DRAGONFORCE have announced that Meinl Percussion is releasing the new Dave Mackintosh Signature Attack Timbales this year. Product information from Meinl is available below:

“DragonForce drummer Dave Mackintosh wanted a distinctive sound for his Signature Attack Timbales. Here’s what we did: We made a pair of 8” diameter timbale shells with a depth of 9” and 11” respectively. This creates a distinctive and tightly matched interval 'dialogue.' The Dave Mackintosh’s Signature Attack Timbales are easily mounted on a rack, drum set, or any standard L-rod.”

Go to this location for more information.

Spinefarm Records in the US and Canada have confirmed a February 23rd release date for the reissue of DRAGONFORCE's first two studio albums: Valley Of The Damned and Sonic Firestorm. The UK release date is a day earlier - February 22nd.

Both titles will now be available with updated packaging and bonus audio/DVD content, some of it exclusive to these releases.

Formerd in 1999, Dragonforce issued their Valley Of The Damned debut in 2003 – an impressive nine-track showcase for their accomplished power metal forays. Containing a host of songs that still rank amongst the most popular of their output, the likes of ‘Black Fire’, ‘Evening Star’ and the title track itself, VOTD has now been remixed and remastered to allow every aspect of the recordings to make maximum impact.

“Fans who have heard the original mixes many times might find that the songs sound a bit different now,” observes guitarist Herman Li, “but that’s how we always wanted the original songs to sound. We just didn’t have the time back then to make everything the way we wanted.”

The studio track, ‘Where Dragons Rule’, has now been added to the audio side, and there is a bonus DVD featuring never-before-seen live footage ('Valley Of The Damned’, filmed in Japan), behind-the-scenes material (also from Japan), video commentaries, plus in-studio interviews and clips (shot in Denmark and the UK), all of it lovingly assembled by Li himself.

2004 saw the release of follow-up album, Sonic Firestorm, which gave the band the chance to hone their skills and push their fast-lane tales of fantasy to a whole new level. They were happy with Sonic at the time and remain so to this day, which is why the mixing and the mastering have been left just as they are; however, the packaging has been upgraded, an extra track added (‘Cry Of The Brave’ – a song the group felt uncomfortable taking off first time around), and – as with Valley - a bonus DVD added, this one featuring live footage from Japan (‘Fury Of The Storm’), video commentaries plus freshly recorded interviews with the band members themselves.

As a way of celebrating the recordings that effectively launched Dragonforce’s international career, both reissued albums will be included in a limited edition boxset along with exclusive band merchandise and various collectible items.