- You guys go back a fair few years, reforming in 2016. What made you
guys get back together?
Around 2015/16, Diehard fans of Iron Maiden had tracked Airforce down via Doug and Chops Maiden connections.
This led to the early Airforce track “Wargames”, with Doug’s brother Sam Sampson as our then vocalist, being released on the Maiden themed compilation Album “Origins of Iron”.
This track was very well received, so Chop and Doug along with Andy Holloway and Erwin Lucas conceived, compiled and released the “Judgement Day” Album.
This is where I came back in.
I received a phone call from Chop about the upcoming release of “Judgement Day” and the launch party, which up until then I was unaware of.
Chop,
Doug and I met up again and decided to reunite again as Airforce with
the 3 original musician members 26 years after we disbanded in 1990.
2. Any line-up changes?
Chop, Tony & Doug have remained consistent, only vocalists have changed this time around since reforming in 2016. (It can seem a little confusing with different
vocalists with different nationalities).
Dilian Arnaudov, joined Airforce as vocalist, late summer 2016, although Bulgarian, Dilian was living in London at that time.
Dilian appears on the Airforce EP CD’s, The Black Box Recordings Vol 1 & Vol 2.
After Airforce played at the Hills of Rock festival in Bulgaria, July 2018, Dilian decided to quit Airforce due to personal reasons and return to Bulgaria permanently.
In stepped Ivan Gianini as Airforce vocalist in August 2018 , Ivan lives in Italy which had its challenges.
Ivan wasn’t new to Airforce as he had been our Guest Airforce vocalist for the Spring 2018 Airforce USA tour, due to Dilian being refused a US entry visa, for reasons
still unknown.
Original Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Mario Day joined Airforce for a one off show ‘Cart Day” on 20 01 19, whilst over in the UK from Australia for an Iron Maiden
original Line up reunion organised by Steve Harris.
While in the UK Paul Mario Day recorded the Airforce song “Band of Brothers” for a special edition Airforce Single.
Ivan Gianini stayed with Airforce until June 2019 where he was sharing Airforce vocal duties with Flavio Lino.
Lino (As he likes to be called) is from Portugal where he lives.
Both Ivan and Lino could not make all the Airforce scheduled live shows, so they were shared out between them, Ivan doing some, Lino doing some.
Early in 2019 Ivan joined Italian metal giants, Vision Devine, but still works with Airforce from time to time and features, as a guest vocalist on the new Airforce
Album “Strike Hard”.
Lino became the main Airforce vocalist in March 2019, although Ivan joined Airforce for the April 2019 USA tour as plans were already made.
Lino is now the permanent Airforce vocalist, but Ivan remains our great Airforce friend.
3. How does it feel to record again as Airforce?
It feels fantastic to record again as Airforce.
We didn’t record much in the early days, and these early recordings were only released as the 2016 Judgement Day retrospective Airforce Album, so we have a lot of
catching up to do.
4. Tell us about your new album "Strike Hard"
The new Airforce Album "Strike Hard" consists of 10 tracks on the Digital version with 11 tracks on the CD version.
We have 3 very special guests joining us for various songs on this
Album, Paul Dianno, Ivan Gianini and Zal Cleminson. Album track-listing:
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 (CD bonus)
“Fight” 1st appeared on Black Box 1 and “Finest Hour” 1st appeared on Black Box 2.
“Band of Brothers” was 1st recorded with Paul Mario Day as vocalist.
These are new versions with Lino as vocalist.
.”Die for You”, “Son of the Damned”, “I Feel Your Pain”, “The Reaper” & “The War Inside” are new songs
“The Reaper” features a guest appearance from Ivan Gianini sharing the vocals with Lino
“Don’t
Look in Her Eyes” is a reworking of and old EL-34 song features a guest
appearance from the Beast, Paul Dianno sharing the vocals with Lino
EL-34 were the Band Chop and Tony had before Doug joined and changed to Airforce.
EL-34 date back to 1979.
“War Games” is a new version of the song that kicked off the Airforce reformation, originally released on the Maiden themed compilation Album “Origins of Iron”.
“Faith
Healer” is a cover of the classic “Sensational Alex Harvey Band song”
and features a guest appearance from the legendary original Alex Harvey
Band guitarist, “Zal Cleminson”.
5. How did recording go?
The Recording process went very well.
We recorded with our very good long term friend Pete Franklin as Engineer at his Studios in East London.
Pete Franklin is lead vocalist and guitarist in his own metal band “Chariot”
6. Any live shows planned?
There was, but due to the Virus Pandemic live music has ceased for the time being.
Airforce have had to postpone our April 2020 US tour.
We had UK shows planned that were cancelled along with an appearance at the German “Headbangers Open Air” Festival and a Festival in Malta to name but a few.
Hopefully all will be rescheduled for 2021 but who knows for sure when Live music will return.
7. Any regrets from them past with Airforce?
No regrets, just happy to be back playing again and making classic metal music.
8. Hopes for the future?
For Airforce to get back out playing live again and to continue our recording career.
We have a Live Album recorded in Poland last year, in the pipeline for our next release.
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Hi and thanks for your input!