Air Raid – Across The Line

Album number three for Swedish heavy metal juggernaut Air Raid marks the third new singer to appear on an album. It seems this band just can’t catch a break at finding a frontman. The group’s new vocalist has an old-school heavy metal voice that would be right in line with someone like Rob Rock or Jeff Scott Soto. Those two names are not a coincidence, as both sang on the early Axel Rudi Pell material, and though I strongly doubt that is the sound Air Raid aimed to capture, “Across The Line” is a perfect album for anyone who worships the first three ARP albums. The primary difference is that Air Raid tends to have more songs that lean towards the speed metal side of things, but both their upbeat songs and more mellow moments strongly remind of records like “Nasty Reputation” and “Eternal Prisoner”. For those unfamiliar with the albums, they are simply fun heavy metal records.

And this is all Air Raid strives to be: fun heavy metal. Their approach is centered around the guitars, whether from intricate solos, or hard-hitting, charging riffs. Most songs are fast in nature, though they don’t aim to hit warp speeds. The instrumental, “Entering The Zone Zero”, shows the band’s commitment to shredding, as there is some seriously virtuosic playing on this track. Even other songs like “Aiming For The Sky” and “Cold As Ice” show an abundance harmonized guitar work. There isn't a lot of originality on "Across The Line", but it's not really required. The band rocks hard, and there isn't a single moment that feels phoned-in or weak. Every single riff on this album is potent.  

The sole flaw of “Across The Line” is the exact same problem that has plagued the band since the beginning. Their execution can’t be faulted at all, but somehow the music ends up feeling somewhat lifeless compared to the band’s peers. Make no mistake, everything Air Raid does, they do well. Yet somehow, they lack the insanely memorable songs, the catchy choruses, or even the “every note is awesome” guitar solos. The most comparable band is Screamer. Both are from Sweden, play heavy metal, and are signed to High Roller Records, but Air Raid just can’t stand up against their countrymen. This absolutely is not a bad record, but it still feels like the band could refine their songwriting a bit. The ARP-isms of this record are intriguing, but truthfully, his music is similar to Air Raid’s in that it is very good, but not top-tier heavy metal. Still, if you like heavy metal, "Across The Line" will do well in your collection!

Be sure to check out and like Air Raid on Facebook!

Highlights

"Hold The Flame"

"Line of Danger"

"Cold As Ice"

Final Rating

3.8/5 or 76%. 

Written by Scott

Air Raid – Point of Impact

Sweden’s Air Raid has a relatively short, but already impressive career. With their first EP and album, both of which were on Stormspell Records, they put forth great songs filled with hard-hitting riffs, catchy melodies (both vocal and guitar) and fantastic musicianship. It was, in my mind, a big blow when the band lost their first singer. He had a very distinctive voice, unlike any other singer I’ve ever heard. With that said, the band’s new singer, while not being quite as unique, is equally talented (just hear how high the note he hits at the end of “Bound to Destroy” is). And his performance on “Point of Impact”, along with the rest of the band’s, makes for a great ride.

This album is a short, but sweet ball of energy. The band is usually playing uptempo, and though they don’t reach absurd speeds, they move fast enough to give your neck a good workout. The riffs on this album are your standard heavy/speed metal affair, with the occasional exception ("Wildfire" has a very Megadeth-esque sounding technical riff that crushes). Though this style has been done many times before, you definitely won’t feel as though you’ve heard these riffs before. Perhaps most importantly, Air Raid knows how to take a riff and a vocal melody and turn it into a hook. All of these songs become quickly memorable, moreso in the sense that you’ll recognize all of the choruses on your second listen, rather than that the song will come to your head just from looking at the titles.

As mentioned above, one of the things that really makes “Point of Impact” so good is the voice of Arthur Andersson. Sure, he has the technical ability, but so do a lot of metal singers. The reason Andersson is so good is because he’s able to channel a lot of emotion into his performance as well. You can hear from the inflection in his voice when he hits certain notes that he’s really feeling the music and providing the best possible complement to it. His voice itself is not dissimilar from other Swedish heavy metal singers, which is also a good thing.

Overall, “Point of Impact” doesn’t really have a weak point. As much as I enjoyed Air Raid’s last record, I’m thinking this album might be better. It doesn’t quite have the same high points, but it’s far more consistent. There isn’t a single bad track on here, and the band is clearly well versed in how to write heavy metal by taking songwriting elements that sound great without overdoing them. There are harmonies, great riffs, wicked solos, upper-range vocals, and just a ton of enthusiasm for metal. There’s really nothing more you could ask for in an album.

Be sure to check out and like Air Raid on Facebook!

Highlights

"Bound to Destroy"

"Madness"

"Wildfire"

Final Rating

4.3/5 or 86%. 

Written by Scott 

10 Forgotten Gems of the Last 10 Years:

Every year there are seemingly endless releases, and no matter how hard you try, you won’t get to them all. Eventually, it’s pretty easy to get around to the bigger albums, but some records get completely forgotten. Even if an artist is well-known, sometimes people assume they know what the album will sound like without listening to it. What follows are 10 great releases from the past 10 years. These are not necessarily the best releases of those years, but they are ones that your metal collection is incomplete without.

2003: Isen Torr - Mighty & Superior

This two track EP is the very definition of heavy metal. It features some of the most manly riffs in existence, and the fantastic vocals of the late Tony Taylor only add to the sheer masculinity of this release. While both songs are quite similar (especially the use of triplets in the drumming), they are both epic enough that it doesn't matter. If you have some time, read up on the history of this cult band, as they originally had some interesting plans for future releases.

2004 - Insane - Wait and Pray

Do you like Slayer (hint: the answer is yes!)? Then you will love Insane's "Wait and Pray". This isn't even a rip-off of "Show No Mercy"; it is straight-up worship. Everything from the band logo, album artwork, song titles, and sound of the record is straight from Slayer's debut record. There has never been an album that accurately captures the sound of another as well as "Wait and Pray" does. While the songwriting is obviously not as good, it is a lot stronger than you would probably expect.

2005 - Dark Illusion - Beyond The Shadows

This one is for the power metal fans. "Beyond The Shadows" is an ode to simplistic, enjoyable European melodic power metal. Similar to bands like HammerFall and Helloween, it is very riff-based, as opposed to the airy sounds of a band like Stratovarius. At 14 songs (but only 49 minutes), there are sure to be at least a few that catch your attention. Personally, the hilariously titled "Night Knight" and the ballad "Warrior" are amongst my favourite power metal tunes.

2006 - Angelus Apatrida - Evil Unleashed

Angelus Apatrida are definitely a band that have garnered more attention recently, but their humble beginnings are less known. "Evil Unleashed" is exactly what you would expect from Pantera if they played thrash 100% of the time. It even has a cover of "Domination"! The rhythm work (particularly the drums) is crushing, and there is an endless number of guitar solos. This record has a ton of standout tracks, but my favourite is "Negotiating The Clowns" simply for its stellar lead guitar work.

2007 - Iron Fire - Blade of Triumph

Iron Fire is another band that is certainly not unknown, but "Blade of Triumph" does not get recognized as the power metal masterpiece that it is. The songs are frighteningly catchy, starting with "Dragonheart" all the way to the title track. While this is another record that has solid riffing, it also uses plenty of guitar melodies to lead the songs. I haven't really kept up with the rest of the band's discography, but if you think you've heard all power metal has to offer, and haven't heard "Blade of Triumph", give this a shot.

2008 - Mortifier - Underground Noise

This is where things get really tough. Starting in 2008, bands started popping up out of nowhere and there are a crazy number of good releases. I picked Mortifier's "Underground Noise" because it's exactly the type of album I could never review. Yes, it is another thrash band that conveniently put out a record in 2008, but it's much more. The main reason I couldn't do a full review for this band is because the only thing that need's to be said is that they write far better riffs than most of their contemporaries. That's all there is to it. Nothing else is done that is outside of the box; you really just need to hear these solid riffs. Check out "Mountain Killings" for a sample of what I'm talking about.

2009 - Metalium - Chapter VIII: Grounded

The final album for Germany's Metalium would prove to be their best. Gone are the mostly speedy, yet characterless songs, and in are the pounding, powerful riffs of Metalium's later era. The attitude hits you from the opener, "Heavy Metal" and never truly lets up. If you've heard some of Metalium before, but haven't heard this power metal record, you should give this a shot.

Honourable Mention for 2009: Mutant - Laserdrome (thrash)

2010 - Instanzia - Ghosts

Hailing from the Great White North, Instanzia are a definite force to be reckoned with. "Ghosts" reminds me a lot of Wintersun in the sense that it was created by a perfectionist. There are layers upon layers of vocals and guitar melodies. Musically, however, the band sounds more like any number of Finnish or Swedish power metal bands. Each song features uniquely crafted melodies that are instantly memorable. I've pretty much only listened to this thing on YouTube (haven't tracked down a copy yet) and I can think of most of the choruses without re-listening to them. My favourites are "Ghosts of the Past" and "Power of the Mind", but any of these songs should hook you.


Honourable Mentions for 2010: Hellcannon - Infected With Violence (thrash), Icewind - Again Came the Storm (power metal)

2011 - Rocka Rollas - The War of Steel Has Begun

You may know Rocka Rollas from my review of "Conquer", but their debut album is a whole different beast. Rather than being the continuation of Running Wild, "The War of Steel Has Begun" is simply an ode to speed metal, and really just metal in particular. Expect blazing tempos, wickedly fast harmonized guitars (see "Dark Future" for a mindblowing example of this), and energetic vocals. While I prefer the new direction the band has taken, their debut needs to be heard because it is sure to be a cult classic.

Honourable Mentions for 2011: Glen Drover - Metalusion (shred), Power Quest - Blood Alliance (power metal)

2012 - Air Raid - Night of the Axe

Sweden's Air Raid join the legion of bands playing a classic style of heavy/speed metal, and they do it with more conviction than most. If you are a fan of other SFM favourites such as Enforcer and Screamer, you'll know what to expect. Air Raid's vocals differ from the crowd quite a bit, but that only helps them to stand out. The two most enjoyable songs are the title track, and "The Lost City", but there are no weak spots on this rager!