A Resplendent Merging of Black Metal and Shoegaze - 95%

Alcest cailles De Lune

http://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Alcest/%C3%89cailles_de_lune/262974/FuneralDoomed23/186558
I have only listened to "Ecailles de lune" about three or four times now, I never heard music so beautiful and
dreamlike yet with tinges of a lingering lonesomeness and pain. There is an extreme sense of longing in this album.
Neige really is a talented musician to be able to incorporate the dichotomies of black metal with new age, post-rock
and shoegaze. It is such a unique idea for a metal album, and it turns out it is absolutely astonishing.
I have been having a real hard time trying to find that one album that really makes me think about everything before
me as well as ahead. So many memories immediately made themselves known after listening to the tracks off of
"Ecailles de lune". The one-two punch of "Ecailles de Lune (Part 1 and 2)" are so mesmerizing, images of the loved
ones of my past felt like they entered the room with me and sat there with me listening to these two tracks. Though
there is a sense of anger and pain in these two tracks as well, the rasps Neige incorporated in Part 2 were very
sudden, and chilling like something very dark and terrible bubbled to the surface. I feel pain is like that, there are
those ethereal vocal jaunts he uses to show that maybe he really loved and cared for someone, but the rasps showed
the pain that the said person caused him.
The other tracks on this album have their own poignant/nostalgic elements and beautiful parts; the track "Percess De
Lumiere" is probably the most "metal" sounding song there is some great uptempo beautiful riffs on this song, this
song invokes a feeling of driving down a highway in the mountains with the full moon high in the sky, you can see
the cascading peaks speed by and you can see memories speed by like flash photography, little snippets of faces.
laughs, and voices of people who entered or left your life. Then we come to the track "Abysses" I wish this song
wasn't in the album it kind of ruins the flow of the music, I wish Neige could of done another great full song here
instead of making it a bridge to "Solar Song" it also seems to counter with the rest of the themes found in the album,
it sounded like something Leviathan would do, not Alcest. "Abysses" is the reason why I gave this a 95 instead of a
100.
The last two tracks are really interesting, "Solar Song" is gorgeous and when you hear it, it hearkens back to a song
"My Bloody Valentine" would of done. The shoegaze element is most prominent in this track. When I listened to
"Solar Song" it brought such a catharsis to myself, all the stresses of life and work just disappeared for a brief
moment in time. The vocals soar like wind , and the guitar riffing drones on in a beautiful controlled manner. The
last track " Sur L'Ocean Couleur De Fer " is probably the most interesting, and complete song, there are elements of
folk, new age, post rock, black metal all put into one monstrous track. When I heard it it reminded me of a longer
version of Draconian's track "Akherousia" I could picture journeying into a different realm, beyond the ocean,
beyond everything. If the most vivid dreams I ever had were put into music this would be the song.
Alcest has given the metal world a beautiful album to listen to. There is nothing else like it that I have heard. I think
anyone from any musical leaning would find some appreciation for "Ecailles de lune" there is just something
everyone can get from this album in some way or another. I hope Neige continues to grow and develop as a
musician because he really has a unique idea that can definitely be stretched to infinite possibilities. It really sounds
like he is putting his whole heart and soul into this album, like he did in "Souvenirs D'un Autre Monde" and I hope
he continues to make excellent albums.

US Black Metal at it's Best! - 92%

Wolves in the Throne Room Black Cascade
http://www.metalarchives.com/reviews/Wolves_in_the_Throne_Room/Black_Cascade/226080/FuneralDoomed23/186558
The essence of Wolves in the Throne Rooms new opus Black Cascade is (in the most lay-man terms possible) the
voice, the soul, and the heart of Mother Earth. Mother Earth is beautiful, cold, angry, hypnotic, peaceful, and vast
and unyielding. These adjectives personify the music Wolves in the Throne Room convey in this record. I have
never listened to a modern black metal album with such ferocity, yet beauty. The guitars are unrelenting, buzzsaw
like, yet thick and resonate like the deep wilds of the natural world. Nathan Weaver shrieks, and screams with such a
passion that it would break the heart of the Earth goddess. I have never heard such pain, anger and disappointment in
a black metal vocalist since Varg Vierkenes.
The foundation of the Earth is the crust, without it mankind would be spinning into the cold black of space; Aaron
Weaver is the key that keeps Wolves in the Throne Room from oblivion. I will say outright that he is the best black
metal drummer of the modern black metal movement, he is the Hellhammer of a new generation. I have never heard
such talent and absolute crushing heaviness in a long, long time. The beats he keeps for minutes on end are catchy,
thought provoking, and filled with such ferocity. The thing I love most about Wolves in the Throne Room is the
drumming hands down it just moves me in such a way that it is impossible to explain. A perfect example of this
would be in the song Ahrimanic Trance about seven minutes into the song when the melodic guitar riff kicks in
and he lays out blast beats that are so unlike a normal death metal blast beat, it just is uncanny how creative he gets
with that part in the song, and when he includes the ridiculous cymbal work among the blast beats it becomes total
ear candy. And I could not help but stomp my feet, attempting to match that speed.
My thoughts about each song on the album:
1. Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog- This song is a great introduction to the album, the guitars are melodious thick
and heavy, and the song goes through so many moods and atmospheres, from dark, droning, and repetitious to more
hopeful and peaceful sounding. I would give this track a 10/10 because the lead at the end of the song is so powerful
to me.
2. Ahrimanic Trance- Easily the best song on the CD I could listen to this one track over and over again to the
point that I wouldnt be able to hear any more, everything about this song just flows and works so well and the
drumming is astounding, there is so many movements in this song that every emotion I can conjure up just fits. I
especially love the ending were it becomes a ambient drone experience with guitars fading in and out like voices
upon the wind, and the inclusion of peepers in the end easily gives this song a 10/10.
3. Ex Cathedra- Probably the weakest track on the album to me, there is a lot of awesome guitar work and
interesting ideas being done in the song, but it just does not have the same effect on me as the first two tracks do. I
do enjoy the ambient piece done in the middle of the song gives the song an extra punch to not make it completely
skip worthy, my rating for this one is 8/10.
4. Crystal Ammunition- Probably the second best song on the album, I love the guitar work especially. There is so
many unique sounds being put forth in the song from the really cool lead being sprinkled into the endless, relentless
wave of drumming goodness and guitar blissfulness, it just sounds so cool and chill inducing. The passage towards
the end that incorporated folk music with (I believe) female vocals sounds like Mother Earth whispering to the
listener about a world of ancient times, before civilization took hold. My rating 10/10.

Black Cascade is an absolute joy to listen to it is dark, heavy, and hopeful. This CD will be playing in my car for a
long time, much like Two Hunters. I hope Wolves in the Throne Room continue to churn out this music for a long,
long time. One thing I notice about them is that there is a sense that they will always progress much like their
Northwestern counterparts Agalloch, and progression to me is a good thing, because the thirsty ear is always
yearning to listen to music that is ever-changing and unique. This album is a must have for anyone who is interested
in hearing a different take on the black metal genre. Wolves in the Throne Room are among the best when it comes
to modern black metal.