Even in the clandestine universe of metal, there are few styles more dogmatic than Black Metal. Bands are forever being shouted down for not being true (or “cvlt”) enough. People have ever been murdered over it, as was the case with Mayhem’s Oystein Aarseth in 1993 by fellow band member Varg Vikernes. It is probably due to the bat-shit crazy antics of the scene that in the 21st century there are certain acts that are attempting to distance themselves from the genre’s Norwegian roots. This can be something as simple as actually being able to read the band’s name on their album cover – as extreme metal bands are notoriously unintelligible – to dressing like normal people, or deconstructing the rigid “rules” of the genre. Bands like Liturgy, Horseback, Fen, and Nachtmystium have made a career out of making Black Metal sound new and fun to be around.
You might well start listening to Les Voyages De L’Ame and wonder why on earth I am talking about Black Metal. Well, apparently that is how the French band Alcest started out their musical life although you might be hard pressed to hear it on this album, at least at first. As it lead-off track ‘Autre Temps’ is more likely to be found on a Smashing Pumpkins album than from anyone who was ever described as “Black Metal”. Neige’s Vocals are cooed tenderly under rolling blankets of shoe-gaze fuzz. But metal cannot be ignored so easily. Second track ‘Là Où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles’ appears to carry on seamlessly from the first until you hear a muffled, but audible, scorched-earth howl. Then along come the harsh rasped singing and even subdued blast beats from drummer Winterhalter. However none of this is not meant to scare you off. It is merely a ruse to lure you into their world with pleasant sonics and warm you up to the idea that things are going to get heavy in here. Even still, some will recoil from a song like ‘Faiseurs De Mondes’ that wears its extreme roots very near the surface.
The heaviest song is (quite ironically) ‘Beings Of Light’, having a prolonged rock-out bridge that demands a physical reaction from its audience. It is still ethereal and stirring, just in a more visceral way. The musical constant here is the swarm of uplifting guitars that cloak every song. They are an unwavering motif in what is otherwise a very challenging (but rewarding) record. Les Voyages De L’Ame is more an album for music lovers to springboard into the heavier end of metal than for metal heads to kick back and chill out to. It can be likened to an enthralling journey through uncharted lands. There are signposts around to clue you into where you are going but the destination is a mystery. As an album it is a striking depiction of its title - a journey of the soul – through a vividly realised vision of heaven and hell.
Rating: B+
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