The French post-black metal band Alcest is the pioneer of blackgaze, the combination of black metal and shoegaze that is as intense as it is meditative. Frontman Stéphane 'Neige' Phaut and drummer Jean 'Winterhalter' Deflandre form the core of Alcest, which has now been around for 26 years and has released seven albums – their sound has evolved over the years from black metal to pure shoegaze and back again. Alcest recorded their latest album, Les Chants De L'Aurore (2024), like a band from the seventies: all together in a large house converted into a studio. Live on stage, the duo expands into a four-piece band!