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Alcest is a French band from Bagnols-sur-Cèze, founded and led by Stéphane Paut, known as Neige. It originated in 2000 as a black metal solo project by Neige. The project became a trio, but members Aegnor and Argoth left after the release of their first demo in 2001, leaving Neige as the sole member. From 2005 onward, Neige incorporated elements of shoegaze and post-metal into the sound. In 2009, Winterhalter, drummer of Les Discrets, joined Alcest after eight years as Neige's full-time collaborator. The band has released seven studio albums and three EPs. Their 2014 album Shelter marked a shift towards a shoegaze sound, while their 2016 album Kodama returned to a blackgaze style. Alcest is credited with pioneering the blackgaze or post-black metal genre, particularly with their 2005 EP Le secret.