ALCEST — Shelter (review)

ALCEST — Shelter album cover Album · 2014 · Non-Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Primeval Scum
Some really beautiful stuff from Neige yet again

A lot of people are criticizing Shelter for being "boring" or are simply disappointed about the lack of metal. What many of you fail to realize is that the black metal influence was never what made Alcest special. Neige has a unique gift for crafting dreamy, majestic soundscapes and melodies that caress your soul. Shelter is no exception. All traces of metal are absent, but that same essential Alcest spirit is still there. As such, I have no qualms about the direction the band is taking.

This is a very soothing album, one you can get lost in. Perfect music to listen to in bed at night before you recede into dreamland. Granted, there are a few filler tracks and a bit of saminess in the middle (accounting for the 3.5 score) but there are also several songs that Alcest has knocked out of the park.

The special-edition bonus track "Into the Waves" was my favorite of the new songs. It's a shame that many people don't even know it exists. It has a sound unlike any other on the album, so look this song up if you missed it the first time around.

Favorites: Opale, La nuit marche avec moi, Away, Into the Waves
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