The latest album from Air force showcases the band's ability to evolve their sound while staying true to the signature style that has defined them for years. Created during challenging times, the album represents a bold step forward for the band, blending their hard rock and heavy metal influences into a powerful collection of tracks. Despite the adversity they faced, including the global pandemic and the tragic loss of their producer and close friend Pete Franklin, the band forged ahead with unwavering determination. The project took a poignant turn after Franklin's passing, as the band lost many of the original recordings. Fortunately, long time collaborator Jeez Coed stepped in to help bring the album to completion.

If you like your like old school Heavy Metal and nostalgic then look no further. Air force “Acts Of Madness”. The opening track “Among The Shadows” is a lively energetic start the galloping riffs ,melodic guitar solo with some distorted vocals mid track.”Life Turns To Dust” has an eerie knock with a creaking door to follow before having that heavy rhythmic riffs and melody again with Flavia Lino struggling to be heard, been drowned out at times by the music. ”The Fury” which at the beginning the guitar riffs are similar to that of Maiden ,Flavia Lino lets go with some Heavy Metal high screeching vocals, ”Cursed Moon” has the howling wolves as the intro before a deep bass line kicks off the track which is a catchy groove with those drum patterns from Doug Sampson rather same old. Doug Sampson spent a couple of years in the seventies as the drummer for Iron Maiden, with the odd guest appearance later on in their career so the influence is pretty obvious.

"Sniper" is a Heavy Hard Rock track and off course it has the loading and firing of the gun at the start, again galloping riffs with dramatic growling vocals some high in parts. ”Lost Forever” offers a bit of a break from the heavy tracks before this track, some acoustic passages, more high pitched vocals, as the track proceeds it gets more heavy towards the end. ”West world” sees Air force get back in their zone with the same formula galloping riffs ,drums with that Maiden sound, Flavia Lino sounds like the Heavy Metal legend Bruce Dickinson vocally too. ”Heroes” with the air raid siren intro , a song about our fallen heroes of wars of yesteryear ,nothing new or different but a good track NWOBHM track, one of the albums strongest offerings. ”Obliterated” is a heavy instrumental piece. ”Hacksaw Ridge” has a mid tempo pace its chugs along, with Flavia Lino delivering a great vocal. It just had to be “ Strange World” an Iron Maiden for the finale track a ballad ,which in places is more powerful in places than the original which leans to a bit of a doom metal style from Air force which is a more powerful heavier version.

“Acts Of Madness” is nothing new or groundbreaking musically it motors along nicely and is not a bad album. As I said in the beginning its an album for fans of Heavy Metal old school style. Parts of the album are predictable, some of the tracks are same old, there's nothing diverse or different as the saying goes “It does what it says on the tin!” Definitely sounds like Iron Maiden influenced musically and vocally which is no criticism. Not a classic album just average but has some good tracks.