AIR RAID
“ACROSS THE LINE”
Album Review By Iron Mathew

9.5/10

Air Raid are a heavy metal band from Sweden forming in 2009, releasing the ‘Danger Ahead’ E.P. in 2011. Their first full length album, ‘Night Of The Axe’ followed in 2012, with the bands second album ‘Point Of Impact’ released in 2014. The bands third album ‘Across The Line’ was released in 2017.

Sweden is a country more known for producing hard rock bands, however, Air Raid buck that trend by delivering power metal with a huge dash of the NWOBHM. Just take a look at the album cover, oozing the NWOBHM imagery and would not be out of place as a mid eighties release. Quickly into their stride, Air Raid storm into action with the galloping ‘Hold The Flame’. The classic twin guitar lead of traditional heavy metal has never sounded so good, as ‘Hold The Flame’ flies by in a furious flurry. Power and speed combine as the instrumental ‘Entering The Zone Zero’ comes flying at you out of the speakers. Mid eighties NWOBHM giants Grim Reaper and Iron Maiden heavily influence the sound of Air Raid, and if you’re a fan of their music, you will just love this album. ‘Across The Line’ (the album) is unlikely to change the face of music, but it will put a great big smile on the faces of heavy metal fans the world over. Sometimes, an album of sparkling, high paced, high energy heavy metal is all that’s needed to make you feel you great…and Air Raid deliver just that.

Head bangingly addictive, ‘Cold As Ice’ rumbles along at pace, guitars duelling and a corking, clear and clean vocal performance from the bands new singer. I grew up during the eighties NWOBHM evolution and this type of music is very close to my heart, so when an album, packed to the rafters with blistering NWOBHM songs hits the airways, my excitement levels rise high. Picking up the pace and intensity, ‘Aiming For The Sky’ is a scorcher of a song that blazes a trail of fire as it blisters the ground it strides on. Catchy and infectious, ‘Aiming For The Sky’ is an immediate favourite and a head bangers dream. Guitar solos screech and scream, and Air Raid are delivering a feel good album. One of the greatest singers to have emerged in the world of heavy metal is the legendary Grim Reaper singer Steve Grimmett, and unbelievably, the vocal performance of Fredrik Werner on ‘Hell And Back’ is very similar to Steve.

With no let up in speed, intensity or energy, the album steam rollers on with ‘Line Of Danger’, featuring the classic buzzing guitar sound of the NWOBHM. Also featuring a more melodic approach, ‘Line Of Danger’ is catchy, with an infectious groove to keep you smiling, head nodding and foot tapping. Air Raid are not re-inventing the wheel with this album, they are happy to deliver fan pleasing, classic sounding and traditional heavy metal. ‘Black Dawn’ is a mid tempo chugger of one hundred percent addictiveness. Everything that the NWOBHM created and stands for, has been replicated by Air Raid, with the band delivering a very good album of breathless, speed metal tinged, heavy metal. ‘Northern Light’ greets the listener with the return of the duelling twin guitar lead. Accompanied with a galloping rhythm, ‘Northern Light’ is speed metal tinged as it strides proudly on, evoking head banging wherever it goes. With nine songs clocking in at under forty minutes, the album is a little short, but worth shelling out for if you are a die hard fan of the NWOBHM sound. Air Raid bring the album to a close with the bustling ‘Raid Or Die’, hinting at the sound of British icons Saxon. Air Raid have delivered an album of sparkling heavy metal that will have the head bangers of the world head banging for a very long time.

Overall, a furious flurry of speed and power, Air Raid have delivered a fan pleasing album of classic sounding and traditional heavy metal.

TRACKLIST

Hold The Flame
Entering The Zone Zero
Cold As Ice
Aiming For The Sky
Hell And Back
Line Of Danger
Black Dawn
Northern Light
Raid Or Die

https://www.facebook.com/AirRaidOfficial/

This review is the property of Iron Mathew and Metal Gods TV. It is strictly prohibited to copy any part of this review, unless you have both of the parties’ permission, or are the band/record label/PR company in question. Failure to adhere to these instructions will be considered as Plagiarism and you will be reported to the appropriate authorities.

---