Air Raid (2) – Point Of Impact

Now on the High Roller label, Swedish traditional heavy metal upstarts Air Raid returned late in 2014 with Point of Impact, their second full-length release and first to feature Arthur Andersson on vocals. Air Raid, like Enforcer and Wolf before them, are part of a growing worldwide movement that has been dubbed the New Wave of Traditional Metal, and they’re one of the best new bands in that scene.

At this point, Air Raid may have ed Enforcer as the best of the newer Swedish traditional metal bands. Point of Impact is hard hitting, super catchy, and just channels the glory days of Priest, Maiden and the NWOBHM. The vocals are very impressive, especially given the shoes Andersson had to fill, and suit Air Raid's twin lead guitar attack perfectly. Check out “Victim of the Night,” “The Fire Within” and “Madness” for the best examples of what Point of Impact is all about, but the whole album (brief as it is at just 35 minutes) is very strong.

Whether you’re a faithful follower of the classic bands like Obsession, Savage Grace and Witchkiller or newer bands like Skull Fist, Night Demon and Skelator, Air Raid is a band that you need to hear. They play old school heavy metal extremely well, and are helping to carry the heavy metal banner forward for the next generation.