Download 2019 Countdown : 22. Alcest, The Dogtooth Stage on Sunday, 16:50 - 17:20
Put aside your assumption of sexually oppressed Norwegians in corpse paint and battle armour as in the right hands Black Metal is a highly emotive and passionate art form. French duo Alcest make exquisitely beautiful music that soars with a euphoric intensity. Their launch pad is Black Metal but they take it far far away from its satanic obsessions and instead deconstruct it so that its other worldly grandeur is at the forefront. This is fragile atmospheric music that beckons you to become lost amongst it's soaring complexity. They probably will only get half an hour but believe me this will be the most life affirming and uplifting half hour you will find at Download.
By Stewart Lucas