d’un autre monde (‘Memories of Another World’), Neige made it through just fine on his own, splicing in elements of post-rock and shoegaze music into the already-established black metal sound.
He couldn’t make it alone forever, though. He recruited Jean Deflandre, better known by his pseudonym Winterhalter, to help him out with the project’s next full-length album. The release of Écailles de Lune (‘Scales of the Moon’) in 2010 was a beautiful amalgamation of the three genres that presaged Alcest’s slightly brighter direction.
Their follow-up, Les Voyage de l’Âme (‘The Journeys of the Soul’), made it clear that Alcest was not going to fit under the black metal genre for much longer. They were growing and maturing like any other band, but instead of being as dark as they could be, they opted to expand their sound and create the brightest record they could.
Shelter is the product of Alcest’s intentional stylistic change, and it might just be their most beautifully crafted album to date. It opens with a short instrumental entitled ‘Wings,’ leading into the album’s first single ‘Opale’ (‘Opal’). It’s a bright, dreamy piece that sonically recalls their previous album’s opener, “Autre Temps” (“Another Time”). A mid-paced rock tune with some flourishing guitars and reserved (but melodic) vocals and lyrics.
The bright and beautiful sound stays consistent throughout the next few songs: ‘La Nuit Marche aver Moi’ (‘The Night Walks With Me’), ‘Voix Sereines’ (‘Serene Voices’), and ‘L’Éveil des Muses’ (‘The Awakening of the Muses’). On the album’s title track, a subtle piano melody tinkers in the background along with some acoustic rhythm guitar, giving the instrumental an extremely full sound. Though singing in French, it is undeniable that Neige is extremely passionate about what he’s singing about; this “Shelter” that he details in the song certainly means quite a bit to him.
One of the most interesting moments and definite highlights on the album comes on the track ‘Away.’ It features English vocals from Slowdive member Neil Halstead, bringing a new perspective into the album with which non-French-speaking listeners can identify. These vocals, in addition to the shimmering guitars and choir-like refrains, make the track stand out and adds a bit of variety to what is an extremely, sonically consistent record (which is not a bad thing at all).
The album’s closer, ‘Délivrance’ (‘Deliverance’), clocks in at just over ten minutes, and rounds out the album perfectly. Its final three minutes are occupied by a male/female vocal duet backed by swirling orchestration. It is a triumphant piece, complete with soft passages and large crescendos that brings Shelter to a hopeful and uplifting close.
As Alcest strays further away from the metal side of things, they become more creative and more ambitious with every release. Shelter is our first introduction to the completely reformatted Alcest, and I eagerly await what Neige will introduce next to the world. “Shelter” is available now on Prophecy Productions.