Dragonforce – The Power Within

4 Stars

If you like to bang your head to the beat of heavy metal rock’n’roll, then Dragonforce should litter your music collection. Formed in London in 1999, they have been screaming through the skies of heavy metal since.

Dragonforce are designated into many categories: heavy metal, heavy rock, extreme power metal – whatever you call it, Dragonforce fit the bill. The music rushes out at you at one hundred miles an hour, and once the album is over, it leaves you exhausted. The band members call their music Extreme Power Metal. Whatever; it is very fast.

The sound is based on a driving rhythm section with the dual guitars of Li and Totman laid down over the top. The lengthy guitar solos are played at the high end of the register, giving it a very trebly, bleepy sound with arpeggios and pitch-bends. Perfectly suited to video games, which probably means you have heard Dragonforce more than you think.

This was Dragonforce’s fifth studio album (2012) and the first to feature new vocalist Marc Hudson who the band took quite a chance on, as he had never been a professional musician before joining the band. But their faith was justified by his performance on this album and subsequent tours. He remains at the helm of the band to this day.

Another dramatic change for Dragonforce on this album was losing many of the Demons and Wizards lyrics from the first four albums. The fantasy lyrics have certainly not disappeared but no longer dominate. As is reflected in the artwork for the album cover, there’s not a Hobbit, Goblin or Orc in sight.

The band was formed around the dual lead guitars of Li and Totman, who have remained the nucleus of the band since then, with other positions in the band changing rapidly over the years. But, despite all the changes, there is little difference in the sound.

The use of electronics is used sparingly but to great effect. The first four studio albums were full-on speed metal, but finally, on this album, there are small sections and passages where the foot is taken off the throttle and there is room to breathe, giving the music more depth.

Not to say that Dragonforce no longer breathe fire, as they certainly do. The album opener ‘Holding On’ is more of a demand than a request. New boy Marc Hudson opens up, showing his prowess before the guitars and band come rushing in.

The album roars on in similar fashion for the next four tracks with awesome riffs and screaming guitar solos. ‘Fallen World’ was the fastest track ever released by Dragonforce up to that point, coming in at 220 beats per minute. Of course, Dragonforce being Dragonforce, they upped this to 240 beats per minute on the next album!

At what they do, there is nobody better. Finally, on the fifth track, ‘Wings of Liberty,’ you are lulled into a false sense of security for a minute with a beautiful opening before the whole band come rushing back in.

‘Seasons’ does have a slight variation in pace, but by any other band would still be considered a powerful fast rocker. For the next four songs, the band keep the pedal to the metal with more of the same.

The album ends with an acoustic take on ‘Seasons’ to show that the band does have the musical scope to play in a different style if they so desire.

There is then some bonus material tacked on, but quite honestly, they are pretty superfluous.

Sam Totman is the main musical contributor, with lyrics written by various band members.

Only given a 4-star rating, as Dragonforce really needs to give their music a lot more variation. Sometimes it is difficult to tell one track from another, especially in the rather long instrumental passages. But then, somebody has to fly the freak flag of this sort of music.

Written By Mott The Dog. Often found Head banging at Fletchers’ Folly, Siam Country Club Road, on the Dark Side of Pattaya.

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