Alcest - Le Secret

Band/artist - Alcest
Genre(s) - Black metal
Origin - France
Album - Le Secret
Year of release - 2005

Here's the other pre-Souvenirs release by Alcest - I had already uploaded the demo Tristesse Hivernale, here. This two-song, twentyseven-minute EP is clearly a transitional moment for Neige; the move from raw black metal to ethereal/shoegaze with only slight metal undertones was not a sudden one. There's no denying that Le Secret is still deeply black at the core but you will notice more quiet, Souvenirs-worthy influences creeping up on it. This includes nature sounds, acoustic guitar interludes and some clearer melodies, and sporadic appearance of Neige's hazy, drawn-out singing voice. The production job - which on the demo came dangerously close to completely ruining the music - is also a lot better here, giving the riffs the weight to really drag you along. The music is rich in feeling and atmosphere and nearly as satisfying as Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde is... however even if you are a BM puritan and think that Alcest lost all its appeal with the full-length, you'll probably still love this one. It's the perfect blend, really.

1. Le Secret
2. Elévation
   

Load it down (size: 24.6 MB)