Alcest

Alcest is a French duo led by Neige (Stéphane Paut), who started the project in Bagnols-sur-Cèze in 2000 and went on to help define "blackgaze", pairing shoegaze's washed-out guitars and soft vocals with black metal's tremolo picking and blast beats. After a straightforward black metal demo, Tristesse hivernale, in 2001, Neige reshaped the project into something more melodic and dreamlike, and that shift is what the band built its reputation on. Live, the records' dense, layered textures are rebuilt by a full touring band, so it suits listeners who want post-rock-style atmosphere with some heaviness behind it.