I had the pleasure of seeing ALCEST recently on their current European tour, and, as always, this French Post-Metal band was absolutely captivating, holding the audience in a complete thrall right from the beginning through to the very last notes. So when I got the opportunity to review ALCEST's new fifth full-length album "Kodama", I just couldn't say no. Being touted as a Japanese concept album, many were eager to see exactly how this would pan out. The answer: Subtle Japanese influences are woven into the melodies, and the artwork clearly is strongly rooted in Japanese art, but otherwise, this concept is not quite as fully explored as one might have expected based on how heavily emphasised this was prior to the album's release.

With a total of six songs spanning over forty minutes, ALCEST takes us on a long winding journey through dreamlike soundscapes. Starting off with the title song "Kodama", an expansive an hopeful melody melds flawlessly with gracefull tempo changes and different styles, keeping the song interesting throughout its extensive length: this song alone accounts for almost a quarter of the entire album's playtime. "Eclosion" is more tranquil, although this is carefully tempered by some excellent drumming. Winterhalter's drumming on this album is completely top-notch, with his work being more in the foreground than in most of ALCEST's previous releases. In addition to this, his drumming is perfectly mixed, giving the album an airy and atmospheric feel, rather than the denseness one would expect to follow such heavy reliance on the percussion. At the appex of the album we find one of the best songs on "Kodama", namely "Je suis d'ailleurs". The understated drum fills overlayed with spell-binding guitar sections and haunting vocals give this song a tumultous feeling, whilst Neige's return to Black Metal-like screams provide that last little nudge which makes this song so powerful and compelling. "Untouched" is a very serene piece, with minimalistic lulling melodies soothing the listener. In stark contrast to this, we have the penultimate piece, "Oiseaux de proie", perhaps where Black Metal influences come to bear most on "Kodama". This song is completely captivating live, and is a definite must see if you get the chance to catch ALCEST on tour. Ending off with the instrumental song "Onyx", this song serves to round off the album, adding a dark and almost broody ending to "Kodama".

One of my gripes about this album is that the minimalist approach is a bit too heavily laden in some sections, resulting in several bland parts. While this does allow the really excellent portions to stand out all the more, it nevertheless results in my attention wandering off from time to time. Similarly, whilst there were two decent songs, there is no single song that truly stands out on this album. Whilst one could argue that this leads to a certain continuity between the songs, I still feel that that this album is missing a certain punch. Overall, "Kodama" is a solid release, if not necessarily an outstanding one. ALCEST's return to their roots will definitely be something that will make many fans very happy, but the band have also managed to keep their options open by incorporating a slew of other influences. Still, "Kodama" is definitely worth at least checking out, even if it might not be ALCEST's most definitive album.