Alcatraz Line up: 2018

Can a band deliver a death blow with heart-rending post black metal and still have a dreamlike, ethereal and almost introverted quality? Have a listen to Alcest before you answer this question. The French band of frontman Neige centres around the man’s youth in which he dreamt of a parallel world full of light that simultaneously evoked melancholy and wonder. Twenty years later these feelings are as vibrantly alive as ever. More even, Neige has succeeded in channelling them into this music and thus sharing them with the world at large. Especially over the last few years, Alcest has developed from an interesting yet modest draw into a prominent band that even embarked on a hugely successful Chinese tour. Although early fans may prefer ‘Écailles de Lune’ or ‘Les Voyages de l’Âme’, their most recent album ‘Kodama’ is still a tour de force that combines the best of their early work with their later shoegaze leanings. Alcest offers spiritual sanctuary if you’re looking to take a break from the day’s uncompromising metal mayhem.