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Aes Dana are an excellent Black/Folk band from Paris, and this is their second CD. They were apparently having some label problems, so once more into the breach rides the mighty Oaken Shield Records to save the day. Pretty much everything this label puts their stamp on is some kind of Pagan Black Metal, and if you see the Oaken Shield label, you can pretty much just close your eyes and buy, because from Himinbjorg to Berserk to Nehemah, they put some of the best shit in the entire world.

Speaking of Himinbjorg, these guys (and girls) sound not too far removed from those French Viking Metal masters. If the words "Celtic Black" make you think this will be slow and melodic then think again. There is a lot of melody here, mostly in the use of pipes and whistle to impart a Celtic feel and sound to the music, but Aes Dana are also heavy as hell, and they don't throttle back the aggression even a little. This is a slab of killer Black Metal riffage backed up by a good production and vocals that are more roaring than shrieky. Aes Dana call to mind some great bands like the aforementioned Himinbjorg and Berserk, but also some Mithotyn and a bit of Manegarm. Lyrics and vocals are all in French, but with titles like "Sign Of The Red Branch" and "Battle Of The Trees", I don't need much translation to tell what these guys are about.

Himinbjorg's godly "Europa" may be the Viking/Folk album to beat this year, but Aes Dana have come out with a very close second, and that is high praise indeed. This is a release not to be missed by fans of the genre. And with a second album that's as good as this, I expect we shall be looking at a masterpiece in the future. Highly recommended.