With the release of their third album „Across The Line“ Sweden’s AIR RAID could finally claim their rightful place as one of the NWOTHM’s hottest acts. And while the band used that momentum with regard to increased live activities a good six years passed before fans finally got a successor to said album. Now, AIR RAID’s fourth full-length effort „Fatal Encounter“ is finally going to be released and we seized the opportunity to talk to vocalist Fredrik Werner and guitarist Andreas Johansson.
Hi and thanks a lot for taking time for this interview! It has been six years since your last album „Across The Line“ came out – quite a long time! What has been happening for AIR RAID since?
Andreas: After “Across The Line” was released, we went on a Europe tour straight away. Then we played a show in Tokyo, Japan and later Brazil tour. In early 2019 we made a single called “Demon’s Eye”. This was followed by a Europe tour together with Vicious Rumors, and a couple of summer gigs in Germany. Then we all know what happened, the global pandemic, which basically put the band on hold for long time.
Your fourth album „Fatal Encounter“ will finally be released in february. What can you tell us about the record?
Fredrik: At last! It’s been a while, and it feels really good to finally release this beast. I think this record is something that both previous and new listeners will enjoy. We stick to what we do, keeping it melodic and traditional. For those familiar with our 2018 single “Demons Eye”, this album might feel like a progression of that soundscape.
With „Fatal Encounter“ you’re introducing both a new drummer and a new bass player, both of whom joined the band in 2019. How did that come to pass?
Fredrik: We already had quite a rotation of drummers going into 2019 and we needed that stable, backbone of a drummer that we could rely on. I’ve known William for years and he is a real pro drummer so it was an easy pick for us. I remember him sight-reading through ’Hold the flame’ on his first rehearsal with us. Impressive stuff! Jan was also an easy pick since Andy knew him from before as well and he is absolutely thunderous on the bass. Totally a top level player. With these guys in the line-up it’s like nothing can stop us from reaching for what we want to achieve musically.
How did the songwriting for the new album work? One would assume that six years are more than enough time to hone every song to perfection …
Andreas: While it has been 6 year since “Across The Line” I would say only the latest 1.5 years have been fully dedicated to make the album. The writing process went very smooth as Fredrik and I collaborated on most of the songs. I recorded instrumental demos in my home studio, and then we worked on vocal melodies and lyrics together.
And how did the recordings go down? Anything you deliberately did differently than before?
Andreas: We worked in a couple of different ways compared to “Across The Line”. The drums were recorded in Grand Recording Studios, Gothenburg. Guitars and bass were tracked in our home studios and the vocals were engineered by me and Fredrik in the rehearsal room. We are all interested in recording techniques so we did a lot on our own. I think it turned out really good!
Where do you see the biggest differences between „Fatal Encounter“ and its predecessor? How would you say has your music evolved over the years?
Fredrik: For starters and as mentioned above, we have two new players in the band which of course lends a different touch to the low-end of this album.
Looking back at our previous record, “Across The Line” was a quite fast process. For me at least. Songs were pretty much already written when I joined the band, so we just went into the studio and cut the vocal tracks over a week or two. So the end result was a little more raw in a sense as supposed to “Fatal Encounter” which has been thoroughly worked through knowing exactly what works best for my voice etc. Songwriting-wise I think this record may show a bit more diversity in the songs, cool instrumental breakdowns and some interesting themes. But you know, every record you do captures the spirit at the time being. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we’ll continue down this exact route looking forward. You never know where you’ll be in the next year or two.
How important is vintage sound for you? Does it have to be all miced up tube amps and tape machines or are you willing to use digital technology to make your music sound as good as possible?
Fredrik: Well, when we are speaking traditional heavy metal there is just something about that sound which was invented back in the analog era. So if you want to get it, you got to get it the right way. That doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t utilize modern tools and equipment which are very efficient compared to old school gear, but you gotta keep close attention to what sound you are creating so that you really capture that vibe.
Sweden has alway been one of the leading countries in metal, especially when it comes to the traditional sound. How would you say is the Swedish scene doing right now?
Fredrik: I must admit that I do not really keep that close attention on what’s going on at the moment haha, but there has always been a great output of music coming from Sweden. These days especially in the melodic rock scene, I would assume.
Inflation has significantly increased the cost for touring and many smaller to medium bands are struggling to make their tours happen. How are AIR RAID dealing with this?
Andreas: We have been so focused on the album so we haven’t dealt with those problems. I told the guys that it’s better we wait to play live. As the pandemic calmed down, all bands went crazy to go play, all at once. So in my opinion it’s better to wait until things have settled. I can totally believe smaller bands will struggle to make tours now though.
Speaking of which: Touring is finally possible again but it appears that Europe and especially Germany remain somewhat unpredictable for bands and bookers alike. Any chance to see AIR RAID on German stages soon?
Andreas: Of course it’s always a blast to play live. We have no gigs planned but it might change during this year, let’s see!
Thank you for the interview! Please let us do a short brainstorming in the end of this interview. What comes in your mind first reading the following terms:
Gothenburg sound: Sound of sea gulls (oh and that genre)
Yngwie Malmsteen: Groundbreaking in early 80s
Pay to play: Only on very special occasions
Nightliner: Fun and comfortable!
AIR RAID in 10 years: Andreas: I’m sure a couple of new albums have been born, and we have been back on the road several times. Hopefully played in countries we’ve never been before!
Once again thanks for your time. The last words are yours – is there anything left you want to tell our readers?
We want to give a big thank you to all amazing Raiders out there, who has supported us through the years!
21. Februar 2023 Thomas Meyns
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