| DragonForce | |
|---|---|
 DragonForce in 2007 performing in Melbourne
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | DragonHeart |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genre(s) | Power metal |
| Years active | 1999 – present |
| Label(s) | Sanctuary, Noise, Roadrunner |
| Associated acts | Demoniac, Power Quest, Shadow Warriors |
| Website | dragonforce.com |
| Members | |
| Herman Li Sam Totman ZP Theart Vadim Pruzhanov Dave Mackintosh Frédéric Leclercq |
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| Former members | |
| Adrian Lambert Didier Almouzni Diccon Harper Steve Scott Steve Williams |
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DragonForce are an English power metal band formed in London in 1999. Melbourne ( is the second most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 3 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Power metal is a style of Heavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional metal with Thrash metal or Speed metal, often within In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Sanctuary Records is a Record label based in the United Kingdom and a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. See also Noise Records (UK Noise Records is a German Record label founded by German Music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach Roadrunner Records (Roadrunner Music Group BV is a Record label that concentrates on heavy metal bands Demoniac was a Black metal band from New Zealand formed in Auckland in 1993 by singer and bass player Lindsay Dawson Power Quest is an Anglo - Italian Power metal band based in the United Kingdom. Shadow Warriors was formed by Guitarist Sam Totman of DragonForce in late 2000 as a Side project. Herman Li ( Chinese:李康敏 is the lead and rhythm Guitarist backing vocalist and producer in the Power metal band DragonForce Sam Totman (born August 8, 1979 in Hertfordshire England) is a guitarist and main songwriter for the Power metal band DragonForce ZP Theart (born January 22 1975 in Clanwilliam South Africa) is the vocalist for British Power metal band DragonForce. Vadim Pruzhanov (Ukrainian Вадим Пружанов (born June 18, 1982 in Ukraine, Soviet Union) is the Keyboardist of Dave "Compact Dynamo" Mackintosh (born December 15th, 1977 in Glasgow, Scotland) is the drummer and backup vocalist for the band Frédéric Leclercq (born June 23, 1978 in France) is the bassist for Power metal band DragonForce and the frontman in his own Adrian Lambert (born April 26, 1972 in Brighton) is an English Bassist and Songwriter who currently plays for epic England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Power metal is a style of Heavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional metal with Thrash metal or Speed metal, often within London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The group is known for its fast paced songs, twin guitar solos, and incorporation of electronic sound effects into their music.
Their latest album, 'Ultra Beatdown', is slated to be released on August 26th, 2008. [1]
Contents |
History
DragonForce was formed in 1999 from the remnants of the band Demoniac under the name of DragonHeart, but they changed their name to DragonForce before releasing any commercial albums due to possible issues with Brazilian band Dragonheart. Demoniac was a Black metal band from New Zealand formed in Auckland in 1993 by singer and bass player Lindsay Dawson Dragonheart is a Power metal band from Curitiba, Brazil Discography Albums Underdark - (2000 Their career began with the publishing of their early songs on the first incarnation of MP3.com, claiming the top of the site's heavy metal charts. MP3com is a Web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists songs services community and technologies The hit song "Valley of the Damned" reached over 500,000 downloads in the first few months. Valley of the Damned was a demo album initially recorded and released to the web by DragonForce in 2000 before their name was changed from DragonHeart Two of the original members, Steve Williams and Steve Scott, left the band to form the power metal outfit Power Quest. Power metal is a style of Heavy metal music combining characteristics of traditional metal with Thrash metal or Speed metal, often within Power Quest is an Anglo - Italian Power metal band based in the United Kingdom. Sam Totman also started a side project called Shadow Warriors featuring himself and ZP Theart. Shadow Warriors was formed by Guitarist Sam Totman of DragonForce in late 2000 as a Side project. Sam has confirmed many times that Herman Li was not involved with Shadow Warriors.
The band's first successful song was "Starfire" off of their debut album, Valley of the Damned. It was most noted because it starts off with a light piano intro, which is atypical among DragonForce songs. DragonForce have released three albums and toured extensively while supporting Helloween, W.A.S.P. and Iron Maiden. Helloween is a German power / Speed metal band founded in the early 1980s by members of Iron Fist and Powerfool WASP is an American heavy metal band formed in 1982 and emerged with the L For other uses see Iron maiden. Their 2005 tour in support of the Sonic Firestorm album included support from Angra and Mendeed during their passage through the UK. Sonic Firestorm is the second Studio album by English Power metal band DragonForce, released through Noise Records Angra is a heavy metal band from São Paulo, Brazil known for its use of symphonic interludes highly technical guitar playing and regional elements Mendeed was a Melodic death metal band formed in 2000 in Dumbarton, Scotland. On October 28, 2005 bassist Adrian Lambert announced his departure from the band in order to focus more time on raising his young son[2] (Lambert later revealed in an interview that he had left due to musical differences with Herman Li and Sam Totman). Adrian Lambert (born April 26, 1972 in Brighton) is an English Bassist and Songwriter who currently plays for epic Less than a month after Lambert's departure, on November 23, 2005, DragonForce were signed to Roadrunner Records in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia and New Zealand, who released their most recent effort, Inhuman Rampage on January 9, 2006. Roadrunner Records (Roadrunner Music Group BV is a Record label that concentrates on heavy metal bands The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island Inhuman Rampage is DragonForce 's third album released on 9 January 2006 and released in North America on 20 June 2006 Lambert was replaced in 2006 by Frédéric Leclercq, who was made an official member after a performance on tour. Frédéric Leclercq (born June 23, 1978 in France) is the bassist for Power metal band DragonForce and the frontman in his own
A master track of the song "Through the Fire and Flames" is featured in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and is generally considered to be the most challenging track in the Guitar Hero series[3]. " Through the Fire and Flames " is the most successful single by the British Power metal band DragonForce. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The developers used the song to demonstrate the game at E3. The E3 Media and Business Summit, formerly known as Electronic Entertainment Expo and commonly known as E3, is an annual Trade show for the computer After Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock was released, the band's music sales reportedly increased dramatically[4].
A new DragonForce album has been announced to be released on August 26th, 2008. This will be followed by an extensive UK tour through October, with support coming from Finnish folk metal act Turisas. Turisas are a Finnish Viking metal band from Hämeenlinna. They were founded in 1997 by Mathias Nygård and Jussi Wickström
Musical style
DragonForce's musical style includes:
- Emphasis on fast, twin-guitar harmonies in speed metal styles
- Generally optimistic and uplifting chorus sections
- Lyrics of a fantastical or epic nature, with a hopeful and optimistic attitude, often with recurring themes and lyrical phrases in multiple songs
- Use of multi-tracked backing vocals
- Use of keyboards throughout songs
- Video game-influenced melodies and noises
Although the band takes their musicianship seriously, they do not embody the themes in their music. In an interview with Metal Hammer, guitarist Herman Li has stated "Oh no, it's completely serious, we have fun doing it. . . ". [5] DragonForce's influences are drawn from various kinds of metal such as melodic styles of rock, and in particular video games such as "Wonder Boy in Monster World", and the Final Fantasy series,[6] with lyrics comparable to themes present in fantasy games. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device.
The band have frequently referred to their style not just as power metal, but as extreme power metal. Herman Li commented on descriptions of the band's style in an interview with Guitar World: "'Nintendo metal,' 'extreme power metal', 'Bon Jovi on Speed,' 'Journey Meets Slayer,' . Guitar World is a monthly Music Magazine devoted to Guitarists It contains original interviews album and gear Bon Jovi is an American Hard rock band from Sayreville New Jersey. Journey is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1973 Slayer is an American Thrash metal band founded by Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King in . . people are always coming up with weird labels for us. " [7]
Band members
Current members
- "Herman Li" - Lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
- "Sam Totman" - Lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals
- "ZP Theart" - Lead vocals
- "Vadim Pruzhanov" - Keyboards, backing vocals (2001-present)
- "Dave Mackintosh" - Drums, percussion, backing vocals (2004-present)
- "Frédéric Leclercq" - Bass guitar, backing vocals (2006-present)
Former members
- "Adrian Lambert" - Bass guitar, backing vocals (2004-2005)
- "Didier Almouzni" - Drums, backing vocals (1999-2003)
- "Diccon Harper" - Bass guitar, backing vocals (2001-2003)
- "Steve Scott" - Bass guitar, backing vocals (1999-2000)
- "Steve Williams" - Keyboards, backing vocals (1999-2000)
Discography
Soldiers of the Wasteland (sample)
Studio albums
- February 20th 2003: Valley of the Damned
- May 11, 2004: Sonic Firestorm
- January 9, 2006: Inhuman Rampage
- August 26, 2008: Ultra Beatdown
Demos
- 2000: Valley of the Damned (as DragonHeart)
Remixes
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart peak positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Pop |
US Main. |
US Digital |
CAN | |||
| 2005 | "Fury of the Storm" | — | — | — | — | — | Sonic Firestorm |
| 2006 | "Through the Fire and Flames" | 86 | 56 | 34 | 49 | 41 | Inhuman Rampage |
| "Operation Ground and Pound" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
"—" denotes releases that did not chart. Valley of the Damned was a demo album initially recorded and released to the web by DragonForce in 2000 before their name was changed from DragonHeart Sonic Firestorm is the second Studio album by English Power metal band DragonForce, released through Noise Records Inhuman Rampage is DragonForce 's third album released on 9 January 2006 and released in North America on 20 June 2006 Ultra Beatdown is the fourth Studio album by DragonForce, released on 20 August 2008 in Japan through JVC Valley of the Damned was a demo album initially recorded and released to the web by DragonForce in 2000 before their name was changed from DragonHeart The Pop 100 is a songs chart created in February 2005 and released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks (originally called Mainstream Rock Tracks) is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on Mainstream rock The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard. The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine which ranks songs in Canada. Sonic Firestorm is the second Studio album by English Power metal band DragonForce, released through Noise Records " Through the Fire and Flames " is the most successful single by the British Power metal band DragonForce. Inhuman Rampage is DragonForce 's third album released on 9 January 2006 and released in North America on 20 June 2006 " Operation Ground and Pound " is the fourth track of Power metal band DragonForce 's third album Inhuman Rampage.
Music videos
- "Through the Fire and Flames", from Inhuman Rampage
- "Operation Ground and Pound", from Inhuman Rampage
References
- ^ http://www.dragonforce.com/discography.php
- ^ Metal Hammer, November 2006, pg 40 "DragonForce interview"
- ^ Saltzman, Mitchell (2007-10-19). " Through the Fire and Flames " is the most successful single by the British Power metal band DragonForce. Inhuman Rampage is DragonForce 's third album released on 9 January 2006 and released in North America on 20 June 2006 " Operation Ground and Pound " is the fourth track of Power metal band DragonForce 's third album Inhuman Rampage. Inhuman Rampage is DragonForce 's third album released on 9 January 2006 and released in North America on 20 June 2006 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. The Hardest Guitar Hero Song Ever?. GWN. com. Retrieved on 2007-10-19. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal.
- ^ Snider, Mike (2008-02-14). 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German Band's sales are feeling the 'Guitar Hero' effect. usatoday. com. Retrieved on 2008-02-17. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1500 - Battle of Hemmingstedt. 1600 - Philosopher Giordano Bruno is burned alive at Campo de' Fiori
- ^ Metal Hammer, November 2006, pg 35 "DragonForce interview"
- ^ Metal-Temple.com Herman Li (Interview)
- ^ Guitar World, Holiday 2006, pg 72 "Hotter Then Hell"
External links
- DragonForce - official site
- DragonForce at MySpace
- our 2007 (Black Crusade Tour in Italy - 6 December 2007)
- Artist profile page at Roadrunner Records
- MTV News interview about new album
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