Les Chants de L’Aurore, the latest release by French blackgaze icons Alcest, is a beautiful, balanced record that leads with its heart but doesn’t dull any edges to accomplish that. It’s pensive, aggressive, beautiful, and captivating.
Release date: June 21, 2024 | Nuclear Blast | Bandcamp | Facebook
When news broke that Alcest would be releasing a new record this year, many of us in the EIN camp were beyond excited. They’re a particularly beloved act even among those of us who aren’t that deeply into metal, so the announcement fell like rain on parched soil. The way the singles and music videos stoked that excitement was a sight to behols, and when we finally got our advance copy, my buddy Jake and I practically lunged at the opportunity to review the full album.
So without further ado, here’s our duo review of Alcest‘s latest, Les Chants de L’Aurore!
Dom: Heya bud, how’s it going? You ready to talk shop about this new Alcest record?
Jake: Heya pal! Yeah let’s get into it. We’ve been waiting a while for new materials from this act and now that it’s finally here, I’m ready to start talking about blackgaze.
D: Same here. Before we dig into the new material, though, I think it’d make sense to put it into context. As for myself, I wasn’t a big fan of the records Neige and Winterhalter released after Shelter; sure, Kodama was serviceable, but it was ultimately middling, and Spiritual Instinct was a complete letdown for me. So ever since they went full shoegaze back in 2014, their following (more metal-leaning) stuff just didn’t cut it – in my opinion at least. What’s your take on the releases leading up to Les Chants de L’Aurore?
J: That’s a fair assessment! I think while I know what you mean about Kodama, that one does still get some occasional spins at my house. I think what you have managed to already bring to light however is that the balance that an album from Alcest needs to strike is a pretty specific one. We have a pretty mixed set of albums leading up to this one, so the stage is set to either be disappointed or to enthralled. There is simply no in-between. Well there might be, but for the sake of drama, these are the only options!
D: Yeah, I definitely haven’t seen many moderate reactions to these last few albums. It was either ‘This is great’ or ‘This is horseshit’, especially with Spiritual Instinct.
Either way, Les Chants de L’Aurore. What was your initial reaction like?
J: Optimistic, I would say. I listened to a couple of the preview tracks before I got the album in full and both “L’Envol” and “Flamme Jumelle” I thought both songs showcased the spectrum of what I love about Alcest in general. So I was pretty keen to get my ears on the rest of it. Then when I got the full thing, the shape that the album appeared to be taking made me feel both excited and relieved.
D: I think my own reaction wasn’t too far off from that; excited and relieved were two words that popped into my head as well. To me, the singles indicated a strong focus on the melodic Shelter phase, but with a stronger focus on the mixing in of metal elements that made the band such a phenomenon in the first place. The artwork did the rest for me. I mean, c’mon: art nouveau on an Alcest record sleeve? Sign me the hell up!
J: I knew that cover art would be the cherry on top! So what we’re saying here is that this album seems to be looking like a very congruent and cohesive package, or at the very least that’s how I feel. It seems that many of the things that we like and hoped for from an Alcest album have been put into place, so let’s get to the most important part: the music. We’ve talked a little about the tracks that we heard pre-release, so let’s dig into the album proper. Seven songs across about 44 minutes seems like a good spot for a record like this, how do you feel about that?
D: Positively, I’d say. A concise runtime like that usually benefits the album; no risk of fluff, bloat, or filler. Straddling that sweet spot between too short and too long is definitely an art in and of itself, but Alcest did it very well here. Splitting that runtime across six relatively long tracks and a (frankly gorgeous) interlude is such a them thing to do.
I’m such a sucker for the imagery in the band’s album titles, and funnily enough, the first track has the best one on here: “Komorebi”, which is the Japanese word for sunlight that’s filtered through the leaves of a tree. Musically, it opens Les Chants de L’Aurore on a decidedly Souvenirs d’une Autre Monde/Shelter vibe, combining shoegaze melodies with (almost-)blast beats, clean vocals, choir-esque synths, and crystalline progressions. They couldn’t have written a better opener for this album if they actively tried to, in my opinion. What do you think about this song?
J: I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. While my tastes could skew my opinion toward a more aggressive opener in most cases, I think this sort of transportive song is the baptism into this album that we needed. Alcest are a world unto their own and I applaud them for writing a track that acts a bridge back into theirs after such a long absence. It’s effervescent and is in some ways a microcosm of the album as a whole and thus I agree that it’s a grand re-opening of sorts for the band.
D: What’s your favorite song on this album?
J: “Améthyste”. Not just because it’s the largest and most grand of all of them, it also has real GUTS and that’s something I think that a lot of the more recent output from this band has been lacking. There’s energy all over the record but I think this track sees that energy at its most potent and crackling. The recurring motifs, the dynamic parabolas and those. harsh. vocals. Pure emotion. What about you?
D: First of all, solid choice there. “Améthyste” is definitely a highlight track. Secondly, I’d say my personal fave is “Flamme Jumelle”. It’s a bit less metal riff and blast beat-oriented than the other tracks on the album, and the way it blends melancholic undertones and uplifting moods is just incredibly addictive. I’d say it’s similar to “Komorebi” in the way it takes its cues from Souvenirs… and Shelter, so it was a given that I’d be into it. And with the accompanying music video… how was I not to be smitten? “Flamme Jumelle” also bleeds perfectly into the piano/vocal interlude “Réminiscence”, which was a welcome surprise upon first listen. I did not expect an extended, completely guitar-less moment on Les Chants de L’Aurore.
As an aside: is it just me, or is Neige leaning into his full-on weeb mode with this record? Japanese song titles, narration, even the imagery is loosely connected to the land of the rising sun. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. What’s your take on this?
J: I think you’re right. There’s definite tones of homage that are subtle and some that are not so subtle and I think it adds a nice layer to the whole thing. Again, I think it’s pretty damn balanced even on this front in keeping with literally every other part of the album. I really think that’s the story here: balance. I’m finding that I have very few gripes with this album, what about you?
D: Honestly? None. Zero. I went into this with high expectations, and Alcest delivered on them like the rent was due. From the music to the visual presentation to the themes and meanings hidden within this record, I’m 100% satisfied with the end result Neige and Winterhalter have presented us with this time around. You did mention very few gripes, specifically; what would those be, if I may ask?
J: My only real gripe here is that the second half of album feels a little weaker and the first half in that we get the interlude (of sorts) and the closer is also pretty subdued and while it makes sense in terms of the story and arc of the album, I think those first four songs are some of the best stuff I’ve heard from them, so just by contrast the other three are great but don’t have quite the same punch. That’s it, small thing. It really is an album that I want to turn up and open the windows and smell clean linens and all that. I’m basically describing a laundry detergent commercial but that’s my truth.
D: I can see where you’re coming from. While I personally didn’t detect a drop in intensity after “Réminiscence”, there’s definitely potential for that observation to ring true.
So, in order to properly wrap this up, what are your final thoughts on Les Chants de L’Aurore?
J: To put a bow on my thoughts, this is quite possibly already my favorite Alcest album. This is what I have wanted from them for a while now: a beautiful, balanced record that leads with its heart but doesn’t dull any edges to accomplish that. It’s pensive, aggressive, beautiful, and captivating.
D: I’m inclined to agree. It’s definitely up there in the Alcest pantheon, and I’m glad it turned out the way it did.
