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DRAGONFORCE – The U.K.’s Power Metal flag is being raised ever higher and with more pride; now that the fifth studio album from  Dragonforce is available. The Power Within was released on April 17th, 2012, via Roadrunner Records. Trust me, this is a whole new ball of Power Metal wax I’m listening to with Dragonforce in 2012. I’ll tell you why…

Marc Hudson – Whoa, this new guy can sing and has remarkable range. Marc’s falsetto style is not only impressive, it’s downright eye-popping. Marc Hudson replaced original vocalist ZP Theart and has single-handedly turned me from being a casual fan of Dragonforce to an all-out solid and appreciative fan. There isn’t a dull moment I can possibly hear from the vocals of Marc Hudson. Metal as my witness… I’m telling you all how I truly perceive what I hear.

Maturity – Yes, every band that wants to continue forward and not be left forgotten, like a bunch of Oprah reruns, needs to consistently mature musically. This Dragonforce lineup is playing tighter than ever on The Power Within and it makes the songs that much more potent. An all-encompassing mature vibe towards the song is what I’m listening to, on The Power Within. Lyrically inspiring and encapsulating substance, it’s difficult for me to not want to know what Marc is singing about.

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The Guitarists – Founding members Herman Li and Sam Totman still play their guitars at lightning speed, (their undisputedly talented), only the hell-bent tempo comes across with a new-found legitimacy that is no longer a show-off spectacle; instead, this is Dragonforce and this is what they’ve been about since day one… I just needed Marc Hudson to be that “icing on the cake” for my ears.

The Songs – All ten songs belong. From the powerful album opener Holding On to the acoustic closer of Seasons, this is an album that Dragonforce should be damn proud of. Cry Thunder and Wings Of Liberty are my two favorites on The Power Within; with Wings Of Liberty being a profound and epic listen. Marc Hudson’s vocals gives the acoustic version of Seasons its justifiable place on this album. I’ll say it again, this new guy can sing… and he showcases his vocal diversity with this acoustic number.  

As a whole, Dragonforce come across brilliantly on The Power Within. From the keyboards of Vadim Pruzhanov, to the drumming of Dave Mackintosh and everything else in-between, coupled with what I’ve mentioned. I absolutely have no reservations by calling The Power Within as one of the best Metal albums I’ve listened to in 2012. Melodic and memorable Power Metal is The Power Within. Metal be thy name.

DRAGONFORCE:

Marc Hudson – Lead vocals

Herman Li – Guitar, backing vocals

Sam Totman – Guitar, backing vocals

Frédéric Leclercq – Bass, backing vocals

Vadim Pruzhanov – Keyboards, Theremin, backing vocals

Dave Mackintosh – Drums, backing vocals

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THE POWER WITHIN – Track Listing:

Holding On

Fallen World

Cry Thunder

Give Me The Night

Wings Of Liberty

Seasons

Heart Of The Storm

Die By The Sword

Last Man Stands

Seasons (acoustic version)

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* For more info on DRAGONFORCE, click on the links below!

http://www.dragonforce.com

http://www.youtube.com/dragonforce

ROADRUNNER RECORDS

LONG LIVE DRAGONFORCE.

Stone.

This entry was posted on May 24, 2012 at 2:26 pm and is filed under Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal news, metal music, Music, Power Metal, rock music, rock music news with tags dragonforce, heavy metal albums 2012, heavy metal news, herman li, marc hudson, metal albums 2012, Power Metal, the power within. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.