Oddly enough, Air Raid is one of the few names of the 2010s NWOTHM boom that I’m not familiar with. Yes, I know the name and I know they hail from Sweden. Have I ever heard a note of their music prior to reviewing their latest album, Fatal Encounter? No. In fact, musically speaking, I’m far more familiar with the one and done early 80s AOR band of the same name. What? You mean to tell me you’ve never heard of THAT Air Raid? This calls for a special edition of From My Collection! OK, not today, but hey! You never know what next Wednesday has in store.
Anyways, today’s Air Raid are Swedish and currently active and have just dropped their first studio album in 6 years, Fatal Encounter. The logo and cover art are totally badass, even if there are similarities to Sound Barrier’s Speed of Light, so that’s cool. And while usually I’m a stickler for most of the NWOTHM crop (God I hate using that term), after the week I’ve had, I could use a dose of something unapologetically old school. As with most bands in this field, I braced myself for a copy/paste outing of Maiden or Priest worship (pick your poison). So imagine my shock when I say that I couldn’t have been more wrong with that bias.
While I can’t speak for past efforts, Fatal Encounter comes off as a molten hybrid of Thundersteel era Riot and prime Yngwie Malmsteen, when the maestro still wrote songs and didn’t specialize exclusively in soulless shred wankery. From the opening “Thunderblood”, it’s made apparent that this is going to be a well produced, nostalgically old school affair with zero influences past 1989. Cuts like “Lionheart” and “One By One” boast the aforementioned Thundersteel influence with their full speed ahead drumming, breakneck riffing, and bombastic triumph, while “Let the Kingdom Burn” goes for that anthemic feel with its battle-ready riffs and colossal atmosphere.
Contrasting these victorious displays of Swedish steel are songs that emphasize melody and musicianship. “Edge of a Dream” has a power metal tinge, but is defined by its dramatic neoclassical tendencies, particularly in the solos. The same can be said for “See the Light”, a cover of a song originally done by obscure Swedish 80s metallers Trazy, while my choice cut, “In Solitude”, stands on its own as a masterclass in melodic metal. If I heard it blindly, I’d think it was a forgotten 80s Malmsteen album cut. Those sultry riffs, neoclassical fills, and gargantuan AOR hooks are nothing short of brilliant!
If the rest of Air Raid’s output sounds remotely close to Fatal Encounter, I only regret not checking them out sooner. Their brand of metal is a fresh departure from what many jaded critics have come to expect of the NWOTHM, myself included. Granted, I’m also in the minority that 80s Yngwie Malmsteen albums weren’t great for the guitar pyrotechnics alone, but also the writing, vocals, and overall band performance. Air Raid has it all in spades, so you naysayers better take cover!
7 out of 10
Label: High Roller Records
Genre: Heavy Metal
For fans of: Enforcer, Yngwie Malmsteen, Riot