Those who heard _Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde_ will know what to expect, but the intensity of the black metal instrumentation is occasionally higher and some throat-ripping black vox are introduced as early as the second track. Partially as a result of that, the album seems significantly more dynamic and therefore inspired than its predecessor. The clean vocals remain a very important part of the Alcest sound, however; they are no mere gimmick to differentiate this project, but rather an integral part of its musical purpose. Said vocals will likely make or break this album for a lot of listeners, despite the unusually high quality of everything black metal on the album; still, I doubt they will be an issue unless you are entirely opposed to the idea of using soft clean vocals in what is essentially a black metal album underneath.

_Écailles de Lune_ turns out to be a greater step up from _Souvenirs d'un Autre Monde_ than I had thought reasonable to expect, leaving behind some of the accessibility of its predecessor but not sacrificing its principles. As a result, Alcest has produced one of the best albums I've heard all year.