Dragonforce - Sonic Firestorm

Mr. CooL ICE

The 2nd album from UK self-proclaimed 'extreme power metallers', Dragonforce, is a mixed bag of an album. As with most power metal bands, they fuse classic NWOBHM with medieval themes and fantasy-based lyrics, but differentiate themselves from their peers by doing it at a 200mph pace.
The album opens up with the epic My Spirit Will Go On, featuring a clean intro, reminiscent of classic computer games like Golden Axe, followed by the Fear factory-like pounding rhythm guitars, drums and bass. The solo section, as expected, is an enjoyable shred-fest, climaxing with 2 passages of duel-harmonised speed picking over a blastbeat, before returning to the song.
After taking a breather after the first song, then comes the second song, and the third song, and you suddenly realise that all the songs are the same or have the same formula; even the drum beats don't seem to vary. Only the slow, piano-led ballad, Dawn Of A New World, is a break from the repetitiveness.
Overall, this album is an interesting listen, and has a nice 80’s cheese vibe, is full of amazing musicianship, but this band needs to learn when not to play.

3/5

Zapp Brannigan

Good album, but the fact that number 2 +7 start off nearlyt the exact same kinda makes me frown upon it.

Le Rack

Truly excellent album. A finger ripping 52 solos in 8 songs! No others could do such a thing and make it sound so bloody great!

the_obsolete

Bow down to their mighty powernessness! It's as you well know Chessington a true cream-in-your-pants album...