Let's Dance! - A Review of Skiltron's Bruadarach

Skiltron is without a doubt one of my greatest discoveries of the year. The quintet originates from Argentina but also has members from England, Finland and France in its line-up. This record is the only one with Paolo Ribaldini on vocals who comes from Italy. The final result interestingly sounds like a Celtic folk metal record and thus reminds of bands such as Cruachan and Skyclad. Surprisingly enough, this international quintet delivers a better job than the vast majority of local bands. Bruadarach is catchy, danceable, entertaining, imaginative and joyful all at once. The quintet is also an excellent live band as I could witness this past summer.

The band's very good musicianship suits its melodious genre splendidly. Drums and percussion are performed with feeling and rhythm and mostly situated in mid-tempo ranges. The bass guitar play is serviceable rather than illustrious and supports the vibrant tattoo adequately. The guitar sound is melodic and powerful, referencing melodic heavy metal and European power metal elements. The passionate and uplifting vocals blend in perfectly, reminding at times of bands such as Elvenking and Rhapsody of Fire. The most interesting element are however the numerous folk instruments such as bagpipes, bouzouki and tin whistle that give this band its proper identity. A little bit of synthesizer programming adds atmospheric depths in the instrumental sections as past and present meet in harmony.

This record starts with an atmospheric, epic and melodious instrumental opener entitled "Triumph and Devotion" before kicking things off in style with catchy up-tempo anthem "As We Fight". If you're not deaf or in a dreadful mood, you will end up dancing, singing and whistling by the end of this infectious song. This is a party anthem without the dull stereotypes of Alestorm but the intellectual depth of Suidakra. Bruadarach continues in this optimistic vein while utilizing a few tweaks and turns to keep the album diverting throughout. "This Battle Is My Own" is a power ballad of epic proportions, "Proud to Defend" is a heroic anthem cracking the six-minute mark and "Rob Roy" is a heartfelt tribute to a legendary highlander. Japanese bonus track "Bagpipes of War", a new recording of the band's very own anthem from its The Highland Way record, sounds appropriately revamped in this excellent line-up and has been made available on streaming platforms around the world. The production might not be perfectly polished from a technical standpoint but manages to give the entire record a very warm and welcoming sound.

At the end of the day, Skiltron's Bruadarach is a wonderful record for fans of Celtic rock, folk music, melodic heavy metal and European power metal alike. This record transmits positive vibes and entertains from start to finish through twelve energetic songs for a perfectly fitting running time of forty-eight minutes with the digital bonus track. If you have the chance to attend one of the band's concerts, then do yourself a favour and simply have a great time.

Final Rating: 90%