Spiritual Instinct
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Spiritual Instinct
| type = studio
| artist = Alcest
| cover = Spiritual Instinct.png
| alt =
| released = {{start date|2019|10|25|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio = Drudenhaus Studio, (Nantes)
| genre = * Blackgaze
| language = French
| length = 40:59
| label = Nuclear Blast
| producer =
| prev_title = Kodama
| prev_year = 2016
| next_title = Les Chants de l'aurore
| next_year = 2024
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Spiritual Instinct
| type = studio
| single1 = Protection
| single1date = 23 August 2019
| single2 = Sapphire
| single2date = 27 September 2019
}}
}}
Spiritual Instinct is the sixth studio album by French post-black metal band Alcest. The album was released on 25 October 2019 through Nuclear Blast and garnered positive reviews from critics. Spiritual Instinct features Alcest live bassist Indria Saray performing on bass in the studio for the second time in the history of the band after Kodama.
Background and release
After the release of the band's fifth studio album Kodama (2016), Alcest departed from Prophecy Productions and signed with Nuclear Blast on 10 April 2019 in anticipation for the release of their sixth studio album.{{Cite web|url=http://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/news-alcest-sign-album-contract-with-nuclear-blast-records/|title=ALCEST Sign Album Contract With Nuclear Blast Records; Work Underway On Sixth Album|work=Metal Forces|date=10 April 2019|accessdate=27 April 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427130300/http://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/news-alcest-sign-album-contract-with-nuclear-blast-records/|url-status=live|archivedate=27 April 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/alcest-spiritual-instinct-review-2641074968.html|title=Alcest Deliver Exceptional Blackgaze Catharsis on 'Spiritual Instinct'|first=Jordan|last=Blum|work=PopMatters|accessdate=27 April 2021|date=24 October 2019|archive-date=14 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814103318/https://www.popmatters.com/alcest-spiritual-instinct-review-2641074968.html|url-status=live}} On 23 August 2019, "Protection" was released as the album's lead single.{{cite magazine|last=DiVita|first=Joe|url=https://loudwire.com/alcest-protection-song-spiritual-instinct-album/|title=Alcest's Evolution Continues on 'Protection,' New Album Details Revealed|magazine=Loudwire|date=23 August 2019|access-date=25 February 2024}} "Sapphire", the second single, followed on 27 September 2019.{{cite web|last=DeVille|first=Chris|url=https://www.stereogum.com/2059629/alcest-sapphire-video/music/|title=Alcest – "Sapphire" Video|website=Stereogum|date=27 September 2019|access-date=25 February 2024}}
Critical reception
Spiritual Instinct was released to a positive critical reception, with Metacritic, a review aggregation website that assigns normalised ratings out of 100, determined a score of 82 based on four critics, indicating "Universal Acclaim".{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/spiritual-instinct/alcest|title=Spiritual Instinct by Alcest|work=Metacritic|publisher=Red Ventures|url-status=live|archivedate=27 April 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427125040/https://www.metacritic.com/music/spiritual-instinct/alcest}} Sam Law, writing for British rock magazine Kerrang!, gave a rating of 4/5, noting that while the album was fundamentally sound and well produced, it was inferior to Alcest's earlier work.{{Cite web |last=Law |first=Sam |date=23 October 2019 |title=Album Review: Alcest – Spiritual Instinct |url=https://www.kerrang.com/reviews/album-review-alcest-spiritual-instinct/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=Kerrang! |archive-date=6 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806204235/https://www.kerrang.com/reviews/album-review-alcest-spiritual-instinct/ }} This concern was echoed by other critics, including Lukas Wojcicki of Canadian music publication Exclaim!,{{Cite web |last=Wojcicki |first=Lukas |date=24 October 2019 |title=Alcest Spiritual Instinct |url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/alcest-spiritual_instinct |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=Exclaim! |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120045954/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/alcest-spiritual_instinct }} and Jason Roche of heavy metal news site Blabbermouth.net.{{Cite web |last=Roche |first=Jason |title=CD Reviews - Spiritual Instinct Alcest |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/spiritual-instinct/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=Blabbermouth.net |date=2 November 2019 |archive-date=14 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214094406/https://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/spiritual-instinct/ }} Nonetheless, most reviewers concluded that the album was enjoyable and a worthy addition to Alcest's discography.{{Cite web |last=Garland |first=Robert |date=30 October 2019 |title=Review: Alcest - Spiritual Instinct | Sputnikmusic |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20210427130521/https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80452/Alcest-Spiritual-Instinct/ |archivedate=27 April 2021 |url=https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80452/Alcest-Spiritual-Instinct/ |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=Sputnik Music }}{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Cody |date=27 October 2019 |title=Album Review: ALCEST Spiritual Instinct |url=https://metalinjection.net/reviews/alcest-spiritual-instinct |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=Metal Injection |archive-date=2 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202042550/https://metalinjection.net/reviews/alcest-spiritual-instinct }}{{Cite web |last=Jurek |first=Thom |title=Spiritual Instinct - Alcest |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/spiritual-instinct-mw0003314941 |url-status=live |access-date=27 April 2021 |website=AllMusic |archive-date=7 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200607143104/https://www.allmusic.com/album/spiritual-instinct-mw0003314941 }}
Track listing
{{Track listing
| headline = Spiritual Instinct track listing
| all_writing = Neige
| title1 = Les Jardins de minuit
| note1 = "The Midnight Gardens"
| length1 = 7:53
| title2 = Protection
| length2 = 5:49
| title3 = Sapphire
| length3 = 5:00
| title4 = L'Île des morts
| note4 = "Isle of the Dead"
| length4 = 9:04
| title5 = Le Miroir
| note5 = "The Mirror"
| length5 = 5:31
| title6 = Spiritual Instinct
| length6 = 7:42
| total_length = 40:59
}}
Personnel
;Alcest
;Other personnel
- Indria Saray – bass guitar
- Kathrine Shepard – vocals on "L'île des morts"
- Benoît Roux – recording, production, mixing
- Mika Jussila – mastering
- William Lacalmontie – photograph
- Førtifem – layout, illustration, art direction
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Chart performance for Spiritual Instinct ! scope="col"| Chart (2019) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| {{album chart|Austria|63|artist=Alcest|album=Spiritual Instinct|rowheader=true|access-date=5 December 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Flanders|92|artist=Alcest|album=Spiritual Instinct|rowheader=true|access-date=5 December 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Finland|34|artist=Alcest|album=Spiritual Instinct|rowheader=true|access-date=5 December 2021}} |
| {{album chart|France|106|artist=Alcest|album=Spiritual Instinct|rowheader=true|access-date=5 December 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Germany4|id=394614|12|artist=Alcest|album=Spiritual Instinct|rowheader=true|access-date=5 December 2021}} |
| {{album chart|Scotland|78|date=20191101|rowheader=true|access-date=25 February 2024}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|30|artist=Alcest|album=Spiritual Instinct|rowheader=true|access-date=5 December 2021}} |
| {{album chart|UKDigital|57|date=20191101|rowheader=true|access-date=25 February 2024}} |
| {{album chart|UKIndependent|22|date=20191101|rowheader=true|access-date=25 February 2024}} |
| {{album chart|UKRock|7|date=20191101|rowheader=true|access-date=25 February 2024}} |
| scope="row"|US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard){{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/alcest/chart-history/TLN/song/1172586|title=Alcest Spiritual Instinct Chart History |magazine=Billboard|date=6 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106214433/https://www.billboard.com/music/alcest/chart-history/TLN/song/1172586|access-date=6 October 2020|archive-date=6 November 2019|url-status=dead}}
| 6 |
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