Alcest
French post-black metal pioneers blending black metal with shoegaze.
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Seb.reznyck · CC BY-SA 4.0
Stéphane Paut, known as Neige, established Alcest in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, and the group is categorized as French post-black metal.[1] The 2005 EP Le secret is frequently cited as the foundational work of the blackgaze/post-black metal style, a genre Alcest is recognized for creating.[2][3] The band's discography includes seven full-length albums and three EPs.[2]
Making and release
Alcest's fourth effort, entitled Shelter, was released on 17 January 2014 via Prophecy Productions.[4] Neige started Alcest in 2000 as a black metal solo project; after expanding to a trio, Aegnor and Argoth departed following the 2001 demo release, making Neige the only member again.[1] Drakkar Productions put out the band's 2001 demo, a 4-track cassette called Tristesse hivernale.[5] Alcest signed with Prophecy Productions in March 2007, and their first LP, Souvenirs d'un autre monde, came out in early August that year.[6]
The third LP, Les Voyages de l'âme, was released on 6 January 2012.[7] On 26 July, the band disclosed that the fifth album would be titled Kodama and would be released on 30 September.[8]
What the cited sources add
Nelson's 2014 article describes Alcest as the first black metal band to actively incorporate elements of shoegaze.[9] The Pitchfork review of Shelter states the album was recorded in Iceland at Sigur Rós' studio, Sundlaugin, with Sigur Rós producer Birgir Jón Birgisson.[10] Natalie Zina Walschots' 2014 article states the blackgaze genre was pioneered by French projects such as Alcest as early as 2005.[11] The Pitchfork review notes that Neige has stated Alcest is a project devoted to realizing in song his visions of otherworldly fantasy and wonder.[10]
References
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ratliff, "Spooky Cathedrals and Twilight Moods", The New York Times, 13 January 2012; "Klemi, From dream kingdoms to metro tunnels: ALCEST / AMESOEURS, Kaleidoscope mag, Issue number 4, 2007", 6 March 2012; "KPN-V interview, April 1st, 2013" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Alcest: Shelter Album Review Pitchfork", Pitchfork.com; "How terror attacks and spiritualism inspired the new Alcest album", 22 August 2016; Nelson, "Deconstructing: Alcest's Shelter And Metal In A Post-Deafheaven World", 3 January 2014; Natalie Zina Walschots, "The Translator Blackgaze", 26 February 2014 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: True, "Alcest Biography", AllMusic; "My Mom Likes Deafheaven and the Future of Black Metal", Metal Injection, 25 February 2016; Jurek, "Alcest – Le Secret", AllMusic; Nelson, "Deconstructing: Alcest's Shelter And Metal In A Post-Deafheaven World", 3 January 2014; Natalie Zina Walschots, "The Translator Blackgaze", 26 February 2014; Grow, "10 New Artists You Need to Know: January 2014"; Jurek, "Alcest – Shelter", AllMusic; "Check Out Alcest's New Shoegaze-y Track "Délivrance"", 2 January 2014; Brown, "Alcest: Shelter", 15 January 2014; Nizam, "Al en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "How terror attacks and spiritualism inspired the new Alcest album", 22 August 2016 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: True, "Alcest Biography", AllMusic (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Alcest signing announcement on Prophecy Productions homepage"; "Souvenirs d'un autre monde on Prophecy Productions homepage"; True, "Alcest Biography", AllMusic; Way, "Alcest – Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde", AllMusic; Kelly, "Alcest – Souvenirs d'Un Autre Monde", 28 November 2007; Stosuy, "Show No Mercy", 1 August 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ratliff, "New CDs From Jade Alston, Jeremy Pelt and Alcest", The New York Times, 13 January 2012 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Alcest" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Johnson, "Alcest To Release New Album 'Kodama' In September - Stereoboard" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Nelson, "Deconstructing: Alcest's Shelter And Metal In A Post-Deafheaven World", 3 January 2014. facts only, no text reused. stereogum.com
- "Alcest: Shelter Album Review Pitchfork", Pitchfork.com. facts only, no text reused. pitchfork.com
- Natalie Zina Walschots, "The Translator Blackgaze", 26 February 2014. facts only, no text reused. exclaim.ca
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Alcest (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Alcest (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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