Band: Alcest
Title: Écailles De Lune
Label: Prophecy Productions
Distribution: Suburban
Release date: 29/03/2010
Review: CD

It took almost three years to record and release the successor of Souvenirs d’Un Autre Monde, created by Alcest, a project by the French musician Neige (known from e.g. Amesoeurs, Peste Noire or Mortifera). But it is worth having waited for.
Stylistically seen, Écailles De Lune is partly comparable to the former full length, yet at the same time, Alcest also return to the roots (think about the Le Sécret mini-album). The latter has to do with the Black Metal-oriented approach.
The vocals are both comparable with, and different from those on Souvenirs … Sometimes, these voices are rather ‘soft’, mellow, sorrowful, almost ‘sweet’, yet not dull one single moment (which unfortunately is the case too often with other same-minded projects); they float with a hypnotic excellence, crossing the borders of a fairylike Other World. From time to time, however, these vox indeed are nightly and hellish again. And believe me, both screams and melodic voices do fit impeccably to the mournful compositions.
The blackish roots are clearly detectable too within the mid-tempo electric guitars and basses, and some drum patterns. In contradiction to the former full length, there are much more heavy parts, bringing an underground atmosphere to mind that might be comparable to, let’s say, (early) Burzum or, of course, Peste Noire and Mortifera. This last comparison (Peste Noire and, especially, Mortifera), by the way, also goes for the sometimes suicidal sound, which is melancholic and funereal, covered in darkened beauty.
The interaction between electric and acoustic parts (with a so-called Post-Rock-alike approach) comes in a sublime equilibrium, making the whole balance between dreamy and ominous spheres. And yes, even though this album is a rather evident Prophecy-product, it is a unique musical journey, a fellowship to another dimension.
Duration: forty two minutes.

87/100

Ivan Tibos.