The DragonForce Thread - Reaching Into Infinity out now!

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Annoying is one word for it.  But if he's just playing bass, he's not going to be talking right?

Pretty much. Although it's odd because Fred did the live growls/screams that added a little extreme fluorish to their music, so unless ol' Stevie T has some secret vocal chops, he'll just be on the bass.

I will say I love Stevie T. He is every bit as talented on guitar as Herman Li and Sam Totman. He can also sing well. He does do harsh vocals, but it isn't what he is best at.

[IDontNotDoThings]

+1 on Fred being the best musician in the band. It may have just been a co-incidence, but I think the songwriting got noticeably better on the albums since he joined, & the album he contributed most to (Reaching Into Infinity, in which 9/12 songs are credited to him) turned out to be one of my favourite metal albums ever. I don't understand what you have against him, Kattelox.

Semi-related: do we know how much of the new album he wrote? It seems like him deciding to leave to fulfill this "big opportunity" was well after the album was complete, but I don't think we have any confirmation of his influence on the album. (Highway To Oblivion is credited to Totman by the way.)

[The Walrus]

He's the worst songwriter in the band and his songwriting didn't contain what made Dragonforce special in the first place. I feel like people who say he's the best thing in the band therefore don't "get" why Dragonforce took off to begin with and instead like this weird commercialized thing Dragonforce became since their fifth album. His songs are offensively bad. He wrote their worst songs. I normally wouldn't complain but I feel like I just wrote about this last week. I mean you like what you like but to me it's unfathomable to call Fred the best part of the band when he's the exact opposite imo

[TAC]

Dragonforce was a gimmick. That's what made them "special".

[IDontNotDoThings]

He's the worst songwriter in the band and his songwriting didn't contain what made Dragonforce special in the first place. I feel like people who say he's the best thing in the band therefore don't "get" why Dragonforce took off to begin with and instead like this weird commercialized thing Dragonforce became since their fifth album. His songs are offensively bad. He wrote their worst songs. I normally wouldn't complain but I feel like I just wrote about this last week. I mean you like what you like but to me it's unfathomable to call Fred the best part of the band when he's the exact opposite imo

I'd hesitate to call Seasons, The Sun Is Dead, Ashes of the Dawn, Astral Empire, Curse of Darkness, Silence, Our Final Stand and The Edge of the World all "offensively bad", (especially considering that Prepare for War exists ) but ok.

[The Walrus]

Dragonforce was a gimmick. That's what made them "special".

No, they weren't and it actually irritates me when people say that. Speed is only a gimmick if you have nothing else of substance in your songwriting but Dragonforce incorporated shred with melody and epic (if silly) lyrics. They actively changed that style on Ultra Beatdown, Sam is on record admitting that, in order to please more people with shorter songs and solos which is what set them apart in the first place. Now they've stuck with the same tired lyrical template they've had since the early days, except it's about 1980s retro video game stuff and some vague reference to pain and heartbreak and standing before the world. At least back in the day they wrote about epic (if silly) things and the scale of the songs and solos within complemented that. They've had severe tonal clash for the last few albums between the lyrics, the music.

Fair play if you think generic half-assed stuff like Seasons and Silence and The Sun Is Dead is on the same level as Evening Star or Soldiers of the Wasteland but I just cannot fathom it, having watched the band morph and shift since the second album. But they were not a "gimmick" band in the past nor are they now. I just have no idea what they're trying to be anymore and that's confusing.

[The Walrus]

He's the worst songwriter in the band and his songwriting didn't contain what made Dragonforce special in the first place. I feel like people who say he's the best thing in the band therefore don't "get" why Dragonforce took off to begin with and instead like this weird commercialized thing Dragonforce became since their fifth album. His songs are offensively bad. He wrote their worst songs. I normally wouldn't complain but I feel like I just wrote about this last week. I mean you like what you like but to me it's unfathomable to call Fred the best part of the band when he's the exact opposite imo

I'd hesitate to call Seasons, The Sun Is Dead, Ashes of the Dawn, Astral Empire, Curse of Darkness, Silence, Our Final Stand and The Edge of the World all "offensively bad", (especially considering that Prepare for War exists ) but ok.

You think Prepare For War is bad but The Sun Is Dead is good? Did someone feed me crazy pills overnight or something? Guess all the 'old guard' Dragonforce fans jumped ship because the fanbase is clearly not something I recognize these days. Some of those songs are good, but Silence, Sun Is Dead, Seasons, and Edge of the World are massive duds to me. Not a single one of those has a hook as powerful and memorable as "Black Winter Night" or even "Operation Ground and Pound." And Marc's nasally voice is just hard to stand compared to ZP's huskier, more unique voice. Where the hell is twosuitsluke?

Well, you'll all love the new album, at least. It's the second weakest of the Marc era to me. But you guys win, I'll stop my bitching.

[TAC]

Just busting, K-lox. Man, this realy pushes your buttons..

[The Walrus]

Just busting, K-lox. Man, this realy pushes your buttons..

 

It sounds that way because I've just invested so much time/money/effort into the band since before I was a teenager and when I write music that early stuff is what speaks to me and I get nothing out of the new songs. It does push my buttons to some extent because I feel like the band has no more fans left who know what I'm talking about but it comes off way more serious in text. I'm just so confused at how ya'll perceive the band and don't get it!! 

[TAC]

I may do my next Deep Dive on the Dragonforce discography. I have all of the albums, expect for the first and their new one (is it out yet?). I can rectify that with my birthday gift card next month.

[The Walrus]

I may do my next Deep Dive on the Dragonforce discography. I have all of the albums, expect for the first and their new one (is it out yet?). I can rectify that with my birthday gift card next month.

You should've bought that first one after my rave review in my top 50 thread! 

New album comes out September 27th. It has a cover of that Celine Dion song on it. Hold on to your butts.

(Okay seriously, sorry for raining on the parade. I know I'm in the minority. But nobody else bumps this thread with news, sooo  )

[TAC]

It has a cover of that Celine Dion song on it.

Let me guess...that was Fred's idea.

[The Walrus]

Probably. I've been playing that song on piano for years! It's a great song!

[TAC]

Let me guess...that was Fred's idea.

Probably.  It's a great song!

AAHHH! Gotcha! 

[The Walrus]

Hey... shut up. 

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

"Frédéric said: "I had an amazing opportunity that will be announced soon"

So what bigger band than DF are missing a bassist atm, anyone? 

I can answer that, Kreator....apparently.

[The Walrus]

Good, he can go fuck up Kreator now too 

[MinistroRaven]

On September 27th, power metal legends DragonForce will perform at TwitchCon 2019 in San Diego, CA during the opening ceremony at the Glitch Theatre, to celebrate the launch of their 8th full-length, Extreme Power Metal. In addition to the live audience of thousands, this performance will be streamed live on Twitch. Guitarist Herman Li said, "I'm extremely excited to be part of the Twitch opening ceremony and to throw the biggest metal album launch party of the year. Everyone's invited! If you can't make it in person, make sure you join the livestream."

Twitch is a one-of-a-kind collision of subcultures, games, communities, and streamers co-creating content around everything they're into, with over 1.3 million people participating at any moment. For more information about how to watch, please visit: https://www.twitchcon.com/schedule/opening-ceremony

DragonForce guitarist Herman Li is a Twitch partner and has livestreamed DragonForce rehearsals, album recording sessions, and live shows. DragonForce plans to stream daily from their upcoming US tour (dates below), and Li will give away a guitar live on stream. Visit Herman Li's channel at: twitch.tv/hermanli

DragonForce will participate in a meet and greet session on Saturday at 2pm at the J!NX booth at TwitchCon; signed copies of Extreme Power Metal will be available at the booth throughout the weekend.

To preview and pre-order Extreme Power Metal in the USA, please visit: https://metalblade.com/dragonforce/ - where the record is available in the following formats:
- digipak-CD
- transparent purple w/ black/red/blue smoke vinyl (limited to 700 copies)
- transparent orange / red haze vinyl (limited to 300 copies)
* exclusive bundles with shirts, plus digital options are also available!

See below to pre-order the album in other territories:
--Europe, Australia, NZ, Latin America: https://dragonforce.lnk.to/ExtremePowerMetal
--Japan: http://wardrecords.com/page/special/dragonforce/

Extreme Power Metal track-listing
1. Highway to Oblivion (video: https://youtu.be/Rn5CsAs798I)
2. Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine
3. The Last Dragonborn
4. Heart Demolition (video: https://youtu.be/DDtaDWel5bs)
5. Troopers of the Stars
6. Razorblade Meltdown
7. Strangers
8. In a Skyforged Dream
9. Remembrance Day
10. My Heart Will Go On

DragonForce US West Coast Tour
w/ special guests Dance with the Dead, Starkill
Tickets - http://dragonforce.com/ + VIP - http://bit.ly/DragonForceVIP
Oct. 1 - Encore - Tucson, AZ
Oct. 2 - Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
Oct. 3 - Vinyl @ Hard Rock - Las Vegas, NV
Oct. 4 - Strummers - Fresno, CA
Oct. 5 - Cargo - Reno, NV
Oct. 6 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
Oct. 7 - The Red Room - Vancouver, BC
Oct. 8 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
Oct. 10 - August Hall - San Francisco, CA
Oct. 11 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
Oct. 12 - Ventura Theater - Ventura, CA
Oct. 13 - Megacruise - Los Angeles, CA, USA *
*=only DragonForce

DragonForce UK Tour
w/ special guests Lovebites + McRocklin & Hutch
Tickets - http://dragonforce.com/ + VIP - http://bit.ly/DragonForceVIP
Nov. 2 - Liquid Rooms - Edinburgh, UK *sold-out
Nov. 3 - Welly - Hull, UK
Nov. 4 - Stylus - Leeds, UK
Nov. 5 - Academy 2 - Manchester, UK
Nov. 6 - Institute - Birmingham, UK
Nov. 8 - Forum - London, UK
Nov. 9 - The Waterfront - Norwich, UK
Nov. 11 - Engine Rooms - Southampton, UK
Nov. 12 - Tramshed - Cardiff, UK
Nov. 13 - Roadmember - Northampton, UK
Nov. 14 - Northumbria Institute - Newcastle, UK

DragonForce Europe Tour
Tickets - http://dragonforce.com/ + VIP - http://bit.ly/DragonForceVIP
Feb. 3 - Zappa - Anthwerp, Belgium
Feb. 4 - Tivoli Vredenburg - Utrecht, Holland
Feb. 5 - 013 - Tilburg, Holland *sold-out
Feb. 6 - TBC - Germany
Feb. 7 - TBC - Germany
Feb. 8 - La Laiterie - Strasbourg, France
Feb. 9 - CCO - Lyon, France
Feb. 11 - La Machine du Moulin Rouge - Paris, France
Feb. 12 - Krakatoa Club - Bordeaux, France
Feb. 13 - Metronum - Toulouse, France
Feb. 14 - L'Usine - Istres (Marseille), France
Feb. 15 - Konzertfabrick Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
Feb. 16 - Les Docks - Lausanne, Switzerland

About DragonForce:
Known as the fastest band in the world, Grammy-nominated extreme power metal band DragonForce is based in London, England. Their platinum-selling record, Through the Fire and Flames, brought them international acclaim and was featured as the most-challenging song on Guitar Hero III. Their energetic and humorous live performances have won them fans on every continent.

The group is known for their long, complex and fast guitar solos performed by Herman Li and Sam Totman, who founded the band after meeting through a classified ad in 1999. Since then, the band has released seven studio albums, including Valley of the Damned (2003), Sonic Firestorm (2004), Inhuman Rampage (2006), Ultra Beatdown (2008), The Power Within (2012), Maximum Overload (2014), and Reaching into Infinity (2017). 2019 brings the next chapter in DragonForce history: Extreme Power Metal!

Regarding Extreme Power Metal, Li says, "This album again combines the best of DragonForce in an even bigger, more epic way than we have ever done before. We are so excited for fans to hear it!" The keyboards of this new album was performed by Coen Janssen of symphonic metal titan Epica, bringing a new dimension into a DragonForce album. Totman says, "We worked really closely with Coen on this new album. We are so happy with what he has brought into this new album. Every fan will be so happy to hear his majestic playing!"

Drawing from a wide range of influences, the band's sound combines the sing-a-long choruses of classic 80's rock with triumphant, uplifting melodies and fantasy-themed power-metal-inspired lyrics. As a nod to their passion for all things video-game related, the band frequently incorporates retro game sounds and melodies into their recordings and live shows.

Following the release of Extreme Power Metal, DragonForce will begin their world tour in support of it. Li promises, "In this age, where our music is easily accessible, I am not going to waste time trying to describe the sound of our new album. I'll let the music do the talking! However, what I can tell you is, our upcoming tour will be our biggest in a decade. We have a massive epic production and a really special surprise for VIPs. We can't wait to see everyone out on the road!"

DragonForce online:
https://youtube.com/dragonforce
https://instagram.com/dragonforcehq
twitch.tv/hermanli
https://twitter.com/dragonforce
https://facebook.com/dragonforce

[IDontNotDoThings]

*snip*

I think you're a little behind dude, most of that info has already been posted in the thread.

(By the way, I just realised there's only one more week until the album release. )

[IDontNotDoThings]

The new album sucks.

[The Walrus]

The new album sucks.

Yeah I've been sitting on it for a while and hoo boy

[ZKX-2099]

I would say it's as good as their last. No duds like Silence that's for sure.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

The new album sucks.

Yeah I've been sitting on it for a while and hoo boy

Y'all have lost your minds 

[IDontNotDoThings]

My thoughts in more detail:

Highway To Oblivion - It's alright. Very typical DragonForce song but not terrible. That said, the solo section is a bit too long for my liking, & I think most of the melodies are done better in Heart Of The Storm. Believe it or not I think I prefer the video edit.
Cosmic Power... - Abysmal. I have no idea what they were going for. Half the time the mix is so bad that you can hardly hear the guitars, Marc's vocal melodies are almost ear-bleedingly high-pitched, & the chorus is so damn unsatisfying.
The Last Dragonborn - Very boring for DragonForce's ballad standards. I don't really feel anything emotional behind the song like I did with Silence or You're Not Alone, & it all feels very stock. The asian instrument thing is pretty cool though.
Heart Demolition - This one's pretty good. The pre-chorus is a bit aimless, but it's catchy enough to keep me invested & the retro synths are nice. This is the first song I fully like & of course it's written by Fred.
Troopers Of The Stars - This song's speed & power is overwhelming, & there isn't really any contrast to justify it. Astral Empire and Midnight Madness were similarly aggressive, but their melodic choruses helped to keep me engaged & made it feel like the speed meant something. I think this song tries to do something like that, but again, this horrendous mix means that I can't even hear the fucking chords. What a waste of time.
Razorblade Meltdown - Same as above, but to a lesser extent. The melodies are quite a bit more annoying though.
Stranger - This song's alright, but it's basically Summer's End again except this time it gives me a headache after listening to it.
In A Skyforged Dream - Generic DragonForce song. It's fast, it's got a triumphant chorus, it's got some shredding, it's all so fucking stock & I don't care about any of it. This is what I imagine DragonForce sounds like to people who hate DragonForce.
Remembrance Day - It's alright, but again it's not something that sweeps me off my feet or anything.
My Heart Will Go On - It's like their Ring of Fire cover, but instead of the genres working together surprisingly well, now they're just kind of smashed together & the result sounds extremely gimmicky. It sounds like something out of GenericYoutuber6459's "10 Pop Songs Done In METAL Style lmao i'm so original xD". This band has never sounded more like a gimmick, which is amazing to me because they're a band that was basically built on a gimmick right from the beginning. Listening to this track almost makes me feel like I'm too old for DragonForce or something, but then I remember that (to a certain extent) I can enjoy all of their other albums. The speed & shredding were defining factors of course, but there were still some wonderful melodies, guitar harmonies that could be downright beautiful, & a sense of immersion into the songs' worlds from beginning to end. There were many duds of course, but it was always clear to me that their flaws & cliches existed in spite of their compositional ability, not that they were the only redeeming quality that pushed the songs forward. This album on the other hand feels like all the band's flaws and cliches without any of the good shit that made them tolerable. This was a painful listen that I can undoubted say is the band's worst album after a long streak of self-improvement. What a disappointment.

TL;DR Fuck this album, listen to the new Opeth instead.

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

The problem with DF these days is that I think they take themself a bit too unserious and is a parody of themself which is ironic. Yes their music is over the top but it can still be great songs with good writing. When I first heard TtFaF that was like a serious musical facepunch, I loved every second of it but that was before the whole meme and guitar hero years.

[The Walrus]

EDIT: A little too harsh on the band.

[Ben_Jamin]

Dragonforce are playing here tonight. Was thinking of going, just to see Starkill and check out Dragonforce. But after seeing their set I'm not to sure.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dragonforce/2019/convention-center-san-diego-ca-139c21f1.html

[The Walrus]

I'll copy what I shared on a Facebook group and for what it's worth the general consensus seemed to lean towards my opinions here, although there are a fair number of people of course who love the record. Also, I legit think that Celine Dion cover is the best song on the album, for what it's worth. I think that'll be more fun than Ring of Fire, which they've played out.

I've been sitting on it for a month and still don't know how to feel about it (despite how long this comment is). It lacks any sense of sincerity like their first few albums had - as silly as those records were there was this sense of authenticity and "holy shit these guys are really trying to make some epic fucking power metal" that has steadily been lost with each subsequent album. Marc sounds tired and whinier than usual and uses the same tiny handful of cadences he's honed in his tenure with the band. There are keyboards not played by Vadim which is just bizarre on a Dragonforce album, even more bizarre that there is at least one keyboard solo.

There's some interesting music on here, particularly the marching vibe of Remembrance Day, and I genuinely enjoy the Celine Dion cover. But the rest is full of silliness and braindead lyricism that got old the first eighteen times I heard "stand before the world" and other crappy lyrics about pain and fire. Add in the weird 80s bandwagon aesthetic and very bad music videos and I just don't know what the point of their music is at this point.

It's decent. It's not as bad as I expected it to be, yet I don't think it's half as good as Maximum Overload. It lacks the valleys of Reaching Into Infinity, but also fails to reach Infinity's high points. Probably my 3rd favorite record of the Marc era. It just sounds tired, uninspired, and even after playing it multiple times, there's not a whole lot begging me to come back.

A Dragonforce without Vadim just isn't Dragonforce to me, and especially considering how they treated him recently and how they handled his leaving the band... I'm basically at 'whatever' status with this band now. I don't think they'll recover. Vadim was an enormous part of their identity.

[Ben_Jamin]

Decided to see the show. Starkill was great, since the last rime I saw them they acquired a female singer which adds a lot to their sound

Never heard Dance With The Dead.

Dragonforce is the, why not.


Edit: I guess this is their actual set.

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/dragonforce/2019/encore-tucson-az-b9c0132.html

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

I'm just going to leave this here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYGTpQsU_GA

have fun

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Never heard Dance With The Dead.

They're actually pretty cool, a mix of Synthwave and Metal. If you enjoy that kind of mix that is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6UI3ukWfA

[Mister Gold]

I'm just going to leave this here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYGTpQsU_GA

have fun

Okay, I had quite a good laugh from this.

[Ben_Jamin]

Never heard Dance With The Dead.

They're actually pretty cool, a mix of Synthwave and Metal. If you enjoy that kind of mix that is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dS6UI3ukWfA

They were ok. Not really my thing though.

[Lonk]

I'm just going to leave this here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYGTpQsU_GA

have fun

Herman Li reacted to it

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Me9oy2HZuhw

Well Sam as there too!

[MrBoom_shack-a-lack]

Aquiles Priester playthrough of Through the Fire and Flames.

Love the pattern with the two ride bells.