Taking ownership of a genre, music­-wise, is a must when it comes to climbing up the ladder. In this cruel industry, a band ought to commit in order to develop and produce a certain genre they'll later on be able to call theirs. ''The Highland Way'', or should I say the reissue of 2010's creation, uses a fine dose of innovation and classics. All in for a refined and accomplished result, the Argentinian quintet SKILTRON really captured Power Metal's spirit and aspired to transmit it through daring. The Heavy Metal sub genre combines traditional folk elements with a bend of symphonic. The uplifting tone enlightens the frame of mind behind the record, while the dissonance of the guitars and drums gives a meaner twist. Sadly enough, the special flavor SKILTRON had faded when the brash tendencies did. Looking back on the bands early material instantly demonstrates how the general sound has matured since master work ''The Clans Have United'' in 2006. Daring is risky, that's just how it goes. I can respect a band that shows evolution and concern about their sound like our guys did here, but tossing their aggressive playing for a cleaner sound gave a less captivating final result. Still, it is a pleasing record for it's dominating bagpipes leads (some things never change) and lively melodies.

SKILTRON here serves a dramatic work with Diego Valdez' glorious chants (having a polished and even glamor turn) and the slower melodies. Grandiose build­ups, close to the heart interpretation and folkloric instruments (the flute, for instance) really create a theatrical atmosphere. The focus has been transferred on the melodic aspects of folk/celtic metal and the power vibe behind it all. This time, with majestic intros, bridges or outros, the group makes a statement: we've grown up, we aim for a classical sound. The drums still are hammered by Matias Pena's force, but the pulse is serene. The guitars wale and cry more often along the bagpipes and flute, always heroic.

Among the graceful pieces, some tracks inherited energy and drive. Fortunately, this time, adding lives to their reissue gave a spirit of festivity the album lacked before. Luckily, the live versions of ''Stirling Bridge'', ''By Sword and Shield'', ''Coming from the West'' and ''Gathering the Clans'' (all songs from eponymous debut record) undeniably give potency to the listener. I would pay and pay to see these guys play live. They know how to put on a show, you can tell from these add up tracks. The unexpected cover from 80's German band RUNNING WILD also helped seal the deal. The delicate acoustics, the elegant flutes combined to the interesting 80's rock tempo and the admirable folk arrangements helped turn this song into an absolutely delightful listen. When talking ownership earlier, I had moments like these in mind. Buying up someone else's work and still giving it the original twist making it sound like yours, yes I can go for that.

Contrary to previous material encouraging you to arm yourself of pikes and pole­arms held high, ''The Highland Way'' perspires days and nights of wandering in Scotland's prairies, admiring the tide and those long abandoned castles. With a certain force in the powerful wailing and the effulgent harmonies, SKILTRON opts for an equilibrium of passive ballads and patriotic anthems. As a whole, it may be calmer but holds enormous potential. The thorough solos, the detailed transpositions, the elaborate structures do empower ''The Highland Way'', even though general weaknesses like the lack of corrosive play bring the record down by some points.

Despite losing their Thrash essence along the years, our favorite and talented Argentinians brought an artistic, inspiring, sophisticated and most definitely mature product to the table.