On a cold February evening, Union Transfer welcomed a diverse crowd of metalheads and shoegazers alike for a special evening of music they wouldn’t soon forget. Icelandic trio Kaelan Mikla and Japanese post-rock band Mono both opened up the evening for legendary French blackgaze outfit, Alcest. Kicking off the night was Icelandic trio Kaelan Mikla, who brought an aura of mysticism and darkness to the stage. With their unique blend of pulsing industrial beats, they immediately set the tone for the evening that would unfold. Songs like “Stjörnuljós” and “Sírenur” had the audience transfixed and pulled into their world. Bass player Margrét Rósa’s bombastic playing and keyboardist Sólveig Matthildur’s synth-driven soundscapes combined with Laufey Soffia’s icy, ethereal vocals really had the audience enthralled. They ended their set with the song “Hvítir Sandar” from their album “Undir Köldum Norðurljósum”, which features Alcest on the studio version. Up next was Mono, a band whose ability to create sweeping soundscapes filled with emotional crescendos from delicate quiet interludes to booming, cinematic sequences has captivated audiences for decades since their formation in 1999. The band left the audience stunned as they played tracks from their newest release, “Oath”, like “Run On”, “We All Shine On” and “Hear the Wind Sing”, along with the classic track, “Ashes in the Snow”, from their iconic 2009 album, “Hymn to the Immortal Wind”. The band, consisting of Taka on the lead guitar, Yoda on the rhythm guitar, Tamaki on the bass guitar, and Dahm on the drum kit, took the audience on a post-rock journey that was full of emotional ups and downs - all without signing a single word. Over the course of their set, the band effortlessly created waves of sound that crashed over the crowd like the peaks and valleys of ocean waves.
Finally, the great blackgaze pioneer Alcest took the stage at last. Fans have been eagerly awaiting their return to Philadelphia, as they haven’t played in town since at least pre-covid times. The band’s signature blend of black metal influences with lush, atmospheric soundscapes that have earned them a devoted following. The excitement was palpable, with one dedicated fan even saying he arrived at 9am to get in line for the show out of pure excitement. The crowd was hypnotized as they launched into “Komorebi,” the opening track of their latest album, Les Chants de l'aurore. Lead vocalist Neige and drummer Winterhalter along with guitarist Zero and bass player Indria took the audience on a sonic journey that is so uniquely their own. Alcest’s sound is a beautiful dichotomy, melding light and dark into something uniquely transcendent. Neige’s vocals, haunting yet melodic, led the way through a set that effortlessly moved between blissful, celestial guitar work and crashing, intense moments of black metal-inspired fury. The lighting added to the feeling of being suspended in an ethereal space, as colors shifted in sync with the rise and fall of the music. The band finished their main set with “Oiseaux de Proie” from their 2016 album, “Kodama” before coming out once more and playing two additional songs for an encore, “Autre Temps” followed by, fittingly, “L’Adieu” from their newest album. At moments, the air in Union Transfer felt thick with emotion—whether it was the ethereal beauty of Kaelan Mikla’s darkwave, the emotional depth of Mono’s post-rock, or the transcendent atmosphere that Alcest creates. It felt like being in the presence of something bigger, something that transcended the confines of the venue and swept you up in the waves of sound. It was the kind of night where you left feeling like you had experienced a collective journey with everyone around you—a night that will remain with you long after you’ve left the venue.
It wasn’t just a concert; it was an event, a pilgrimage for those who crave depth and inner beauty in the music they seek out.
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