Les Voyages de l'âme
Alcest · 2012
50 min · 8 tracks · black metal
Ethereal soundscapes intertwine with haunting melodies, merging black metal intensity with a dreamlike ambiance.
Top tracks — play these first
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Autre temps — This opening track encapsulates the album's blend of heavy guitar riffs and airy melodies, setting the tone for the ethereal journey ahead.
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Les Voyages de l’âme — The title track weaves intricate layers of sound, showcasing Alcest's ability to evoke deep emotions through both aggression and serenity.
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Beings of Light — With its celestial themes and expansive sound, this track captures the essence of transcendence that permeates the album.
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Là où naissent les couleurs nouvelles — This piece combines ethereal vocals with robust instrumentation, illustrating the seamless transition between beauty and heaviness characteristic of Alcest's style.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album blends black metal intensity with ethereal soundscapes, creating a unique listening experience.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a lengthy track that gradually builds from soft, ethereal guitar layers to intense black metal sections, setting a dynamic contrast.
- Several tracks incorporate atmospheric interludes that create a dreamlike quality, allowing for moments of reflection amidst the heavier passages.
- Composition 25% of the score
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8/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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7/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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8/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- long, immersive listening sessions
- dynamic emotional journeys
- wave-like pacing and flow
- atmospheric background focus
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released on January 6, 2012, Les Voyages de l'âme is Alcest's third studio album, following their acclaimed 2010 record Écailles de Lune. At this point in their career, Alcest was solidifying their unique fusion of shoegaze and black metal, establishing themselves as pioneers of the 'blackgaze' genre.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Les Discrets· Agalloch· Deafheaven
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Autre temps 5:50
- 2 Là où naissent les couleurs nouvelles 8:50
- 3 Les Voyages de l’âme 6:59
- 4 Nous sommes l’émeraude 4:20
- 5 Beings of Light 6:11
- 6 Faiseurs de mondes 7:57
- 7 Havens 2:10
- 8 Summer’s Glory 8:05
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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