SAOR is the new name of the one-man band Àrsaidh hailing from Scotland. The atmospheric Celtic/Folk Metal project indeed lives up to being originally Scottish. With solely 2013's "Roots" in the band's repertoire, "Aura" arrives as their sophomore studio album. It is actually my first contact with SAOR, who are obviously not so over-the-top for everyone to know.

Consisting of a solid five epic tracks, "Aura" is a well-crafted masterpiece of "raw" Black-ish Metal and hauntingly beautiful folk melodies. It is instantly memorable when the twelve-minute opener "Children Of The Mist" kicks off. It reveals a sound ranging from Ensiferum to Agalloch and Summoning. One of the best features of this song are the layered, anthemic choir-like vocals contributing to its epic feeling. The mid-section of this track is one of the highlights of the whole record; pure Scottich folk charm that I would think Troy Donockley (Nightwish) is featured on this album.

The title track opens up with one hell of an intro, splendid! The song continues in the same rawly produced Atmospheric Metal, feautring more keyboards and less vocals. This track is the longest, extending over thirteen minutes but you would certainly enjoy every second of it. "The Awakening" slowly builds a sublime intro featuring a soaring violin before turning to the heavy side and ends up being one of the heaviest tracks in the album. The choirs are back and Andy's vocals are more prominent. "Farewell" is the shortest song here (still pretty long though) and has a totally different vibe, slightly progressive, so to speak. The melodies is reminiscent of the first track. "Pillars Of The Earth" feels a little ethnic and indeed a little "earthy."

To sum it up, "Aura" is a magnificent Opus of its genre. Andy Marshall has all the credit for handling everything by himself. Still, I really can't tell whether the "bad" production is watering it down or contributing to its awesomeness. I totally recommend it anyway for fans of Blackish Folk Metal.