Airforce
Strike Hard
Pitch Black Records
Airforce (you may already heard of the band back in 80`s) features former drummer of Iron Maiden Doug Sampson, Chop Pitman on guitars, Tony Hatton on bass, and new vocalist of the band - Flavio Lino. Guest appearances on the album have; Paul Di`Anno (ex Iron Maiden) who is raging the music of Airforce in song Don't Look In Her Eyes, in track The Reaper, his time has a former Airforce vocalist Ivan Gianini, and in Faith Healer, which is a cover of Alex Harvey Band, the song features Zal Cleminson of the band SAHB, who tracked down a few musical notes for Airforce on guitar.
Of course, it`s not difficult to guess that musical style of Airforce is a NWOBHM, very much old school version of heavy metal that had and still has a huge impact on people all over the world.
Rhythm section of the band is very in the vein of 70-80`s hard`n`heavy – I think, drumming on the album could not be done simpler, which is just how Dough has chosen to play here. Super rhythmic, but quite basically played bass lines sound much easier than on first two Maiden albums for instance, but I find it anyway very enjoyable to hear (there is something hypnotizing in static bass play, in their slower song War Games). It can be sensed that some music influences comes from Iron Maiden, Airforce just play their version of NWOBHM, a bit slower and more modestly (hooks but not explosive riffs). It took me some time to adjust to their original style of playing heavy metal, but I made it, some tracks really got me into this album. A very good, opening song Fight is about brotherhood at war, the other like Son Of The Damned, consists of choir that sound like in Maiden times when Blaze Bayley was in the band - of course, Flavio Lino original vocals here, even then sound just like himself. Guitarist Chop Pitman nails it melodically, especially in the end of this song.
Finest Hour has sharper guitar work and faster pace. When I think about lyrical theme here, the song could be entitled Airforce, easily, as it is about a war machines (war-birds sounds more poetic if you will) fighting for freedom in the sky. Pretty catchy chorus here ...Fight Fire With Fire...”, and it`s just very memorable track of the album.
Have to write that I love the “sneaky” guitar riff in Band Of Brothers and a chorus there as well.
Singer of the band can push his voice pretty high - nothing you haven`t heard before, but I like crystal clear tone of his voice, choruses and vocal lines, which usually sound very melodic and catchy.
Songs of Airforce are not played very fast, the band obviously takes time to reach out for their musical goals in songs by playing amazing guitar chords (Die For You, The War Inside), or guitar harmonies (The Reaper). Songs carry the substance of heavy metal in form of melodic riffs and guitar solos throughout the entire album. From time to time you may hear something that sound similar to Judas Priest, Dio, Accept or Saxon but, by hearing those steel-influences in Airforce songs, it makes me feel warmer and just good. Closing track is Faith Healer which has one of the most incredible riffs ever made in hard rock/ heavy metal – this is how you make impact in history of music. Strike Hard – check this album out!
Of course, it`s not difficult to guess that musical style of Airforce is a NWOBHM, very much old school version of heavy metal that had and still has a huge impact on people all over the world.
Rhythm section of the band is very in the vein of 70-80`s hard`n`heavy – I think, drumming on the album could not be done simpler, which is just how Dough has chosen to play here. Super rhythmic, but quite basically played bass lines sound much easier than on first two Maiden albums for instance, but I find it anyway very enjoyable to hear (there is something hypnotizing in static bass play, in their slower song War Games). It can be sensed that some music influences comes from Iron Maiden, Airforce just play their version of NWOBHM, a bit slower and more modestly (hooks but not explosive riffs). It took me some time to adjust to their original style of playing heavy metal, but I made it, some tracks really got me into this album. A very good, opening song Fight is about brotherhood at war, the other like Son Of The Damned, consists of choir that sound like in Maiden times when Blaze Bayley was in the band - of course, Flavio Lino original vocals here, even then sound just like himself. Guitarist Chop Pitman nails it melodically, especially in the end of this song.
Finest Hour has sharper guitar work and faster pace. When I think about lyrical theme here, the song could be entitled Airforce, easily, as it is about a war machines (war-birds sounds more poetic if you will) fighting for freedom in the sky. Pretty catchy chorus here ...Fight Fire With Fire...”, and it`s just very memorable track of the album.
Have to write that I love the “sneaky” guitar riff in Band Of Brothers and a chorus there as well.
Singer of the band can push his voice pretty high - nothing you haven`t heard before, but I like crystal clear tone of his voice, choruses and vocal lines, which usually sound very melodic and catchy.
Songs of Airforce are not played very fast, the band obviously takes time to reach out for their musical goals in songs by playing amazing guitar chords (Die For You, The War Inside), or guitar harmonies (The Reaper). Songs carry the substance of heavy metal in form of melodic riffs and guitar solos throughout the entire album. From time to time you may hear something that sound similar to Judas Priest, Dio, Accept or Saxon but, by hearing those steel-influences in Airforce songs, it makes me feel warmer and just good. Closing track is Faith Healer which has one of the most incredible riffs ever made in hard rock/ heavy metal – this is how you make impact in history of music. Strike Hard – check this album out!
Tracklist:
1 Fight
2 Die For You
3 Son Of The Damned
4 The Reaper
5 Finest Hour
6 Don't Look In Her Eyes
7 I Feel Your Pain
8 War Games
9 Band Of Brothers
10 The War Inside
11 Faith Healer
1 Fight
2 Die For You
3 Son Of The Damned
4 The Reaper
5 Finest Hour
6 Don't Look In Her Eyes
7 I Feel Your Pain
8 War Games
9 Band Of Brothers
10 The War Inside
11 Faith Healer
Review by Slawek Migacz
Added: 18.09.2020
Added: 18.09.2020
