Alcest: Best album to start with?

[LuminousAether]

Sure but normally when this happens there is something you like about the album and you are compelled to listen to it again and again and as you do you start to better appreciate it. You are intrigued by the music in the album. This didn't happen to me with Alcest, yet it did happen to me recently with The Mantle from Agalloch.

This isn't really true for me. Sometimes, I absolutely loathe the album, delete it, approach it again a year or so later, still hate it, approach it again further down the road and fall in love with it, such as the Modest Mouse album "The Moon & Antarctica."

That said, I wouldn't really recommend Alcest to most metalheads. It's not very metal. I tend to recommend Alcest to fans of bands like Jesu and Red House Painters. I got a friend of mine that loves Red House Painters into Alcest, for instance.

This is Red House Painters for clarification:

 

[Krow]

Fans of black metal in general seem to not notice alcest isnt black metal at all. It's shoegaze and damn good shoegaze with just a slight black metal tinge.

 

[rms]

What are some bands similiar to Alcest's debut? I have loved Souvenirs for many a years now, but haven't found anything quite like it.

 

[LuminousAether]

Get this compilation:

The band most similar to Alcest that I've heard is probably Heretoir. Also, Neige's group Amesoeurs was fairly similar to Alcest at times, but maybe more similar to Asobi Seksu at other times. Might want to check out Les Discrets. Fursy, the guy behind Les Discrets, has played with Alcest on stage and was a member of Amesoeurs. He also does all the artwork for Alcest.

Also, Neige did a side project with Drudkh called Old Silver Key that was alright. Nothing too special, but worth a listen or two.

 

[Krow]

Les Discrets would be my recommendation as well. Alcest is just unique though. They play shoegaze that's reminiscent of black metal. Most black metal/shoegaze bands just play one for a while then the other. Alcest blends its to a point other shoegaze bands and blackgaze bands dont want to, I think

 

[TheInsane]

This isn't really true for me. Sometimes, I absolutely loathe the album, delete it, approach it again a year or so later, still hate it, approach it again further down the road and fall in love with it, such as the Modest Mouse album "The Moon & Antarctica."

Yes and no. I think there must be something in the music that does compell me but I do have the same feeling as you. The best example for me atm is Tool. I was in the car with my band years ago and our vocalist put on some Tool album and I really didnt get the hype. I actually thought it was pretty bad. Over the following eyars I found myself trying them out again and again however with mixed results. Now I love their style. This is one of the more extreme example where it has litterally taken me several years to appreciate a bands music. Usually it goes a little faster than that

 

[Goffdahl]

The band most similar to Alcest that I've heard is probably Heretoir. Also, Neige's group Amesoeurs was fairly similar to Alcest at times, but maybe more similar to Asobi Seksu at other times. Might want to check out Les Discrets. Fursy, the guy behind Les Discrets, has played with Alcest on stage and was a member of Amesoeurs. He also does all the artwork for Alcest.

Also, Neige did a side project with Drudkh called Old Silver Key that was alright. Nothing too special, but worth a listen or two.

You speak the truth. Not many people know Heretoir! Also, for people who do like this style, try out Thränenkind.

 

[KafkaX]

^ Awesome reccomedation, love Thränenkind!

 

[LuminousAether]

The Heretoir / Thranenkind split was pretty great. Love Graue Bauten even though it sounds like a lost Alcest track.

 

[EspaDa]

So, generally, is Alcest worth listening? There are many opinions on this band and I see they are pretty different.

 

[rms]

I have no idea what kind of music you like, but they create some good music on their debut album.

 

[EspaDa]

Well, surely I don't want to get bored. I think I can't stand clean vocals through the entire album, and when I tried some songs from their newest Les Voyages de l'Âme, it didn't surprise me in any kind.