French Post-Metal royalty Alcest are often credited with being one of pioneers of the Blackgaze sound, the fusion of melodic atmospheric Shoegaze with blasts of phrenetic Black Metal. In 2010 they released their second album Ėcailles de Lune which is widely considered as a landmark release in the sub-genre, and now thirteen years later Alcest have taken the decision to commemorate the record with a European tour and shows based around the release.
Joining them for the road-trip which started in their native France and rolled through Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia and Poland on it’s way to England is The Devil’s Trade, the experimental Doomy Folk Post-Metal solo project of Hungarian multi-instrumentalist Dávid Makó. And while Alcest were looking to the past by performing a set from their vintage album, The Devil’s Trade had a new record of material to dip into, with Vidékek Vannak Idebenn released this summer on Season of Mist.
They took to the stage with the imposing presence of Makó joined by a touring drummer and synth player. And the trio delivered an absolute treat for the largely unsuspecting Brighton crowd as Makó let rip with his soaring clean vocal style, sometimes singing in English and sometimes in his native tongue, which made for a captivating and memorable performance.
The Devil’s Trade delivered a number of brooding melodic songs which generally slow-burn their way through to a thunderous crescendo of heavier chaos, with ‘Liminal’ from the new record a perfect case in point. An absolute stand out song from a strong set, delivered with an exquisite sound and tone which certainly won the band some new fans on the UK’s south coast.
After a short interval Alcest took to the stage with a rapturous applause from a stacked crowd who were clearly knowledgable and passionate about the cult French band. The four members stood motionless and let a soundscape of crashing waves build tension in the room, before the opening bars of ‘Ėcailles de Lune’ rang through the venue with frontman Neige flanked by Zero on lead guitar and bassist Indria.
Every now and then the vocals of Neige would shift from beautifully soulful crooning into Black Metal screams, but are always delivered with a subtle nuance, while sitting deep in the mix allowing the sweeping instrumentals to always be at the forefront of the Alcest sound.
Their 90 minute set encompassed their 2010 album as well as select cuts from their wider catalogue, largely staying in the realms of the Shoegaze element of their style, and with the biggest cheer of the night coming with their perfect delivery of the hypnotic and devilishly catchy ‘Percées De Lumière’. KZ
Words // Pictures // Videos by Abstrakt_Soul
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