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Rolf Kasparek finally returns as Rock 'n' Rolf in this new Running Wild endeavor. Accompanied by his longtime friend Peter Jordan (guitar), the leader and creator of the pirate metal genre seems to have listened to the rants of thousands of fans and decided to release a decent album for once.

Rapid Foray feels like a detoxification to Rolf's lunacy, which lasted for more than a decade. Of course, there are still mediocre tracks such as "Stick to Your Guns", "Hellectrified" and "Blood Moon Rising", mid-paced songs that drag themselves in a very similar way to the Shadowmaker and Resilient albums, and "By the Blood in Your Heart", an epic anthem wannabe that fails miserably; the programmed drumming doesn't help these songs either. But there are good songs this time, worthy of the Running Wild legend, like the fun and safe "Black Skies, Red Flag", the awesome duo "Warmongers" and "Black Bart" (best song of the album), and the beautifully crafted "The Depth of the Sea (Nautilus)", an instrumental juggernaut that takes you back to the old golden days of pirate metal. "The Last of the Mohicans" also delivers a great atmosphere and could easily be compared to "War & Peace", "Treasure Island" or "Genesis (The Making and the Fall of Man)", mainly in the length and the epic passages with turns of pace.

What we have here is a mixed album with two great tracks, four good ones and five that are mediocre. This would be enough for a 2.75 or 3, but Rolf gets points for putting his mind back on track again. Rapid Foray is, easily, the best Running Wild album since The Rivalry.