If it wasn’t for the fact that I know this album was only recorded in 2020, I would swear it was lost tapes from the Seventies, but in some ways it possibly is. Air Raid were originally formed by singer and multi-instrumentalist Arthur Offen and guitarist Rick Hinkle back in 1973. Like many others they played as a covers band under one name, and then occasionally used the name Air Raid for their own material and managed to get signed by 20th Century Fox Records who brought in none other than Eddie Kramer to produce their debut album. However, with a lack of management and support the album failed to sell when released in 1981 and the band dissolved not long afterwards.
Fast forward multiple decades and Offen got back in touch with Hinkle and suggested recording a new Air Raid album, including some songs which were originally rejected by Kramer and this is the result. Drummer Jimmy Porter was brought in, but apart from that all instruments were provided by Offen and Hinkle. What one hears immediately is not only just how good the songs are, but also what a great voice Offen has. He is quite theatrical in his approach and his vocals feel more rounded and dynamic than many with a real depth and breadth. When this is added to good old fashioned melodic hard rock, using traditional sounds, then this album becomes a real time machine. There cannot be many musicians out there these days who proudly talk about how much they have been influenced by Paul Kantner and Gary Brooker, and I am sure there will be quite a few asking who they both were (if you fall into this camp then you need to do some research).
There are plenty of American melodic rock albums which sound as if they have been sanitised and smoothed over until there is nothing left of worth to hear, but this takes us back to a time when Styx were still making dynamic music and deserves far more than to be heard by just a select few as this is a delight from beginning to end with great songs and superb vocals.
Rating: 8/10
Links:
https://www.arthuroffen.com/
