The French black metal band Alcest was established in 2000 by the already established artist known as Neige. Initially, Neige was joined by Argoth and Aegnor, and the trio released a debut 4-track demo tape in 2001. The EP, Tristesse Hivernale, garnered Alcest some attention, but soon thereafter Aegnor and Argoth left the group, making Alcest a solo endeavor for Neige.
Neige forged forward with Alcest, releasing the follow-up EP Le Secret in 2005. Le Secret brought Alcest to the attention of Prophecy Productions, and after signing a recording contract with the company, Alcest released the debut album Souvenirs d’un autre monde in 2007. Souvenirs was followed by Ecailles de Lune (2010) and Les Voyages de l’Ame (2012.)
Alcest was recently joined by drummer Winterhalter in 2009 to make the band a duo. The band continues to perform and record, and most recently released the album Shelter, in 2014.
