Alcest - Le Secret review

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Rating:
9.2
Alcest - Le Secret [EP]
1 May 2005


01. Le Secret
02. Elevation


Alcest, after their first demo, "Tristesse Hivernale", offer their first official EP, consisting only of two compositions filled with lyricism, evoking imaginary landscapes that present in a beautiful way the melancholy and dismay of winter.

What this French band offers is black metal, but it's not your typical black that has over-flooded the scene. Let's see the songs one by one since they are not that many and each of the compositions has a different approach in terms of structure, yet they pace so beautifully together in the overall outcome.

The first song of this EP is "Le Secret" and it is a 15-minute hymn filled with melancholy and a fragile/emotional approach, an atmosphere evoked by the inspired guitar riffing and the fabulous acoustic passages, whilst the vocals are clean, almost reciting, yet interpreted in such a wonderful way that won't make you think of another way of vocal expression concerning this composition.

The second composition of the album is "Elevation". The keyboards in the beginning take their time to unfold their atmosphere-evoking melodies for around 3 minutes creating an ambient-oriented feeling and then the guitar riffing breaks this fragile serenity escalating the emotional charge of the song, leaving behind a bittersweet taste. The rhythm section plays its role well, being creative and being not in the background. The howls of the singer are utterly expressive and dramatic, making the whole wintry soundscape more gloomy while the guitar riffing accompanies him in the most ideal way, offering some really inspired ideas. A really wonderful song filled with intense atmosphere and inspiration.

A special reference, I think, should be made to the production of "Le Secret" which is really good and doesn't bury the very good ideas of the band, on the contrary, it helps them sound even better lending them the element that can make the compositions wonderful and pleasing to the ears.

Concluding, "Le Secret" is a hidden diamond concerning the black metal scene, "a secret", so if you find it somewhere give it a chance, it will pay you back in the most appropriate way!


Band profile: Alcest
Album: Le Secret



 written by DerRozzengarten | published 10.12.2005





Comments

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Lucas - 16.08.2007 at 00:24  
Maybe a little bit overhyped (60USD for two songs) but a great release no doubt!
Spyroid - 03.10.2007 at 00:20  
Written by Lucas on 16.08.2007 at 00:24

Maybe a little bit overhyped (60USD for two songs) but a great release no doubt!


Well, it's sold out The same goes with some Porcupine Tree releases, I think there is a single/EP with three songs or such for 99.99 $...
Indeed it's absolutely amazing! Funny though that DerRozz refers to Neige as "them" and "the band" through the review ;P
Zombie, M.D. - 03.10.2007 at 02:41  
Written by Lucas on 16.08.2007 at 00:24

Maybe a little bit overhyped (60USD for two songs) but a great release no doubt!


Le Secret is going for $60usd?!?! Anyone want to buy a copy?
Lucas - 03.10.2007 at 18:17  
Written by Zombie, M.D. on 03.10.2007 at 02:41

Written by Lucas on 16.08.2007 at 00:24

Maybe a little bit overhyped (60USD for two songs) but a great release no doubt!


Le Secret is going for $60usd?!?! Anyone want to buy a copy?


I made sure I got one early.

@cradka:

that's insane as well. the downside of limited stuff.





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