10 Greatest Black Metal Albums Of The 21st Century

With this list featuring such destructive forces as Marduk and Watain, it feels bizarre to describe any entry here as “beautiful”. But that’s exactly what Alcest’s Les Voyages de l’Âme is.

One of the leading names in the same post-blackened niche that Deafheaven and Sólstafir specialise in, Alcest bring their pioneering style of ambient metal from the gorgeous south of France. What drives their ethereal third album above all else is a patient and consistent flow, letting each of its eight lengthy tracks segue effortlessly into the next. It also represents a stylistic fusion for Alcest, mixing the shoegaze-inspired overtones of their 2007 debut Souvenirs d’un autre monde with the heavier display of follow-up Écailles de Lune. Thus, Les Voyages de l’Âme is Alcest’s magnum opus, building upon and uniting the two biggest attributes of the band’s instantly identifiable style.

Frontman Neige’s singing and screaming only add to this album’s enigmatic brilliance, delivering his vocals entirely in French. This, along with the dulcet tones of Alcest’s patient and heavenly music, gives Les Voyages de l’Âme an aura of mystery, begging to be heard again and again before a listener can decipher it.