Dragonforce releases new album
Jordan Collier
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Features
They've been described as Journey-meets-Slayer, Bon Jovi on speed, and Nintendo metal. The band known as Dragonforce, hailing from the shores of Great Britain, finally made their way into mainstream circles last year when their blistering single Through the Fire and Flames made an appearance on Guitar Hero 3.
Now they're back with the follow-up album titled Ultra Beatdown, and despite what you may have heard about their live performances, this album is definitely worth checking out at least once for any power metal fan.
A common misconception is that all Dragonforce songs sound the same. While that may be true to the untrained ear, there are definitely plenty of nuances here for fans familiar with the band or the genre.
For the uninitiated, the band's sound can most directly be compared to groups like Helloween, Falconer, or Iron Maiden being played faster than it has any right to be. The core sound remains the same on Ultra Beatdown, but the band has experimented with a few new sounds to change up the flavor slightly. The third track, Reasons to Live, even has a Santana-esque interlude.
The stars of the show are still Herman Li and Sam Totman, with their dual guitar melodies and blazing fast solos. ZP Theart still belts out high notes on vocals. Dave Mackintosh's drum lines really help bring up images of war and valiant deeds, and keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov delivers a diverse range of sounds. Frédéric Leclercq underscores the whole thing with driving bass lines.
Lyrical content runs the usual gamut of long journeys, war, and other fantasy-inspired topics. My personal favorite is Inside the Winter Storm, which has the coolest intro. The Last Journey Home is a close second, with an amazing bridge that leads into an equally impressive solo.
As usual, most of the songs have an uplifting and melodic feel to them, but that doesn't mean the aggressive guitars have been toned down in the slightest. There are still plenty of spots where the dual guitars sound absolutely vicious, without crossing over into the realm of death or heavy metal (although I'd certainly be curious as to what a Dragonforce death metal album would sound like).
I'm bothered by the fact that two of the songs are only available on the special edition of the album. Strike of the Ninja and Scars of Yesterday both have a Nintendo metal sound-and they're definitely worth the extra four bucks if you're a fan.
The special edition also comes in a black slipcase, has a bonus DVD with a 15-minute behind-the-scenes look at the recording process, and another short segment about the creation of Herman Li's signature guitar line. Both videos are chock-full of Dragonforce humor and show the band goofing off in a relaxed setting.
If you didn't like Dragonforce before, it's doubtful this album will change your mind. But fans can be sure this album wasn't phoned in after the success with Guitar Hero 3. So if wickedly fast guitar licks, epic lyrical content, and keyboards are your thing, go check out Ultra Beatdown.
Now they're back with the follow-up album titled Ultra Beatdown, and despite what you may have heard about their live performances, this album is definitely worth checking out at least once for any power metal fan.
A common misconception is that all Dragonforce songs sound the same. While that may be true to the untrained ear, there are definitely plenty of nuances here for fans familiar with the band or the genre.
For the uninitiated, the band's sound can most directly be compared to groups like Helloween, Falconer, or Iron Maiden being played faster than it has any right to be. The core sound remains the same on Ultra Beatdown, but the band has experimented with a few new sounds to change up the flavor slightly. The third track, Reasons to Live, even has a Santana-esque interlude.
The stars of the show are still Herman Li and Sam Totman, with their dual guitar melodies and blazing fast solos. ZP Theart still belts out high notes on vocals. Dave Mackintosh's drum lines really help bring up images of war and valiant deeds, and keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov delivers a diverse range of sounds. Frédéric Leclercq underscores the whole thing with driving bass lines.
Lyrical content runs the usual gamut of long journeys, war, and other fantasy-inspired topics. My personal favorite is Inside the Winter Storm, which has the coolest intro. The Last Journey Home is a close second, with an amazing bridge that leads into an equally impressive solo.
As usual, most of the songs have an uplifting and melodic feel to them, but that doesn't mean the aggressive guitars have been toned down in the slightest. There are still plenty of spots where the dual guitars sound absolutely vicious, without crossing over into the realm of death or heavy metal (although I'd certainly be curious as to what a Dragonforce death metal album would sound like).
I'm bothered by the fact that two of the songs are only available on the special edition of the album. Strike of the Ninja and Scars of Yesterday both have a Nintendo metal sound-and they're definitely worth the extra four bucks if you're a fan.
The special edition also comes in a black slipcase, has a bonus DVD with a 15-minute behind-the-scenes look at the recording process, and another short segment about the creation of Herman Li's signature guitar line. Both videos are chock-full of Dragonforce humor and show the band goofing off in a relaxed setting.
If you didn't like Dragonforce before, it's doubtful this album will change your mind. But fans can be sure this album wasn't phoned in after the success with Guitar Hero 3. So if wickedly fast guitar licks, epic lyrical content, and keyboards are your thing, go check out Ultra Beatdown.