DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li and drummer Dave Mackintosh will return to China for a guitar and drum clinic tour with special dates added in Indonesia and India. At each clinic, Herman and Dave will be performing a number of DragonForce tracks, answering questions from fans and demonstrating techniques followed by an autograph/photo session.

There has been overwhelming demand for DragonForce to return to China since their sold out Beijing show in 2009. The clinic tour is sponsored by Ibanez guitars and Tama drums, with Herman kicking it off in Kunming in southern China, making its way north and back finishing in Guangzhou. Dave's drum clinics will start two days earlier in Indonesia before joining Herman in Chengdu China, pairing up for the rest of the Chinese tour.

Apart from individual dates, Herman and Dave will also be performing at the PALM Expo 2011, China’s largest and most established event for music and technology, the 2nd largest event of its kind in the world. After China, Herman will complete the tour on his own with his first-ever appearances in India.

DragonForce will be one of the first international bands to do a full scale clinic tour in China.

Herman Li says, "We are really excited to be touring in China. We had an amazing time two years ago and really appreciate the loyal support from so many fans and friends there. It's gonna be a blast, we can't wait to get out there!"

More info and clinic tour dates can be found at this location

DragonForce recently announced that their long search for a new vocalist is finally over. After entries from thousands of hopefuls across the globe, the shredmasters supreme welcome 23 year old Marc Hudson to the band to fill the boots left by ZP Theart, who parted ways with the band in March of last year.

“I'm really excited about being a part of the DragonForce family.” Says Marc. “It's always been my dream to dedicate my life to making music. I'm going to bring all the power and emotion I can to the songs, and help make the killer new record the fans have been waiting for!”

Born in Oxford England, Marc was picked from the thousands of applications via a number of impressive video auditions and live performances, which left the rest of the band in no doubt that they’d found their man. Since the age of 16, Marc has been building his vocal skills gigging with bands in the UK underground scene, developing a powerful style with influences which include Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske and Sebastian Bach. Says founding member and guitarist Herman Li:

“After almost a year of searching around the globe, it's great to be able to finally tell our fans the good news. Marc's expressive and melodic vocals are sounding phenomenal on the new songs, adding another dimension to the DragonForce sound that I am sure all the fans will love.”

The band has been working on a new album since early 2010, recording in various studios in California, London and the South of France. The follow up to 2008’s hugely successful Ultra Beatdown album will be highly anticipated, with top 10 and top 20 chart positions all over the world and a Grammy Nomination in the United States setting the precedent. With Marc brought into the fold, the band is enjoying an injection of enthusiasm and hunger that sees Dragonforce prepared to return more focused and determined than ever before.

“Everyone in the band is extremely excited about how the new material is shaping up.” continues Herman. “We haven't felt this kind of energy in the band for a long time. We can't wait to unleash the next DragonForce album later this year.”

The new album is expected to hit the shelves in September, with a full world tour to follow.

You can see a video clip of Marc Hudson’s audition demo below: