Alcest
Encyclopedia
Alcest is a musical project born in Bagnols-sur-Cèze
, France
. It began in 2000 with three members – Neige, Aegnor and Argoth. This band released a demo of black metal
songs in 2001. Shortly after, Aegnor and Argoth left the band, leaving Neige as the sole member. This marked a change in style, as Alcest's subsequent releases have more often been described as shoegazing
.
outfit, consisting of Neige on vocals, rhythm/acoustic guitar, and drums, Argoth on bass, and Aegnor (now known as La sale Famine de Valfunde. Famine used Neige as a session drummer and live rhythm guitarist in the early years of Peste Noire
) on lead guitar. In 2001, the band released a 4-track demo tape entitled Tristesse Hivernale
on Drakkar Productions
in which Famine wrote the main riff of the song "La Forêt de Cristal". Not long after the demo was released, the band once again became a one-man entity, with Neige taking Alcest in a more personal direction. Neige, having originally formed Alcest as an outlet to create cold and raw black metal, moved away from the minimalist approach with the follow-up to Tristesse Hivernale, entitled Le Secret
. This EP, released in May 2005, is an introduction of sorts to the new concept behind the reformed Alcest. After having signed to Prophecy Productions
in March 2007, Alcest's debut album Souvenirs d'un autre monde
was released in early August of the same year, and drew comparisons with the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Jesu
. In August 2007, Tristesse Hivernale was released by Northern Silence Productions in August 2007 as a split with French black metal band Angmar.
Alcest's second album, Écailles de Lune
(Scales of the Moon), was released March 29, 2010. The band's third album, Les Voyages de L'Âme, will be released on January 6, 2012.
Another misconception is the inclusion of female vocals on Le Secret; all vocals on this EP were performed by Neige. Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde, however, included guest female vocals by Audrey Sylvain from Amesoeurs
on the track Sur l'autre rive je t'attendrai.
Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Bagnols-sur-Cèze is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon région in southern France.-History:A small regional center, Bagnols-sur-Cèze was quite certainly a Roman town before the main part was built in the 13th century around a central arcaded square that is still preserved...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It began in 2000 with three members – Neige, Aegnor and Argoth. This band released a demo of black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
songs in 2001. Shortly after, Aegnor and Argoth left the band, leaving Neige as the sole member. This marked a change in style, as Alcest's subsequent releases have more often been described as shoegazing
Shoegazing
Shoegazing is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged from the United Kingdom in the late 1980s. It lasted there until the mid 1990s, with a critical zenith reached in 1990 and 1991...
.
Band history
Alcest was formed as a solo project by Neige in 2000. Soon after, the band became a three-piece black metalBlack metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
outfit, consisting of Neige on vocals, rhythm/acoustic guitar, and drums, Argoth on bass, and Aegnor (now known as La sale Famine de Valfunde. Famine used Neige as a session drummer and live rhythm guitarist in the early years of Peste Noire
Peste Noire
Peste Noire is a Black metal band from Avignon, France. It was founded by La sale Famine de Valfunde in 2000. La sale Famine has been the main member and creative force behind Peste Noire since its inception, and, to date, all songs were written by La sale Famine Peste Noire is a Black metal band...
) on lead guitar. In 2001, the band released a 4-track demo tape entitled Tristesse Hivernale
Tristesse Hivernale
Tristesse Hivernale is a demo by black metal Neige-led band Alcest, released in 2001 on Drakkar Productions. Unlike the following albums, this style of this demo is traditional black metal with a raw sound and harsh vocals...
on Drakkar Productions
Drakkar Productions
Drakkar Productions is a French record label that has released many recordings of black metal bands throughout the world, on CD, cassette and vinyl. They have usually limited the prints to 1000 copies or less, but some have been known to vary...
in which Famine wrote the main riff of the song "La Forêt de Cristal". Not long after the demo was released, the band once again became a one-man entity, with Neige taking Alcest in a more personal direction. Neige, having originally formed Alcest as an outlet to create cold and raw black metal, moved away from the minimalist approach with the follow-up to Tristesse Hivernale, entitled Le Secret
Le Secret
Le Secret is an EP by French musician Alcest. It was released in May 2005 through Drakkar Productions. Unlike Alcest's previous release, all of the music on Le Secret is performed by Neige. The lyrics to the track "Élévation" come from a poem by Charles Baudelaire.-Track listing:...
. This EP, released in May 2005, is an introduction of sorts to the new concept behind the reformed Alcest. After having signed to Prophecy Productions
Prophecy Productions
Prophecy Productions is a German record label located in Zeltingen-Rachtig, founded by Martin Koller in 1996. It proclaims being a "label for eerie emotional music", which roughly comprises artists with a dark metal, black metal, or neofolk background, but a unique and unconventional approach to...
in March 2007, Alcest's debut album Souvenirs d'un autre monde
Souvenirs d'un autre monde
Souvenirs d'un autre monde is the first full-length album by Alcest, released in August 2007. The album differs greatly from Alcest's earlier work, as its sound is similar to post-rock and shoegaze with very little black metal incorporated at all...
was released in early August of the same year, and drew comparisons with the likes of My Bloody Valentine and Jesu
Jesu (band)
Jesu is a post-metal band formed in 2003 by Justin Broadrick following the breakup of Godflesh. Jesu was the name of the last song on the final Godflesh release, Hymns, and Broadrick decided to adopt it as the name of this project....
. In August 2007, Tristesse Hivernale was released by Northern Silence Productions in August 2007 as a split with French black metal band Angmar.
Alcest's second album, Écailles de Lune
Écailles de Lune
Écailles de Lune is the second studio album by Alcest, released on March 29, 2010 by Prophecy Productions.-Track listing:Source: Amazon-Personnel:* Neige - bass, vocals, guitar, synth* Winterhalter - drum...
(Scales of the Moon), was released March 29, 2010. The band's third album, Les Voyages de L'Âme, will be released on January 6, 2012.
Band concept
As a child, Neige had fantasies of being in contact with a "far off country", which he generically refers to as "Fairy Land". Alcest serves as the musical adaptation of the memories from this fantasy world. Neige intends for Alcest to be a journey for the listener to this world through his memories. This change in concept was first introduced on Le Secret. Souvenirs d'un autre monde will serve as a literal summation of the concept behind the band.Misinterpretation
Some early reviews of Le Secret regarded it as a cold and melancholic black metal release, much to Neige's surprise and disappointment. In an interview conducted by Aeternitas Tenebrarum Music Foundation webzine, he responded to these interpretations, as well as the mention of his vocals creating a "sinister mood":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 stressful, 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. - Neige
Another misconception is the inclusion of female vocals on Le Secret; all vocals on this EP were performed by Neige. Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde, however, included guest female vocals by Audrey Sylvain from Amesoeurs
Amesoeurs
Amesoeurs was a French post-punk/black metal band formed in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France in Summer 2004 by guitarist/vocalist Neige of Alcest fame, and by bassist/singer Audrey Sylvain and guitarist Fursy Teyssier with the purpose of creating a music that reflects the dark side of the industrial era...
on the track Sur l'autre rive je t'attendrai.
Current members
- Neige (2000-) - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards (ex- Mortifera (2004–2006), Phest (2003–2004), AmesoeursAmesoeursAmesoeurs was a French post-punk/black metal band formed in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France in Summer 2004 by guitarist/vocalist Neige of Alcest fame, and by bassist/singer Audrey Sylvain and guitarist Fursy Teyssier with the purpose of creating a music that reflects the dark side of the industrial era...
(2004–2009), ex-Peste NoirePeste NoirePeste Noire is a Black metal band from Avignon, France. It was founded by La sale Famine de Valfunde in 2000. La sale Famine has been the main member and creative force behind Peste Noire since its inception, and, to date, all songs were written by La sale Famine Peste Noire is a Black metal band...
(2001–2005)) - Winterhalter (2009-) - drums, percussion (ex-AmesoeursAmesoeursAmesoeurs was a French post-punk/black metal band formed in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, France in Summer 2004 by guitarist/vocalist Neige of Alcest fame, and by bassist/singer Audrey Sylvain and guitarist Fursy Teyssier with the purpose of creating a music that reflects the dark side of the industrial era...
(2008–2009), ex-Peste NoirePeste NoirePeste Noire is a Black metal band from Avignon, France. It was founded by La sale Famine de Valfunde in 2000. La sale Famine has been the main member and creative force behind Peste Noire since its inception, and, to date, all songs were written by La sale Famine Peste Noire is a Black metal band...
(2006–2008), Les DiscretsLes DiscretsLes Discrets is a French post-metal band/musical project that was formed in 2003 by Fursy Teyssier as "a platform gathering music and art." The band embraces a musical style similar to that of fellow French acts like Alcest and Amesoeurs and released their first full-length album in...
)
Live members
- Indria - bass (ex- Peste Noire, Brutal Rebirth, Triste Sir)
- Zero - guitar, backing vocals
Past members
- Aegnor (2000–2001) - lead guitar on Tristesse HivernaleTristesse HivernaleTristesse Hivernale is a demo by black metal Neige-led band Alcest, released in 2001 on Drakkar Productions. Unlike the following albums, this style of this demo is traditional black metal with a raw sound and harsh vocals...
demo 2001 - Argoth (2000–2001) - bass on Tristesse HivernaleTristesse HivernaleTristesse Hivernale is a demo by black metal Neige-led band Alcest, released in 2001 on Drakkar Productions. Unlike the following albums, this style of this demo is traditional black metal with a raw sound and harsh vocals...
demo 2001 - Fursy Teyssier - bass (ex-Amesoeurs, Les DiscretsLes DiscretsLes Discrets is a French post-metal band/musical project that was formed in 2003 by Fursy Teyssier as "a platform gathering music and art." The band embraces a musical style similar to that of fellow French acts like Alcest and Amesoeurs and released their first full-length album in...
), live member
Studio albums
- Souvenirs d'un autre mondeSouvenirs d'un autre mondeSouvenirs d'un autre monde is the first full-length album by Alcest, released in August 2007. The album differs greatly from Alcest's earlier work, as its sound is similar to post-rock and shoegaze with very little black metal incorporated at all...
(2007) - Écailles de LuneÉcailles de LuneÉcailles de Lune is the second studio album by Alcest, released on March 29, 2010 by Prophecy Productions.-Track listing:Source: Amazon-Personnel:* Neige - bass, vocals, guitar, synth* Winterhalter - drum...
(2010) - Les Voyages De L'Âme (2012)
Split releases
- Aux Funérailles du Monde.../Tristesse Hivernale (split with Angmar) (2007)
- Alcest / Les Discrets (2009)
External links
- Official Alcest website
- Alcest at Encyclopedia Metallum
- Prophecy Productions
- Northern Silence Productions
- Drakkar Productions
- Interview with Neige