Airstrike is a heavy metal band from Poland formed in 2014, releasing its debut album ‘Power In Your Hand’ in 2022.
Featuring eleven songs of heavy metal with a strong thrash leaning, the debut album from Polish metallers Airstrike clocks in at over an hour in length! And it will keep you headbanging for the entire hour. Exploding into life, ‘Power In Your Hand’ strides into sight with the heavy-hitting ‘First To Fight’, and a chant-style chorus that is fairly rabble-rousing and will have listeners punching the air with attitude and aggression. And to be honest, I feel there’s a little of the mighty Metallica riffing style tucked in there, too – which ain’t a bad thing! Moving swiftly on, the band stomp heavily for ‘Prey’, a thunderous and very heavy mid-tempo march of thrashy traditional heavy metal. A high melodious content keeps it catchy and mosh pit friendly, Airstrike proudly straddling the border between thrash and heavy metal.
Taking a heavier road, ‘It’s A Trap’ veers off in the direction of melodic thrash, ala bands such as Death Angel and Flotsam And Jetsam – Airstike attracting a very wide array of listeners, fans, and followers. But it’s American thrashers Metallica that the band sound most like – and that’s the last time I’ll say that, or I’ll just become a repetitive bore!
Moving to the lighter end of the metal genre, ‘You Got To Go’ glides into view on the crest of some hard rock style riffing – the band opening their sound up to an even wider audience. As ‘You Got To Go’ progresses it takes on the ambience of a tune for a Sunday afternoon drive in the country, pleasantly pleasing and overly relaxing. Bringing a much heavier feel to the fore, Airstrike breathes fire and brimstone with ‘Don’t You Dare’ – picking up the pace and tempo to become the fastest song heard so far. And the most thrash based to boot! The head bang ability increases tenfold from the previous song, with mosh pits coming alive with electric energy.
Switching styles, Airstrike launch a groove metal attack with the pulsating ‘Final Stand’ melding touches of Pantera with traditional heavy metal and serving it up in a coating of thrash! The diversity of songs on offer is incredible, the band not pigeonholing themselves into any one particular genre – much preferring to explore various ones to deliver a twisting, turning journey of variation. Exploding into life with the force of a thousand incendiary devices all going off at once, ‘Stop Breathing’ is a sharp burst of sizzling energy. Proceeding to become the fastest song on the album to this point, the band maintain a groove metal edge as ‘Stop Breathing’ switches to a mid-tempo thunder stomp…and back again! The head bang ability is rocketing off the fucking charts! A menace not heard so far takes over the airways as ‘Because Of War’ resumes the phenomenal groove metal style of Airstrike – the sinister stomping just as dark as the war the band sing about. Once again, the band is not afraid to mix up the styles of metal to provide listeners with an intriguing array of songs.
The title song ‘Power In Your Hand’ is a devastating slice of speed and aggression! The fastest song heard by the biggest of country miles, ‘Power In Your Hand’ (the song) is gonna become a mosh pit favourite – the head bang ability jumping right off the scale! What an absolute energy-driven banger of a tune – definitely a favourite of mine too! Exhibiting similarities to a thunderstorm, ‘I Deny’ is a heavy rumble of thrash-infused, traditional heavy metal. And the first song to show the iconic “foot on the monitor” feel.
Airstrike maintained their effort to deliver many variations of metal, focusing on the heavier side of the fence. And as the hour approaches, we reach the final song – without actually realising it’s been an hour already! The album keeps you hooked and never disappointing, ‘Keep Them Away’ closing the album as it began – in a flurry of crescendo building anticipation, launching into a heavy hitting, rabble-rousing, anthemic march of Metallica-Esque finesse. And oh dear, I mentioned Metallica again when I said I wouldn’t. But at least I left it ’til the end!
Overall, an hour plus of thrash-infused metal with heavy groove leanings and immense levels of energy and intensity
TRACKLIST
First-To-Fight
Prey
It’s A Trap
You Got To Go
Don’t You Dare
Final Stand
Stop Breathing
Because Of War
Power In Your Hand
I Deny
Keep Them Away
Airstrike: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: Poland
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
