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Alcest - Les Voyages De L'âme



8.2 | 574 votes |
Release date: 6 January 2012
Style: Shoegaze , Atmospheric black metal

Owners:

463 have it
52 want it


01. Autre Temps
02. Là Où Naissent Les Couleurs Nouvelles
03. Les Voyages De L'âme
04. Nous Sommes L'emeraude
05. Beings Of Light
06. Faiseurs De Mondes
07. Havens
08. Summer's Glory

The best Melodic Black Metal / Metalgaze album of 2012

Line-up
Jean "Winterhalter" Deflandre - drums
Stéphane "Neige" Paut - vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards

Additional info
Les Voyages De L'âme (The Journeys Of The Soul) release dates:
- Germany/Austria: January 6, 2012
- Europe: January 9, 2012
- North America: January 31, 2012
- World: January 9, 2012

Formats:
- CD
- Digipak CD
- Limited art book-CD/DVD
- Limited gatefold LP with alternative cover artwork and in two different colours (black and white)

Recorded by Markus Stock at Klangschmiede Studio E.
Mixed and mastered by Neb Xort at Drudenhaus Studio.

Cover art by Fursy Teyssier.
Design by Valnoir for Metastazis.

Produced by MK for Prophecy Productions.

Staff review by
Troy Killjoy
Rating:
7.5
Over the course of the past few years, Neige has been not-so-quietly making a name for himself in the black metal scene, working his way through the likes of Mortifera and Peste Noire before contributing to - perhaps - his first real "experiment": Amesoeurs. An experiment that ended in name only...

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published 05.01.2012 | Comments (96)

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Comments: 119   Visited by: 1291 users
05.01.2012 - 01:27
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Milena on 05.01.2012 at 01:23
No, I'm just saying that it's a part of a personal preference, since my brain tries desperately to "fill in the blanks" made by muffled sound even when I doze off and not think about it. I'm aware that not everyone wants to have sparkly clean production and that it can be used for artistic purposes, but it's one of the things I so far haven't gotten used to in metal.

I haven't listened to this yet but the Lune had an incredibly clean production by my ears.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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05.01.2012 - 01:28
Rating: 7
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Milena on 05.01.2012 at 01:23

No, I'm just saying that it's a part of a personal preference, since my brain tries desperately to "fill in the blanks" made by muffled sound even when I doze off and not think about it. I'm aware that not everyone wants to have sparkly clean production and that it can be used for artistic purposes, but it's one of the things I so far haven't gotten used to in metal.


Well I'm not saying that all albums should have raw production, just every production to every album. I sincerely can't imagine Le Secret with the same production as, I dunno... a Dream Theatre album, that would be insane if you ask me. Same goes the other way around
Dealing with the production is easily the hardest task for any person to get into most extreme metal if you ask me. With harsh vocals behind.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 05.01.2012 at 01:27
I haven't listened to this yet but the Lune had an incredibly clean production by my ears.

She was talking about Le Secret, at least I'm pretty sure she was talking about Le Secret
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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05.01.2012 - 01:31
Rating: 7
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by X-Ray Rod on 05.01.2012 at 01:28
She was talking about Le Secret, at least I'm pretty sure she was talking about Le Secret

Oh, well... in that case, it's not as clean as it could be.

Fuck that though, go listen to the demo. That shit's raw.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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05.01.2012 - 01:32
Rating: 6
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Troy Killjoy on 05.01.2012 at 01:27

I haven't listened to this yet but the Lune had an incredibly clean production by my ears.

I was talking just about Le Secret... that's what I get for drifting off I guess

Written by X-Ray Rod on 05.01.2012 at 01:28

Dealing with the production is easily the hardest task for any person to get into most extreme metal if you ask me. With harsh vocals behind.

Harsh vocals are pretty awesome, and the production is more of an annoyance and less an obstacle. It's the lack of time, LOADS of other shit to listen to and the abundance of stuff to tackle in extreme metal that stops me from delving into it further.
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7.0 means the album is good
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05.01.2012 - 01:36
Rating: 7
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Milena on 05.01.2012 at 01:32
and the production is more of an annoyance and less an obstacle.


That's my point... Most of those albums would be WAY more annoying with clean production. It would sound incredibly awkward even for the penguin.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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05.01.2012 - 01:37
Rating: 6
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by X-Ray Rod on 05.01.2012 at 01:36

That's my point... Most of those albums would be WAY more annoying with clean production. It would sound incredibly awkward.

I never saw it that way I guess
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7.0 means the album is good
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05.01.2012 - 03:29
Rating: 9
tea[m]ster
Au Pays Natal
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:51

I gave up at track 3.


Serious? You are scarying me! Is this anything like Ecailles? I love that album!
----
rekt
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05.01.2012 - 14:46
Rating: 6
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by tea[m]ster on 05.01.2012 at 03:29

You are scarying me! Is this anything like Ecailles?

Just like Troy said, this is a lot more melodic and also beautiful, but its beauty is completely artificial and it's yawn-inducing.
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7.0 means the album is good
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05.01.2012 - 15:03
Kenos
Account deleted
Written by Milena on 05.01.2012 at 14:46

its beauty is completely artificial and it's yawn-inducing.


You. Nailed. It.
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05.01.2012 - 15:56
Rating: 6
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Guest on 05.01.2012 at 15:03

You. Nailed. It.

No, Troy nailed it
Looking at your posts, I cannot help but feel some sympathy for you as a fan, that is exactly how I felt when a certain band dropped a turd of an album last year which I've aldreay mentioned in at least 300 (not making it up) of my posts so I shall not speak of it ever again
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7.0 means the album is good
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05.01.2012 - 16:01
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Milena on 05.01.2012 at 15:56

No, Troy nailed it
Looking at your posts, I cannot help but feel some sympathy for you as a fan, that is exactly how I felt when a certain band dropped a turd of an album last year which I've aldreay mentioned in at least 300 (not making it up) of my posts so I shall not speak of it ever again


Opeth? Dream Theater?
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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05.01.2012 - 16:13
Rating: 6
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 05.01.2012 at 16:01

Opeth? Dream Theater?

Dream Theater ofc. I don't harbor a lot of love for Opeth... they always manage to put me to sleep so I haven't finished a single album of theirs.
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7.0 means the album is good
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05.01.2012 - 16:20
Rating: 7
R'Vannith
ghedengi
I enjoyed Alcest's first album if it's anything like that I should be in for a treat. Nice album cover also.
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05.01.2012 - 23:32
Rating: 8
The Benighted

Not as good as the last two, but still extremely consistent and solid throughout. I'd give it an 8.5, having listened to it a good 3 or 4 times. I might adjust the score after giving it some more listens. There's definitely quite a bit of beauty to take in here.
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Learn to adapt to the change, or get washed away like tears in the rain.
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06.01.2012 - 17:15
Rating: 8
BaneConall
Fart Enthusiast
I thought it was pretty enjoyable. Not really understanding what people have against it.
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06.01.2012 - 17:32
Rating: 7
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 06.01.2012 at 03:40

Oh spiritual being, how I 'regret' ordering the deluxe version. Well, I guess I just don't do the same thing with the new Les Discrets (sorry Fursy). If Neige is happy with this... then fine.


Which is why I usually don't take risk and listen to the album before. I will end up buying a fancy edition if I get the chance anyway, I like the cover.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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07.01.2012 - 21:51
Rating: 8
Yugosaki

Solid album
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaEBpRWr2IA
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08.01.2012 - 14:28
Rating: 9
Behdaad
DEAD
Finally...

At first: I liked it.

I listened to their last 2 albums in a very bad situation. I was deeply depressed and amazingly I liked those 2.
I deeply "touched" the music.
I don't speak French, but I got the feeling behind the music.

Thank you Neige. Thank you Alcest.
----
As tyranny becomes normality;
We hang at the end of the rope.
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10.01.2012 - 13:54
Kenos
Account deleted
I'd like to send a review of this album, but I already wrote it as a comment on my RYM page and I don't want to risk a permanent ban. So I'm just sharing it here.

--- Memories of another world. Sadly.

I didn't demand another masterpiece: Alcest is surely not the kind of band you would expect to make a revolution/evolution; but, now that I come to think of it, "Le Secret" (2005) and the renowned "Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde" (2007), thanks to those unusual yet very suggestive post-rock and/or shoegaze influences, did offer something really refreshing to the whole metal scene (particularly black metal) and began an ever-expanding trend followed by a good deal of bands (or clones) that seem to have taken Neige's teachings very seriously, as if he were the only existing source of inspiration. The road to success was wide open.

And indeed, the second album-revelation "Écailles de lune" (2010) has been a great success, being a mature work (although formally flawed) and an excellent synthesis of Alcest's music: nostalgia and euphoria; calmness and despair. Everything was there, despite some kind of déjà-vu that could be justified by the artist's urgency to delve deeper into his own newly experienced poetry. Masterpiece or not, it was obvious that our eternal dreamer would soon end up rehashing the same ideas, verging little by little on sterile mannerism.

Less than two years have passed, and the release of this new album "Les voyages de l'âme" just removes all doubt: Neige has eventually become to all intents and purposes a lazy musician trapped in musical-lyrical clichés that he himself has created and lavished on us: enchanted worlds, diaphane girlies, angelic visions, gleaming paradise, mawkish whining and now we can even add peacocks to the list. Conceptually speaking, for the sake of fans, nothing has changed at all; can't say the same about the music, more and more characterized by a flamboyant elegance that alone isn't enough to save these fitfy minutes of awful, glossy recycling of Alcest's best ideas and riffs. Some may find it pleasant and, yeah, "beautiful" as ever, but this time I'm sorry that it just fails to connect with me.

Here I find everything that sounds Alcest-ish, but just underwhelming rather than sublime; tiresome rather than dreamy. The evocativeness of "Élevation" (best Alcest song) fades into the pathetic charm of "Beings Of Light"; the genuineness of "Souvenirs" is messed up in "Là où naissent les couleurs nouvelles" and "Summer's Glory", both filled with fluffy, dull riffs and tedious meandering. The pure inspiration of "Écailles de lune" seem a vague memory in "Faiseurs de mondes" and title-track, the only good songs of this otherworldly voyage among saccharine cascades and narcissistic whimpers. And, in hindsight, the previously released "Autre Temps" is almost moving with those cute, wishy-washy guitars. Not to mention Neige's entire vocal performance, increasingly distant from emotionality, increasingly similar to a narcoleptic moan.
There's a thin line between dream and snooze, and Alcest is just crossing it.

Everytime I finish listening to "Écailles" or "Souvenirs" I wish they were a bit longer. Well now I can say I've been fully satisfied: "Les voyages de l'âme" is finally the richest and longest Alcest's album to date, and unfortunately I don't think I'll ever find the patience to get through it without stopping three or four times for an insuline drip. I repeat: I didn't demand another masterpiece, and neither I wanted a sludge/noisecore/industrial/avantgarde twist; but such a kitschy, maudlin, self-indulgent, boring album just makes me cry for disappointment. Maybe Alcest is not for me anymore.
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10.01.2012 - 15:11
Rating: 7
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 10.01.2012 at 13:54
Maybe Alcest is not for me anymore.

Just to take off any misunderstandings... With this you are not saying that you aren't going to listen to the other albums youm liked again or what?

Well, I do like the album 7-8 material, probably a 7 if I had to say just one number now but I totally see what's your point so I think you did a pretty good review.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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10.01.2012 - 16:41
Kenos
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 10.01.2012 at 15:11

Written by Guest on 10.01.2012 at 13:54
Maybe Alcest is not for me anymore.

Just to take off any misunderstandings... With this you are not saying that you aren't going to listen to the other albums youm liked again or what?

Well, I do like the album 7-8 material, probably a 7 if I had to say just one number now but I totally see what's your point so I think you did a pretty good review.


Thanks. And no, I don't mean I won't listen to Alcest anymore; I'm saying that if the band will release other material like this, I probably won't like it. Hence I just stick with "Ecailles" and "Le Secret" - "Souvernirs" too is a great album, but strangely I don't often listen to it.
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11.01.2012 - 12:34
Rating: 7
Ag Fox
Angel No More
Written by Guest on 10.01.2012 at 16:41

I just stick with "Ecailles" and "Le Secret" - "Souvernirs" too is a great album, but strangely I don't often listen to it.
snap. thought i was the only one
----
loves 小巫
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11.01.2012 - 18:05
Rating: 9
Behdaad
DEAD
Couldn't find anywhere better than here.
Can someone pronounce the name of the band and albums with phonetic alphabets?
I do not speak French, so I'd like to know how the names are pronounced.
----
As tyranny becomes normality;
We hang at the end of the rope.
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11.01.2012 - 20:48
Kenos
Account deleted
Written by Behdaad on 11.01.2012 at 18:05

Couldn't find anywhere better than here.
Can someone pronounce the name of the band and albums with phonetic alphabets?
I do not speak French, so I'd like to know how the names are pronounced.


Alcest ---> just "Al-sest", not with French pronunciation (that would be something like "Alsé").

As for the titles, it would be a bit difficult to explain the correct pronunciation to someone who never spoke the language -English and French sound different from each other. If you can read the phonemes, I suggest you to look up the words with Wordreference.com (from French to English), like in this case.
Hope that helps.
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14.01.2012 - 05:57
Rating: 6
strade

I'm on the same page as others who were slightly disappointed by this album. Oh, well... I still have faith in Les Discrets.
----
My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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14.01.2012 - 07:00
Rating: 8
Crème fraiche

Written by BaneConall on 06.01.2012 at 17:15

I thought it was pretty enjoyable. Not really understanding what people have against it.


My thoughts exactly.
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14.01.2012 - 13:37
Rating: 8
koob

Tracks 2 and 6 are actually some of the best Alcest songs imo.
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14.01.2012 - 19:17
Rating: 6
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Guest on 10.01.2012 at 13:54

There's a thin line between dream and snooze, and Alcest is just crossing it.

Ah, you nailed it too we're all on a roll here
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7.0 means the album is good
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16.01.2012 - 12:19
elseif

I love the 2nd track.
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18.01.2012 - 07:45
Rating: 8
Víctor

Very good album
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