being tr00 kvlt just isn't gr1m enough for me

i'm not purely tr00 kvlt but i enjoy a lot of it

I've heard you praise power metal. It makes me laugh that you think we have to be told that you aren't trve kvlt.

I thought that power metal was the modern continuation of NWOBHM, therefore making it the tr00est metal sub genre around, namely man o war

What about hipster metalheads, and assorted similar critters, who almost exclusively like bands because "they're different".

Hipsters/tr00 kvlt metalheads are two sides of the same worthless coin, as they both praise bands for the their ability to adhere to some abstract principle instead of praising the music. ****heads the lot of them.

Are you saying that fans of Alcest are bracketed within the same criteria and that they only like the band because "they're different" or is it a continuation that there are far too many music fans out there who are far too set in their ways and are indeed 'two sides of the same worthless coin'?

well, i prefer the sound of "tr00 kvlt" than most "hipster"

i listen to all metal, BTW

Exactly, power metal is heavy metal at its proudest.

This is true. Any metalhead who bashes Manowar is in actuality, a poseur. We need to bring "poseur" back. Such a fun word.

Hmm.

I revisited this band. The album "Souvenirs...." is pretty cool.

Easily their best album, to me. And a really great album in general.
A lot of people orgasmed all over their next one (cuzza the bursts of screaming maybe?) and I like it well enough. But the one they released next after the next one made me a true believer that Souvenirs is their peak. I'm curious to hear your thoughts on post-Souvenirs Alcest if you have any.

Also, I wonder what you might think of their Le Secret EP. I think it sounds mostly like crap but I've been meaning to hear the recent re-issue to check for any kind of improvement.

I'll give you a heads up on my opinion of those albums when I get around to it. So far I've only heard a track off the new album; and it was pretty much made me write this band off. My tastes may have changed since then, but we'll see.

Have you heard Solstafir, Engine? They put out a double album recently, and I keep finding my way back to this track from the first disc. It's more conventional than Alcest, both musically and emotionally, but it is well executed, this track in particular:

I quite liked the re-issue, the sonic dynamics found on "Elevation" are of the highest quality.

The video is kinda cool and the song started off well enough, but I got pretty bored of it about 3/4 of the way through. Is the album a bit more dynamic than this track?

I listened to most of the double album and I really like it.
I remember back when ISIS made 'Oceanic' (one of if not my favorite 'post-metal' albums of all time) and they stated that they felt like exploring the non-metal music they enjoyed like The Cure and Swans.
I feel like I can hear stuff like that in the Solstafir album you're talking about. Definitely good.

New Alcest song from their forthcoming album Shelter:



Certainly something a bit different and a move in a more lighter dream-pop direction. It's okay I guess but nothing special. I know they couldn't stay combining black metal and shoegaze influences forever but I feel that on Souvenirs d'un autre monde and Écailles de Lune they had a sound that was their own. With the song above there's nothing really distinctive about it as such or anything to make me look forward to their new album more. A new direction might have some potential but they really need to deliver something special on the new album.

Did you like Les Voyages de l'Âme, Zer0?

I was disappointed with it at the time, found it very bland and unmemorable, which is why I'm hoping the new album will be something special that will restore my faith in Alcest. I know Neige is capable of creating some amazing music.

I wasn't a great fan of it at the time either but I really like it now.

In terms of a direction, I'm not sure what I'd prefer. I sometimes feel as though the black metal tag has held them back. It's discredited them in certain circles, when I dont even consider them very black metal at all. They are a shoegaze band. The black metal elements are few and far between. On one hand I'd be happy to see them move away from it altogether in favour of something new, but then again when I went to see them live I was very disappointed with them, and the best parts of the set by far were the tracks featuring Neiges harsher, black metal vocals.

EDIT: He/they/whatever.

I suppose the black metal tag has stuck with them from their early releases but I definitely wouldn't call them a black metal band now. Yeah it is a bit of a curse as it holds them back somewhat and also results in them getting a lot of hate in more conservative metal circles. However it's the black metal elements which make Écailles de Lune my favourite Alcest album because of the dynamic it adds to the music. A lack of distinct evolution was another thing that made Les Voyages de l'Âme a disappointment for me so I'd be very happy to hear something different this time.

Alcest are incredible ~