Weekly album: Alcest - Kodama

Alcest - Kodama

2016 / Blackgaze, shoegaze, dream pop

1. Kodama

2. Eclosion

3. Je suis d'ailleurs

4. Untouched

5. Oiseaux de proie

6. Onyx

7. Notre sang et nos pensées

tp5170: I was simply delighted when it became clear that Kodama was not going to be a continuation to the band's previous album, Shelter. Not that Shelter was a bad album, but stripping the music entirely of black metal elements was an innovation that didn't really work for me. 

Style wise Kodama instead continues right from where 'Les voyages de l'âme' left it and it works absolutely beautifully. Though, I have to admit that even I was slightly shocked about the lack of surprises on the first spin, but at the same time this was exactly what I was hoping for - a glorious return to the older sound and that's just what Kodama has to offer.

It doesn't really change the formulae of the older albums, but it makes up for the lack of innovation with superior execution. It's the little things here and there that tighten the album as a whole and make Kodama one of the band's more enjoyable releases.

Orostider: Alcest, the dreamy blackgazers of France managed to cause quite an uproar with their previous album 'Shelter' by disregarding the previously present black metal elements. Even though I am not as fond of 'Shelter' as I am of the first three albums, I did enjoy it, but hearing the news about the return of the black metal elements made me happy. Spinning 'Kodama' for the first time felt quite anxious due to my high expectations.

'Shelter' leaned more towards the dream pop and shoegaze sides of Alcest and many feared that the cold shrieks of Neige were long lost. The first track is once again free of the shrieks as seems to be the pattern. 'Souveniers d'un Autre Monde' lacked the shrieks completely, but both 'Écailles de Lune' and 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' started to have shrieks after the first song. Not sure if this is intentional, but it seems to work quite well. The vocals in general are just an instrument among the others, but on Alcest's albums the usage of vocals as another instrument seems to be distinct. This is not an awful thing at all in my opinion, because Neige's vocals, both clean and harsh, are top quality as usual. 

The rest of the album doesn't really surprise me, which actually was sort of a disappointment. 'Shelter' was enjoyable due to its freshness among Alcest's discography and I hoped for something unexpected from 'Kodama.' Black metal influenced shoegaze and dream pop was what Alcest did in the past and now they have returned to it. Once again, this is not a bad thing, but 'Kodama' fails to convince me that it offers something new. It's a solid album and it can easily be compared to 'Les Voyages De L'Âme' and some people would definitely choose 'Kodama' as the winner. 

Steering clear of making such decisions is what I do, but I can say this: 'Kodama' is a wonderful addition to the discography of Alcest and I will probably spin it several times like I've done with the rest of the albums. Despite the fact that it is a damn good album, it still could have given something more: something new. I'm also glad that Alcest returned to blackgaze because they seem to know the drill, but I would also be happy if they released another album with different material. 

Favourite track: 'Eclosion'

btcarey: This was my first Alcest album so it was pretty cool to get a feel for the band from a completely outside perspective.  “Kodama” was a pleasant break from my normal listening agenda and I must say the calm, relaxed mood of the album was a nice change. While Alcest is generally classified as blackgaze I really don’t see the similarities with the blackgaze bands I’m familiar with (which is pretty few). “Kodama” is a peaceful, smooth piece of work that many people from an even non-metal background could really dig. This being said, there are a few moments where you can recognize Alcest’s alleged black metal roots. Screeched vocals occasionally seep into the music but are done with such a subtle grace that it feels completely natural in this tranquil atmosphere. With a light drum mix and plenty of echo the album is a hypnotizing piece that can make for some excellent background music on a calm night.

Favorite Track: “Eclosion”