By Jase Walker
It’s fucking freezing and the trains are all messed up so I’ve had to take a weird diversion but I’ve managed to arrive in Nijmegen with ample time for a swift pint or two before tonight’s show. I’m back over to the border city of Nijmegen to see Alcest and Bruit≤ for an evening of gorgeous textured music in the great venue of Doornroosje.
While I’ve seen both these acts before, it was in a festival setting which often makes it a bit harder to get properly stuck into a set because of the mania around it. I’m quite buzzed to catch this tour for Alcest though as I wasn’t able to make it to their much closer show in Amsterdam’s Paradiso due to a clash of shows.
The venue hall has filled up extremely quickly and it’s fantastic to see a massive turnout for Bruit≤ as the opening act. This definitely seems to be a consistent thing for post- shows, the people into this particular niche are solid supporters of opening acts.
The room darkens and Bruit’s signature ‘≤’ appears on the screen behind the stage as they walk on to a round of applause. The thundering opening part of their set floods the rook and soaks into every possible fiber of my being, broken by a brief monologue about the meaning of Bruit before falling back into a beautiful melancholic break. The chatter of voices that were in the background just as they started have been hushed as the crowd stands in silent reverence of Bruit≤. I’ve already got all the chills that I had seeing these at Pelagic Fest earlier this year flooding back to me, yet even more intense this time round.
I’m a massive advocate of more traditional instruments being used in more modern musical styles and Bruit≤ using cello and violin really scratches that itch. The amount of tension it adds to their particular brand of post-rock through ethereal layering in contrast to the guitars and aggressive drums is incredible.
The rhythmic prowess these guys display frequently is also brilliant, it’s not all big airy peaks and tender moments, there’s parts where they hit unusual polyrhythms to drive some more intense segments with some real groove. There’s also a very pervasive politically charged part of their content that derides the use of AI and fascist rhetoric, using ASCII art to make flowers and such with text phrases such as “Fuck Trump/Zuck/Musk” and the like. For some extra context this is a band that proudly eschews streaming media services as well as having a fairly minimal social media presence as they see this as a steady destruction of direct human connection.
For a band to be on the opening slot, and hammer out such an incredible performance that felt like a headliner set in its own right is truly remarkable. Bruit≤ epitomises artistic integrity and clearly don’t see their performance as “Just a support slot” in any way, they’ve crafted a performance that could easily upstage most bands with ease. How on earth they can take a 45 minute set and leave such an unbelievably deep impression on me is outstanding, it’s like watching them again for the first time all over again.
Incredible show.
The backing screen of Bruit≤ has been replaced by several drapes either side of the stage with one large one at the back behind the band with an image of what appears to be a moon as well as several plants dotted around the stage. Alcest walk on under a cover of darkness before the lights kick in with blinding ferocity.
One thing that always stands out to me with Alcest is this clash of rapid playing and busy rhythms against overarching melodies and vocals that are so much slower in contrast, it’s as if Alcest are the fastest doom band you’ve ever heard. Every single song is met with massive applause and cheers, a fully packed out Venus full of people that wanted to fill their Saturday night with some incredible post-metal. I’ve seen many bands that elicit teary eyed responses, Casey being a good one for example but for me, that sort of band is Alcest.
This sort of musical style could be just as easily filled with just screamed vocals and fully lean into more blackened territory but instead they use wonderful ballady cleans with the odd peppering of growls, it’s just so bloody good. Looking around I see a crowd full of people slowly swaying along to the music and looking at the band in the same way an aged couple that have been married for decades look at each other.
The use of lighting behind the large draped strips is a wonderfully effective use of stage production, it’s adding so much more visible volume as they take on the colours being shone onto them so vividly. Every now and then I find myself getting lost in just how good the band sounds tonight too, almost as if the sound isn’t just getting projected from the stage but literally from every possible angle.
The balance is incredible, every part of the band is so well balanced and fully functions as a complete unit on all fronts. The bass and drums are so damn strong and present but without overpowering the rest of the band so all of the lovely guitar riffs and dreamy vocals stand out in front with no issue.
Unfortunately due to the train disarray and the later than expected start time, I cannot make it all the way to the end without potentially getting stranded overnight in Nijmegen. It’s not an easy trip back at the best of times but with the direct link back home currently severed, I’ve had to make the choice to get home.
Alcest themselves have been absolutely incredible though, a band that flies under the radar for a lot of people still but I’ve watched them steadily build a bigger fanbase over the years and packing out Doornroosje is no small feat. Alcest are a true diamond in the sea of niche metal, enigmatic and engrossing, magnificent. Hopefully I won’t miss the chance to sit through the entire set if they decide on another stomp around.