Ever since Alcest’s 2005 Le Secret, bandleader Neige’s fascination for shoegaze, dream pop, and post rock have been no secret. Throughout their career, they had fused elements of those sounds with traditional black metal to make something truly special.

But on 2014’s Shelter, they leaned heavy on the gentler side of their sonic palette.

Most notably, there are no screams in this record. Neige delivers all of his vocals in his airy, delicate singing voice. There are also no blast beated moments of black metal catharsis like those that punctuated Êcailles de lune or Voyages de L’Âme. For that reason, most of the press around this record describes it as a massive departure.

But to call it a departure is to ignore just how much of Alcest’s sonic palette was already inspired by shoegaze and post rock. Shelter may not be as heavy as their other albums, and it may spend more time in a major key, but it sounds like no one else. And that even includes “Away” which features Slowdive’s Neil Halsted on vocals.

All of these songs could fit on previous records. Even the major-keyed pop songs like “Opale” were forecast by their previous works. Êcailles had “Solar Song,” Voyages had “Summer’s Glory.” “Away” is very reminiscent of many of the songs on their debut full-length Souvenirs de Otre Monde—which also had no screaming on it.

Beyond “Opale” and “Away,” the deeper cuts exist in the same languid, mournful musical world that Alcest has always lived in. “La Nuit Marche Avec Moi” (“The Night Walks with Me” is dark and brooding. “Voix Sereines” carries a sorrowful longing despite its major key. The ten-minute closer “Délivrance” is as epic and emotive a song that they ever did.

And to me, none of this sounds like a “massive departure.” It’s the same Alcest as ever. It might be a more gentle record, but Neige is a pretty gentle guy. And Shelter manages to capture that gentleness while maintaining enough of their roots to give it a bit of an edge. It won’t keep the purists happy, but let’s be honest: the purists were never listening to Alcest anyway.