DRAGONFORCE - New Interview With Guitarist Herman Li Available
September 1, 2008, 15 years ago
Chad Bowar from About.com: Heavy Metal spoke with DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li while the band was on the Rockstar Mayhem Festival. They talked about the new CD, Ultra Beatdown, the impact of Guitar Hero III, and his own signature model guitar that was recently unveiled. Here are a few excerpts from the chat:
Chad Bowar: Was your approach to Ultra Beatdown different than your previous albums?
Herman Li: "Yes. We knew before we started that this would be the hardest album to do. We’ve done three albums, and each new one is going to be harder, because you’ve already done certain things and can’t repeat it again. That’s why it’s hard. Because we knew that would happen, we knew what we shouldn’t be doing on this album compared to Inhuman Rampage. We were much more open to ideas."
Each of your CDs has been more successful. What are the expectations for Ultra Beatdown?
"I don’t expect anything from it. We just try to make the best music possible at the time. You can’t really expect what happens next. It’s not like math."You probably didn’t anticipate a song being on Guitar Hero, which was really a big boost for the last CD.
"Yes. On the last album “Through The Fire And Flames” has gone gold in America, which is quite a big thing for this type of music. We’re not a radio band."This year at NAMM your signature Ibanez guitar was unveiled. How much input did you have in its design?
"I’m a total pain in the ass, so every single little detail is there for a reason. I worked with Ibanez for years to get it perfect."What makes the Herman Li model unique?
"There are a few things I had to have. It had to be the guitar I play. It wasn’t going to be a low end duplicate. The one that people get in the shops is the same model that I play. It’s from the same factory. It’s not a guitar with a different color and someone’s name on it with no functionality or features that makes it better. The guitar has its own unique pickups, a unique switching system, a unique bridge. You can do all kinds of whammy bar stuff and that kind of thing. It’s easier to play, which you need with all that fast shredding."Read the entire interview here.
