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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + DragonForce - Extreme Power Metal + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Rls Date..2020-05-23 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │
│║ Genre.....Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year......2019 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........11 ║ │
│║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │
│║ Url..http://www.dragonforce.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : DragonForce ║ │
│║ Album : Extreme Power Metal ║ │
│║ Label : Ward ║ │
│║ Cat.No : GQCS-90760 ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Despite being one of the more popular and arguably iconic ║ │
│║ figures to come out of the millennial power metal revival, ║ │
│║ DragonForce shares a somewhat odd relationship with the ║ │
│║ broader scene. Born out of the twilight of the late 90s ║ │
│║ intermingling of older melodic metal stylistic trappings ║ │
│║ with death and black metal that birthed a blackened New ║ │
│║ Zealand rival to Children Of Bodom dubbed Demoniac, there ║ │
│║ has always been an implicitly extreme character to their ║ │
│║ signature sound. However, this sound wasnÆt extreme so much ║ │
│║ for an intermingling of those death/black metal elements ║ │
│║ that came to define the Finnish melodeath sound of the ║ │
│║ early 2000s, but more so for being an exaggerated ║ │
│║ expression of power metalÆs Helloween roots. This was a ║ │
│║ band that did things similarly to the likes of Gamma Ray, ║ │
│║ Stratovarius and Hammerfall, they simply did it faster and ║ │
│║ fancier, achieving a niche similar to what Michael Angelo ║ │
│║ BatioÆs famed late 80s band Nitro brought to heavy metal ║ │
│║ within a power metal context, complete with a similarly ║ │
│║ auspicious virtuoso axe-man in Herman Li to launch an ║ │
│║ already cartoonish sound into the proverbial stratosphere. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Over the years this outfit has garnered its fair share of ║ │
│║ criticism and praise, with the likes of Kai Hansen hailing ║ │
│║ them as standard-bearers for the scene at their height in ║ │
│║ popularity during the Guitar Hero craze, and a number of ║ │
│║ purists within the field dismissing them as a parody of the ║ │
│║ style. In all fairness, their earlier period with South ║ │
│║ African vocalist ZP Theart at the helm was generally ║ │
│║ defined by the elongated guitar solo battles of Herman Li ║ │
│║ and chief songwriter Sam Totman, alongside an increasingly ║ │
│║ quirky synth-obsessed sound courtesy of keyboardist Vadim ║ │
│║ Pruzhanov that blurred the lines between metal and old ║ │
│║ school video game soundtracks and song lengths that rarely ║ │
│║ came in under the six minute mark. Though they never really ║ │
│║ abandoned this exaggerated stylistic niche, the exodus of ║ │
│║ Theart and entry of current vocalist Marc Hudson, ║ │
│║ coinciding with the onset of the current decade no less, ║ │
│║ ushered in a more restrained version of this band where ║ │
│║ accessible songwriting shares an equal footing with the ║ │
│║ wild technical extravaganzas and break-neck tempos. It is ║ │
│║ into this context that their eight album and fourth under ║ │
│║ this new paradigm, dubbed Extreme Power Metal (their ║ │
│║ styleÆs namesake no less), finds itself. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In contrast to the varied, occasionally genre-defying 2017 ║ │
│║ opus of this fold in Reaching Into Infinity, this album is ║ │
│║ a bit more in line with what most come to expect from the ║ │
│║ DragonForce brand. Much of this owes to the fact that ║ │
│║ principle songwriter Sam Totman penned most of the music ║ │
│║ and bassist and more eclectic songwriter Frederic Leclercq ║ │
│║ has moved back into a secondary songwriter role, providing ║ │
│║ some needed contrast to TotmanÆs driving, sing-along romps ║ │
│║ rather than dominating the fray. Instead, what occurs here ║ │
│║ is an almost perfect amalgam of the measured pomp of The ║ │
│║ Power Within and the campy exploits of Maximum Overload, ║ │
│║ showcasing the highflying adventurism that this band has ║ │
│║ largely clung to with some occasional hints of their older ║ │
│║ days thrown in for added effect. Particularly on longer ║ │
│║ cruisers reminiscent of the mid-2000s incarnation of the ║ │
│║ band like ôHighway To Oblivionö and ôCosmic Power Of The ║ │
│║ Infinite Shred Machineö, the usual blend of syrupy melodic ║ │
│║ goodness and raging speed metal riffing finds Totman and Li ║ │
│║ up to their old tricks in the solo department, venturing ║ │
│║ dangerously close to the good old days of Inhuman Rampage. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The dividing lines between songwriters is arguably the only ║ │
│║ thing more pronounced than the collective return to form ║ │
│║ found on here, and it provides for a very engaging listen ║ │
│║ with plenty of staying power. Leclercq showcases his ║ │
│║ greater affinity with older heavy metal with a couple of ║ │
│║ more mid-paced and symmetrically structured anthems in ║ │
│║ ôHeart Demolitionö and ôStrangersö that, nevertheless, ║ │
│║ rival TotmanÆs contributions in the choral bombast ║ │
│║ department, whereas the high-octane melodic explosion ôIn A ║ │
│║ Skyforged Dreamö could almost pass for a Totman offering ║ │
│║ save that itÆs a bit more thrashing and punchy. The real ║ │
│║ standout offering of the bunch, however, is the ║ │
│║ collaboration of Totman with session keyboardist Coen ║ │
│║ Janssen (of Epica fame) dubbed ôThe Last Dragonbornö, a ║ │
│║ Japanese-music inspired crushing groove machine and epic ║ │
│║ offering that could almost pass for a Kamelot song were ║ │
│║ Hudson not handling vocals and the lead guitar work was ║ │
│║ toned down a bit. Arguably the only song on here that ║ │
│║ battles with the aforementioned one for prominence is the ║ │
│║ ôMy Heart Will Go Onö cover, which has a certain novel ║ │
│║ charm to it in all its high speed, video-game infused ║ │
│║ campiness that essentially reprises what they did with ║ │
│║ Johnny CashÆs ôRing Of Fireö five years ago. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Having existed in one form or another for the past 20 ║ │
│║ years, itÆs been a rather unique run for this Pan-Anglo and ║ │
│║ sometimes French and Eastern European outfit, and the ║ │
│║ recent exodus of long time bassist and frequent ║ │
│║ compositional contributor Frederic Leclercq has found this ║ │
│║ band closing yet another in a series of ongoing eras. ItÆs ║ │
│║ been something of an ongoing ironic situation for him, ║ │
│║ given his more expressed interest in metal genres apart ║ │
│║ from power metal despite being a prominent figure in said ║ │
│║ style both with this outfit and the equally apt if somewhat ║ │
│║ less prolific French band Heavenly, but his recent ║ │
│║ recruitment by Teutonic thrash legends Kreator seems a ║ │
│║ fitting outcome for him, and the future will no doubt find ║ │
│║ DragonForce with a new bassist and a renewed vigor for the ║ │
│║ studio. ItÆs been a fun ride thus far, and there are little ║ │
│║ signs of slowing down as the dawn of a new decade looms. ║ │
│║ Will it be an age of extreme power metal heroes? ║ │
│║ Undoubtedly, if Sam Totman and company have anything to say ║ │
│║ on the matter. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Originally written for Sonic Perspectives ║ │
│║ (www.sonicperspectives.com) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 1. Highway To Oblivion 6:48 │
│ 2. Cosmic Power Of The Infinite Shred Machine 6:36 │
│ 3. The Last Dragonborn 6:12 │
│ 4. Heart Demolition 5:39 │
│ 5. Troopers Of The Stars 5:03 │
│ 6. Razorblade Meltdown 4:45 │
│ 7. Strangers 4:29 │
│ 8. In A Skyforged Dream 4:45 │
│ 9. Remembrance Day 5:10 │
│ 10. My Heart Will Go On 3:23 │
│ 11. Behind The Mirror Of Death 5:32 │
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│ Total Length : 00:58:22 │
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│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
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│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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