### Dragonforce: Ultra beatdown

#### 26/08/08 || Euthanatos

It’s hard to fully comprehend just what exactly is the Dragonforce phenomenon. Are they a valid heavy metal band? Are they a joke? What the hell is up with “video game metal”? Tough to say, right? Fact of the matter is, “Inhuman Rampage”, while hilariously fast, had some great melodies in it. Actually, there is no better album to go running with. Trust me, you’ll cover miles like there’s no tomorrow.

Dragonforce didn’t change their formula at all for “Ultra Beatdown”. It’s still the ridiculously fast, cheesy power/speed metal, full of melody and happy vocals, retarded fantasy lyrics and video game innuendo. Is that bad? Well, it depends on whether you take them seriously or not. While I’m pretty sure there a lot of appropriate jokes linking Dragonforce to chipmunks and Nintendo geeks, I’m really not in a humorous mood today. I’ve been sick the past few days, so, sorry, you’ll have to get your laughing kicks from someone else on staff.

Anyway, has the band improved at all? The album certainly has a much better production and musicianship-wise, they’ve certainly improved as well, although I can’t tell you if they’ve been working on their chops or simply using more advanced recording software. I really can’t. What I certainly can tell you is, that while this album sounds better, it’s not at all more creative than the last one, or not nearly as catchy. The band seems to have reached a stalemate with their style, not being able to go any faster and having used up all of their ideas.

Nothing here really caught my attention, I was frequently looking at Olympics footage while trying to think up phrases as catchy as their choruses. And hell, they aren’t that catchy at all, even though they sound nice. Other than laughing a bit at their outrageous solos, not much entertained me while listening to “Ultra Beatdown”. You know what this album is? The latest Indiana Jones movie. The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, I think it was called. Sure, it has some valid entertainment ideas, sure, you’re familiar with the elements and it’s always nice to revisit something which gave you joy in the past. But like a joke told twice, no matter how good it is, it’s just been done before, right? And done better, because at least there was the novelty factor before. Pretty boring stuff, I’m afraid.

The cover: Very video-gamey.

5 Nintendo power rangers out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Roadrunner
- Website: www.dragonforce.com
- Band
- ZP Theart: vocals
- Herman Li: guitars, backing vocals
- Sam Totman: guitars, backing vocals
- Vadim Pruzhanov: keyboards, backing vocals
- Dave Mackintosh: drums, backing vocals
- Frédéric Leclercq: bass, backing vocals

- Tracklist
- 01. Heroes of Our Times
- 02. The Fire Still Burns
- 03. Reasons to Live
- 04. Heartbreak Armageddon
- 05. The Last Journey Home
- 06. A Flame for Freedom
- 07. Inside the Winter Storm
- 08. The Warrior Inside