Dragonforce - Inhuman Rampage
(Roadrunner) 2006
1. "Through
The Fire And The Flames" (7:18)
2. "Revolution Deathsquad" (7:51)
3. "Storming The Burning Fields" (5:16)
4. "Operation Ground And Pound" (7:42)
5. "Body Breakdown" (6:57)
6. "Cry For Eternity" (8:10)
7. "The Flame Of Youth" (6:39)
8. "Trail Of Broken Hearts" (5:52)
Dragonforce were all the rage in the U.S. in '06 thanks in part to the band being added to the infamous Ozzfest. Apparently the band is already quite popular in Europe. I've never been one to care about bands based on popularity, so I was in no rush to check them out. I was also less than impressed with the geeky sounding bandname. Somehow I expected themes of dungeons, dragons. witches and warlocks. However, I took the advice of those who emailed me about hte band and decided to give 'em a spin. Surprisingly, Dragonforce are quite interesting and much, much better than I expected. While they would most certainly fall under the power metal category and their lyrics are the typical, fanstasy, power metal fare, they have a unique sound that moves them outside the pack. Their music is incredibly fast, yet still amazingly coherent and melodic with clean, mid-range vocals. The drums and guitars are so fast it almost sounds inhuman. I mean, my jaw hit the floor at how fast and precise some of the guitar riffs and solos were. Even the keys are used in such a way as to not take away from the overall heaviness and speed of the band. Unfortunately the band's fascination with speed makes the album sound somewhat samey throughout. The one exception would be album closer "Tail of Broken Hearts" which is a melodic ballad. However, a bit more variety in tempo throughout might have made for a more memorable listen. Despite this complaint, there is something fascinating about the Dragonforce sound that holds my attention and I can totally understand why the band have managed such a quick climb to success. I can honestly say that Dragonforce have helped to set a new standard for power metal. The band labels themselves Extreme Power Metal. Indeed!
Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown (Roadrunner) 2008
1. "Heroes of Our Times"
(7:14)
2. "The Fire Still Burns" (7:50)
3. "Reasons to Live" (6:26)
4. "Heartbreak Armageddon" (7:41)
5. "The Last Journey Home" (8:12)
6. "A Flame for Freedom" (5:20)
7. "Inside the Winter Storm" (8:12)
8. "The Warrior Inside" (7:15)
Dragonforce are one of those buzz bands that I get a ton of emails about and seem to generate a lot of talk among the Hot Topic crowds. Thanks to their appearances on Ozzfest and on the extremely popular video game series Guitar Hero, Dragonforce has skyrocketed in popularity. There is nothing wrong with any of this in and of itself. I mean, I love some very popular bands. However, Dragonforce are now four albums into their recording career and they have created four albums that are undistinguishable from the next. "Ultra Beatdown" brings nothing new to the table whatsoever. It features the same song structures, computerized guitars, nearly mute bass, obnoxious keyboards, silly video game sounds and all the same gimmicks.
Ultra Beatdown displays the same incredibly fast playing. As with "Inhuman Rampage" the band's fascination with speed makes the album lack variety. This is also my problem with a lot of black metal. It's speed for speed's sake and nothing more. I've never been overly concerned with how fast a band is. Speed is cool, but it can sort of trap you into a corner as well. Nothing wrong with a good mid-paced riff or even a slow doomy riff, or for that matter a ballad. It's all good IMO. That's what makes bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden so great is that they balance all those things. That's not to say there aren't some slower parts peppered throughout, such as the short break in "Heartbreak Armageddon", but these are the exception, not the rule.
Those who like their trademark sound will probably find this album to their liking as well. Motorhead, AC/DC and many other bands have stuck to a distinct sound for decades, so I suppose that Dragonforce can too. I suppose the difference for me is that I find something memorable about songs from AC/DC and Motorhead, while this time around Dragonforce left me with nothing.
Oh and one final note, this has to be one of the cheesiest album titles since "Intravenous de Milo". Dragonforce either have a strange sense of humor or are some of the biggest dweebs in metal.