Spiritual Instinct

Album review

Some people may have been worrying (and legitimately so) about Alcest’s future after they left their historic label Prophecy Productions to sign with Nuclear Blast, a huge metal label. Would the group from Bagnols-sur-Cèze keep their purity? With Spiritual Instinct, Alcest prove that administrative changes have little effect on their music. Alcest’s signature sound (one that alternates between blinding clarity and total darkness) is pushed to its limits here, showing that the duo has not lost any of their originality and identity. Their unique “blackgaze” is alive and well and the nuances are even more pronounced than before. When the light comes, it is only after having crossed the most desperate darkness first (L’Île aux morts, Spiritual Instinct). Alcest does not sit back and relax and they know how to surprise their audience, such as by integrating influences of folk into their music (Le Miroir, based on a poem by Charles Van Lerberghe) or using extremely rich compositions on certain tracks by stacking up multiple melodies and atmospheres (L’Île aux morts). They continue their journey while enriching their sound, and it seems like no one can stop them. © Théo Roumier/Qobuz