Skiltron – ‘Into the Battleground’ (2013)
Rating: 8/10
Release: 21 June 2013
Label: Hellion Records
Bagpipes? Check! Catchy riffs? Check! Sing-along choruses? Check! Everything is there to make this a great record, and that’s exactly what these Argentinians did with their 4th full length.
The first notes of the CD are that of an epic intro, which immediately set the atmosphere for the rest of the songs. Directly thereafter ‘Lion Rampant’ blasts through my speakers, and it immediately shows what can be expected of ‘Into the Battleground’. Catchy powermetal, completed with a bagpipe. The vocals are clean, the choruses catchy and the tempo is high, just like expected from this kind of music. The CD has little surprises, but is extremely catchy and the musicians are clearly talented. Here and there you hear some different influences, like the thrashy ‘besieged by fire’. ‘Mearrsadh Air’ is the one and only piece of rest, and has a bit of a Celtic feel to it. ‘The rabbit who wanted to be a wolf’, has Jönne from Korpiklaani as a guest-vocalist, and has an almost country-like feel to it, which is really nice!
‘Into the battleground’ shows what Skiltron is capable of. Catchy powermetal which is easy to listen to, and which is great for summer-evenings like these. If you’re not yet familiar with these Argentinians, definitely take the time to check them out!
Tracklist
- Brosnachadh 01:04
- Lion Rampant 04:26
- The Swordmaker 03:26
- On the Trail of David Ross 05:46
- Besieged by Fire 03:31
- The Brave’s Revenge 05:01
- Merrsadh Air 03:06
- The Rabbit Who Wanted to Be a Wolf 05:21
- Loyal We Will Stand 05:11
- Prestonpans 1745 08:12
- Esbat 01:54