Artists that can balance light and dark always fascinate me. Alcest is a legendary band who has always done just that, and their new album Les Chants de l’Aurore is a wonderful example. The record releases on June 21st through Nuclear Blast Records.
Alcest have been at it since 2000, so almost 25 years. Their sound has drifted over the years, but they always have that spark of light and that shadow of darkness in everything they do. The band still consists of Neige on vocals, guitars, bass, and synths, and Winterhalter on drums.
I’ve been a fan of Alcest for over a decade now, probably since 2012’s masterpiece Les voyages de l’âme. The very next album, though, was 2014’s Shelter, one that really spoke to me at the time. That album was significantly brighter and dreamier than their previous output, leaning heavily into the sunshine, so to speak. I can’t help but hear that on this album, too.
What does that mean? Les Chants de l’Aurore, meaning The Songs of Dawn, has a brighter aura, and more celestial and celebratory tones. This album offers less abstraction, such as on their last album 2019’s Spiritual Instinct, and more post-rock, crescendos, towering melodies and guitar licks, and warm harmonies. The album feels like happiness, life, childhood memories, and the mystical consciousness that lies all around us.
Neige’s vocal harmonies are beautiful on this record, but what really strikes me is his guitar work. The mixture of riffs and addictive rhythms is a real highlight, as is Winterhalter’s terrific drumming. I like how lumbering it can be, but also how subtle. The use of blast beats is pretty reserved here, but he brings them out for the right moments. I should also mention the synth from Neige, which is used in melodious fashion in some places, but as accents in others, and it’s extremely effective. Only Alcest can insert a single note to accent something and somehow captivate my mind.
This is very balanced record. There are seven tracks, and they are all great. You know the singles, “L’Envol” (meaning Flight) and “Flamme Jumelle” (meaning Twin Flame). The former, I’ll admit, didn’t hit me right away, especially the opening few minutes. The song, as it progresses, becomes wider and more expansive, and, wow, that final climax is a beauty. The latter is a rhythmic tune with an interesting video, and for some reason reminds me of Anathema’s “Dreaming Light”. I’ve found myself listening to it quite a bit.
As strong as the singles are, I think the rest of the album is better. The opener “Komorebi”, meaning Sunlight Filtering Through the Foliage, is a strong and beautiful work. This song has more of a driving rhythm to it and has a warm, golden tone with outstanding drumming. Absolutely love it. “Améthyste”, meaning Amethyst, might be even better, though; this 8-minute piece has a driving shoegaze sound punctuated with harsh vox here and there. It is searing and delicious.
The last three songs on the record are wonderful. “Réminiscence”, meaning Reminiscence obviously, is a shorter piece that relies on piano, warm harmonies, and strings. It isn’t that long, but it is comforting and sad and happy all that the same time. I think my favorite on the album is “L’Enfant de la Lune”, meaning The Moon Child. This song has all my favorite aspects of the rest of the album, plus an interlude with sparks of synth and a truly memorable final few minutes that rock and emote so well. The closer “L’Adieu”, meaning The Farewell, is a gorgeous and pensive final four minutes to the album. It might be sad, or maybe it’s introspective, or perhaps it is happy in the fashion of leaving for brighter skies. But it is a song that always causes me to stop and soak it in as the album ends.
Alcest can’t seem to release a weak album. Les Chants de l’Aurore is a striking and rhythmically pleasing album that evokes memories, feelings, and dreams, and it soars by without any filler or weaknesses. I can’t understand a single word that is spoken, but somehow I know what it all means. And that is a testament to this band’s ingenuity and heart.
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