As far as one-man metal bands go, Belenos is probably the most musically gifted. The man, Loic Cellier, can play all standard metal-related instruments to a high degree of proficiency, and that includes the drums, which he rips at. What’s more, his vocals, and particularly his chanted/ Nordic tribal cleans — while not trying for anything amazing — complement and add to the music a great deal.

Of course, one also has to be able to write and arrange songs in addition to being able to play one’s parts well, and Cellier makes some outstanding Pagan-themed extreme death/black metal that has a superb balance of intensity and melody.

The 2009 version of Errances Oniriques is a total re-recording of the album of the same name that was released in 2001 on Sacral Records. We haven’t heard that one (you try to get your hands on any Belenos albums before 2007's Chemins de Souffrance), but this one is pretty killer. It’s not Belenos’ best album (Chemins is better), but if you like this project, or like the idea of extreme metal imbued with Pagan ancestral flair (and without relying on keyboards), this band is a must. The bonus track of Aeternus’ "Sworn Revenge," one of the best Pagan-related / death/ black metal songs ever, not only shows that Belenos knows its shit, but that it can do the song justice with its own version. Ave! (8.2/10)