Rating: 7/10

Track Amount: 8

Running Time: 55 minutes and 52 seconds

Genre: Power Metal

Personnel: ZP Theart (lead vocals), Herman Li (guitars and backing vocals), Sam Totman (guitars and backing vocals), Vadim Pruzhanov (keyboards, piano and backing vocals), Dave Mackintosh (drums and backing vocals), Adrian Lambert (bass guitar), Clive Nolan (backing vocals), Lindsay Dawson (additional vocals)

Producer: Sam Totman, Herman Li, Vadim Pruzhanov

Recording Location: Thin Ice Studios (Surrey, UK) and LamerLuser Studios (London, UK)

Record Label: Victor Entertainment and Roadrunner Records

Art Direction: Chie Kimoto, Daniel Bérard

Best Tracks: Through The Fire And Flames, Trail Of Broken Hearts

Quick Verdict: The Metal equivalent of Happy Hardcore Music

This is an interesting turn of music and sound on an unusual album. DragonForce, a notable Power Metal group, unleashed this album back in late 2005. The album and songs proved popular and successful enough to be played on certain radio stations and some notable video games, including the Guitar Hero games. Notably, this album was considered one of the better listens in the Power Metal subgenre of Metal itself in retrospect. The song The Flame Of Youth also sampled Ryu’s Theme from the Street Fighter video game, therefore forever linking this album with popular video game culture as well. Even so, this should be an interesting listen, so let’s take a listen to this release and we shall hear if it is any good.

1. Through The Fire And Flames begins with some interesting and intricate guitars and digital editing. This sounds very awesome, and launches into a ridiculously fast and powerful tune at hand. This is absolutely gloriously awesome to listen to. The singing present is awesome and wonderful listening, and this music is certainly in a field of its own. At a blistering pace, this music sounds like a top-notch and tremendous listen. A supercharged listen, like 10 shots of tequila consumed in half an hour, this music is ridiculously powerful, nonetheless wonderfully listenable. This is a unique take on the Thrash Metal Music of the 1980s, but supercharged and more lively than some of the best songs from that older generation. The musicianship is absolutely wonderful, and it is perfect for a headbanging competition, if there ever were one. Nonetheless, although on some levels it sounds rather humourous in its ridiculously fast pace, this does deliver very well. A fantastic and supercharged tune, much like an energy drink binge. There is a breakdown with some glorious vocal harmonies and electronics, which sound really great. This leads into an adventurous second half of the song, with palm-muted riffs and double-kick drums galore, holding up some superb guitar soloing at hand. Seriously cool music to listen to. There are multiple and intelligent sections of glorious fun and power throughout. This has some awesome musicianship and shredding, which sounds top-notch. If you like fast, aggressive and energetic music, look no further. This never gets dull or boring during its seven-minute length. Towards the end is a gorgeous vocal section, before chaotic instrumentation and playing emerge. A great listen overall. Wonderful. Insanely good.

2. Revolution Deathsquad begins with chugging guitar riffs and launches into another super-fast tune at hand. This is again blistering in its pace and appeal. The music and performance are top-notch, nonetheless, with image-evoking lyrics of war and all that it brings. This is a seriously detailed and monumental listen for those of you who like their music served hard. It still sounds ridiculously cool and has many sections of intelligent sounds and playing throughout, as before. If you love going to the gym or have a brutal approach to life, then this music is perfect for you. An amazing and well-delivered song that is really cool and energetic. The shredded guitars and insane musicianship make for an excellent listen. There is a keyboard-based melodic section near the middle, followed by some pounding drums and playing that sounds note-perfect but at a super-fast speed. This music also makes sense if you enjoy hard drugs of sorts as well. Nonetheless, a fantastic music listen that has some elements of Progressive Rock about it. Dual-tracked guitar riffs emerge in the second half, followed by pounding drumming and melodies galore that sound ridiculously cool. All in all, a fantastic listen, although for some, this will sound so good that you can laugh out loud at its fast pace and musicianship. Really cool, all the same. The shredded guitar work here does sound extremely awesome, all the same. This is never at all boring for a nearly eight-minute-long song, either. There are harmonies near the end, before screaming vocals emerge, and this reaches an insane conclusion. Fantastic, in its own way. Some Deep Purple Ian Gillan-style screams are present, too. Wonderful.

3. Storming The Burning Fields begins with the sound of a match being lit, and launches into a hugely impressive and yet again, ultra-fast tune at hand. This sounds wonderful in its musicianship and instrumentation throughout. This is about the carnage of war and fighting for a better world at hand. It has a huge multitude of music and sections throughout, sounding absolutely blisteringly fast. A fantastic tune of many sections of sound throughout that are absolutely glorious. Although this music is very much an acquired taste to listen to, and it takes some getting used to, this does sound really cool. A seriously supercharged and different tune at hand that sounds absolutely wonderful in its speedy glory. Like a jousting competition from centuries ago, this is music that still remains fascinating today. Some interesting electronics are in the second half of the song, with some neat guitar progressions and sounds throughout. An absolutely sweet and awesome tune at hand. This sounds really very cool to hear, all the same. Fans of slower Black Sabbath styled songs will not approve of this, but people with a love for fast and intricate songs will. It has some neat vocal harmonies near the end, which sound really smooth, followed by a fantastic section of music that sounds sweet and superb. Killer.

4. Operation Ground And Pound begins with some symphonic guitars and sonic textures that sound brilliant. Soon enough, this launches into a gloriously fantastic tune at hand. This is somewhat slower, but sweeter to hear. This quickly launches into more dramatic and hardcore music that, admittedly, although it is great, sounds too ridiculously fast to be taken at all seriously. A wonderful and supercharged tune at hand that has some insane sounds about it all. The music is dramatically supercharged and interesting enough musically to listen to. It is very ridiculous-sounding overall, although it is very good music indeed. There are dramatic sections of shredding throughout that sound very sweet in their own way. The music and performances are stunning, even if this is the music equivalent of Happy Hardcore set to ultra-hard and fast Power Metal. The singing is dramatic, with a definite nod to the spirit of Ian Gillan and other legendary Metal singers gone by. All in all, this music sounds loud and surprising, with some seriously good playing and musicianship about it all. Metal guitar riffs emerge in the second half, followed by some keyboard sounds that are very much inspired by Yngwie Malmsteen’s own music. All in all, this is extremely cool music to listen to. The guitar solo in the second half is very neat as well. This is ridiculously cool and enough to make the average listener smile or laugh at its ridiculous complexity. In any case, this is a different form of music for the differently minded. Some tremendous playing is present on this album. This song wraps up with some neat singing and a key change that sounds different. Enjoyable and fun music to listen to overall. The outro is insane.

5. Body Breakdown begins with some tremendous drum rolls and launches into a really symphonic-sounding piece of Power Metal at hand. This sounds intelligent, fast and tremendously interesting throughout. The sounds and singing are more concise on this particular track, and the whole thing sounds musically marvellous at hand. An awesome and lively tune that has a moving and melodramatic approach to it all. The sounds and performances are absolutely mindblowing in approach. Crunchy, guitar-palm-muted riffs enter, and this tune sounds remarkably lively and alive. The music is ridiculous on many levels, but this tune sounds a little more serious and relatable as a song than what has come before. A blistering attack on the senses in a musical way is still present, mind you. There are a multitude of rapid-fire guitars and keyboards throughout this one as well. Some neat drumming and guitar shredding are in the second half of this track, which sounds very similar to what has come before. Some brief slap bass is present on this one as well. This music is A Grade Ridiculous Metal, but it sounds extremely good and listenable for what it is. The soloing and shred musicianship is really cool in many ways, however. This continues on for some time, sounding quite warped and excellent in the process of it all. Some unique vocals and singing emerge right near the end, before launching back into the supercharged mayhem at hand. Very full on and different. The outro is insanely fast and melodic in various sections. Cool.

6. Cry For Eternity is an eight-minute-long piece of music that begins with some supercharged electronic sounds and a guitar riff, with marching drums from the start. This is an epic journey throughout Power Metal sound that is different and uniquely so from virtually every other kind of music out there. It continues to power along in a very good way and sounds dramatic. Vocals enter, which sound like listening to the prophecies of mankind that are intertwined into music. It still sounds rather ridiculous in a music sense as well. Even so, this is a more symphonic and moody-sounding tune at hand. It still retains its levels of absolute ridiculousness musically. All in all, a good listen throughout, although the appeal of the album wears out somewhat on this song. The music and performances are fantastic in their own way, although this music is incredibly difficult to take seriously. A powerful tune with some excessive shredding and interesting sections of music throughout. There is a keyboard section in the middle, which sounds really great to hear, followed by more sections of music and playing. Very good, even if it is a bit full on. There are multiple intricate sections to follow, alongside some unique guitar shredding that sounds very different overall. A different and interesting tune at hand. Remember, this is nothing like Popular Music at all. There are some clean guitar shredding and electronics, followed by more outrageously over-the-top guitar soloing on this song. This continues on into some symphonic singing and music to gradually conclude with. A very good listen overall that sounds forceful, determined and different throughout. A seriously supercharged tune at hand. It finally wraps up after over eight minutes. Good for what it all is.

7. The Flame Of Youth begins with some scorching guitars and launches into some expressive guitar riffs. This, of course, incorporates the Street Fighter themes as previously mentioned at the beginning of it. Very different, and monumentally melodic listening. Soon enough, it launches into a hyperactive Thrash Metal-based tune that is fast and ridiculous-sounding. This music sounds supercharged and furiously angry throughout. Yes, this is a bit blah musically by this point, but that is part of the appeal of this album. This continues on at a pace that many bands could not reach, although this is the point of this music. Nonetheless, there are some masterful sounds and singing throughout. The music and digital editing are something masterful overall. A smooth and interesting song at hand, although this music is definitely an acquired taste overall. A different and glorious tune in the name of Power Metal, this is very much like a combination of Yes and Deep Purple on speed throughout. Some unusual guitars emerge in the second half of the song, as this continues its rather ridiculous musical nature overall. The music continues gradually onto its logical conclusion, and sounds interesting and melodic throughout. A weird and out there combination of sound and sonic textures that is really cool and great. A fantastically fast and interesting tune at hand. The music and sounds continue on, wrapping up with a glorious conclusion. Not bad. The finale is excellent.

8. Trail Of Broken Hearts begins with some interesting keyboard sounds and textures, launching into a much more downtempo ballad at hand. This is the most sensible-sounding song on the entire album. It sounds gorgeously beautiful and very non-Metal in its approach. Nonetheless, this is a surprising turn on a surprising album. Some crunchy electric guitars enter, and this tune comes neatly alive. This is a song about life and all that it promises to lovers at hand. There are still some odd moments overall, but this rather 1980s-sounding love song kicks the proverbial. A sweet and pretty tune overall. This is a good listen at hand that has some great and uniquely Metal singing over some guitars and other instrumentation that nicely match this song format. All in all, a good song that has power and finesse. Even if you are not a fan of the earlier songs and their speed, this is a good and enjoyable song at hand that is more downtempo, deep and meaningful. The music progresses into a glorious guitar solo that sounds triumphant. A good finish to a good album that you will either love or loathe. This is an interesting song that has power and majesty to it. A really great song to kick back and listen to after the mayhem before it all. Nice tune.

This is a divisive album to listen to. Many will either laugh at this, love this or loathe this album. It does have some variety on it overall, but having said that, this is very fast and percussive music that is very much an acquired taste. There are lighter music moments as well for a Power Metal album, rather than just being plain heavy. Overall, this is the sort of album you can listen to and enjoy the speedy ride along. Should you listen to this album? If you are a Metalhead and you like super fast, faster than Thrash Metal, go ahead and hear this. Most fans of more Popular Music styles will not like this album, however.

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