DRAGONFORCE - Sonic Firestorm
June 9, 2004, 20 years ago
(Noise)
Dragonforce seem to be very much a "love 'em or hate 'em" entity. Power metal-mad Europeans generally go ape for the young unit, while North American press and fans tend to dismiss them as a band that relies too heavily on technology to deliver their ultra-fast creations. Despite hailing from Canada and not being an overt crusader for the power metal cause, this jaded scribe definitely sides with our friends overseas on this one. To these ears Dragonforce epitomizes what a power metal band should sound like. Raging mercilessly throughout the majority of this sophomore release, the band's intensity is top notch, providing a necessary offset to the prerequisite soaring vocals and choruses. Furthermore, the musicianship is also upper tier, as the guitarists and keyboardist provide beyond over-the-top solos as aggressive rhythmic patterns underneath lay the foundation for the eight long tracks (most clocking in at an excess of six minutes). Hell, even the photos of the band in various air guitar/drum/vox poses adorning the CD support the wild-eyed musical enthusiasm.
