ALCEST

Alcest () is a French post-black metal band from Bagnols-sur-Cèze, founded and led by Neige (Stéphane Paut). It began in 2000 as a black metal solo project by Neige, then became a trio, but members Aegnor and Argoth left the band following the 2001 release of their first demo, leaving Neige as the sole member. Neige began incorporating elements of shoegaze and post-metal into the project's sound from 2005 onwards. In 2009, drummer Winterhalter from Les Discrets joined Alcest, after eight years with Neige as its sole full-time member. Since its creation, Alcest has released seven studio albums and three EPs. Their fourth album, 2014's Shelter, marked a shift towards a distinctly shoegaze sound, while their subsequent album Kodama (2016) returned to their earlier blackgaze sound. Alcest is widely credited with pioneering the blackgaze/post-black metal genre, particularly with their 2005 EP Le secret.