Remember those ‘expert’ Guitar Hero legends that had you shredded on your Playstation in the late noughties? Well, DragonForce are returning back to Australia through the fire and flames for the first time since 2008.
With a brand new album and vocalist, the speed/power metal band are set to destroy crowds over the Soundwave festival period.
The British metalers are touring their 2012 release The Power Within, their debut record with new vocalist Marc Hudson.
Guitarist Herman Li is relieved that DragonForce secured a spot at this year’s festival, particularly after the band were scheduled to perform at the 2012 Soundwave Festival but had to pull out due to promotional expectations for their new album.
“I am really delighted because after the cancellation I thought we had screwed it all up but the whole band’s really excited,” says Li. They have talked about doing Soundwave for years, “we have never done a festival in Australia before now.”
Li has been given fair warning about Australia’s hot summers. “I think we can handle it,” he laughs, “right now we are actually in LA and it’s absolutely freezing out here, like zero degrees outside.”
“I might have to take off my winter jacket and put on my thongs when I arrive.” Li is ready for Australia as he’s rocked our shores before but new singer Hudson may not be as prepared.“I might have to take off my winter jacket and put on my thongs when I arrive.”
The vocalist helped finished the tour before recording The Power Within, organically continuing the band after ex-vocalist ZP Theart left the band in 2010.
“He’s (Hudson) been with us for like 2-3 years now so you know it seems like a long time already. It’s been a natural change. He finished some touring with us and he pretty much nailed every show so we were confident.”
The new speed metal singer was thrown into the deep end throughout a number of shows with one of his very first shows being an opening slot for Iron Maiden.
“I think it’s good to put the pressure on,” says Li. You’d think the rest of the band would be comfortable but he reveals, “just quietly we were all shitting ourselves that night.”
After conquering some big shows, Hudson joined DragonForce to record and release their new album. “I am really delighted at the results with all the changes in the band. We were scared we would produce a record that the fans do not like,” the guitarist says with a concerned toned in his voice.
“We want to do the best possible job we can so it was great to hear the response we got and everyone really liked Marc.”
Li has stepped out of his comfort zone as well, but for an unexpected and extraordinary reason. He appears in the newest Capital One/Mobile Banking TV advertising campaign.
“Yeah that was a fun thing to do… It’s different for the mainstream but we have never done commercials before,” he saw the script and “it sounded cool” and that’s all it took to commit.
“We recorded some material for them where I am playing my guitar and looking at my mobile app at the same time.” The 30 second TV version has been launched with the extended 90 second version to ensue, depicting Li shredding away on top of an asteroid. “It’s really different and that is what it’s all about, I thought we should do something different and break some boundaries.”
DragonForce are no strangers to breaking boundaries and being different, their appearance in GuitarHero III (their track ‘Through The Fire And The Flames’ providing the game’s final, gruelling challenge) is a testament to that, with many of the band’s newer fans becoming acquainted with the British outfit through the videogame series.
“We’re always going to hear that but it’s a part of the history of the band… but it kind of put the band into the mainstream spotlight for some time which would have given us some recognition.” With humility Li takes the limelight off them as clear video game favourites with a reminder of all the other bands who featured on the game as well; in good company with In Flames, Guns N Roses, KISS, and Metallica – just to name a few.“I’d like to catch up and watch bands I haven’t seen in a long time, if only Megadeth were joining the party as well!”
That recognition may have been perceived positively as well as negatively according to Li. “We have gained fans and lost fans and some people who liked us before the game claim we are sell-outs” displeasingly he adds “but what we are sure of is that we didn’t come to start music as a cool trend so I can sleep well at night knowing we never sold out.”
He values the use of the Guitar Hero franchise to expose the band to younger metal fans. “It helped the new generation of people getting into metal and it’s great that the game was not full of pop music only.”
Fellow videogamers Metallica and the other thrash lords of Soundwave 2013 – Slayer and Anthrax – are the bands Li is especially going to be looking out for during the festival.
“I’d like to catch up and watch bands I haven’t seen in a long time, if only Megadeth were joining the party as well!”
Li was pleased to hear that Metallica plan to bring their ‘snakepit’ stage setup to Soundwave, hopefully to play their 1991 self-titled ‘Black Album’ in its entirety, a performance that most punters will also want to catch.
As for DragonForce’s set, Li promises “to play new songs as well as old songs” with a good mix to keep all the fans happy “but it’s going to be an energetic show like you have never seen from any other band before and I am serious,” Li says confidently.
If you have ever caught DragonForce live before, you will know that energetic is always the primary adjective.
The Power Within is out now through Roadrunner. DragonForce tour with Soundwave 2013 around the country from Saturday 23rd February, playing times here. They also play Sidewaves shows in Melbourne and Sydney with The Sword, dates below.
DragonForce 2013 Sidewaves
MONDAY 25 FEBRUARY
MELBOURNE, BILLBOARD – 18+
www.oztix.com.au
THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY
SYDNEY, THE METRO – Licensed All Ages
www.ticketek.com.au
