Alcest Drop the “Black” from “Blackgaze” in New Song “Opale”

Alcest have all but ceased being a metal band. Not that they didn’t warn you this was coming. Band mastermind Neige had the following to say last year about the new music he was working on at the time: “I don’t think there are any metal music elements anymore, though a lot of very intense parts and dynamics are still there.” And not that this is a bad thing, at all. Alcest are still a fantastic band… they’ve just completed the transformation from “blackgaze” to full-on shoegaze. This is the point at which many a metalhead will probably object to seeing this band covered on a metal site, but c’mon, how can you turn them away when they’re writing tunes this catchy?

And so: here’s a new Alcest track and video called “Opale” via Stereogum. The shimmering guitars are absolutely infectious, and the video provides the perfect visual accompaniment. New album Shelter, set for release in January 2014, was helmed by Sigur Rós producer Birgir Jón Birgisson, and you can definitely hear that in the recording. Check it out on Stereogum or below (if the embed ever gets turned on).