Label(s):

High Roller Records

Released Year:

2023

Type:

Full-length

Tracklist:

1. Thunderblood2. Lionheart3. In Solitude4. See the Light5. Sinfonia6. Edge of a Dream7. Let the Kingdom Burn8. One by One9. Pegasus Fantasy

The Swedish band AIR RAID returns with its fourth album, “Fatal Encounter”. The album continues the change which began with the previous record, “Across the Line”, where the classic heavy and speed metal sound of the first albums, was enriched with many neo-classical metal influences.

“Fatal Encounter” is also the second consecutive album with Fredrik Werner on vocals who sounds magnificent throughout the entire album; imagine a mixture of Graham Bonnet and Tony Martin. Actually, the entire album is in this style, a blend of Yngwie Malmsteen’s “Odyssey”, BLACK SABBATH’s “Headless Cross” and Axel Rudi Pell’s “Eternal Prisoner”.

The albums’ opening track is perhaps the only one that goes back to the first two albums of the band. Speedy and classic heavy metal for those who liked that period of AIR RAID. But the rest of the album follows the neo-classical direction we described before. Especially the track “Lionheart” is great, one of the band’s best songs that the fans will love. “One by One” is also among the best moments of the album. It is up-tempo but very melodic and catchy. Fortunately, the album has a number of other good songs too, such as “See the Light” and “Edge of a Dream”.  Of course, we must mention the albums’ last track which is a cover to the amazing “Pegasus Fantasy (Saint Seiya)”. Great cover, with an updated heavy metal sound.

AIR RAID’s new album is trying to combine some of the NWOTHM first days of the band with the neo-classical sound of “Across the Line”, giving priority of course to the latest era. This makes the album a very good choice, especially for those who would like to hear something in the vein of “Odyssey”, or “Headless Cross”, and miss that sound and feeling deeply.

Check the discussion about the album in our forum pages.