Post by Twi on Aug 27, 2008 20:36:34 GMT -5
So the new Dragonforce album was release everywhere but Japan yesterday and I got my hands on it. Thought I'd give my thoughts about the songs here and ask if anyone else has any thoughts on it.
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Heroes of Our Time - 9/10
This song was released as a video much like Through the Fire and Flames. However unlike TTFaF this song is very good. Honestly, it's one of my favourites on the ablum. Great intro and catchy chorus and piano interludes make this song pretty great. However not convinced on the choice of outro. Completely cuts the pace which is a shame for such a strong opening song. It could have easily ended before it.
The Fire Still Burns - 9/10
Again a solid intro, love the epic pre-intro. The verses are decent enough to hold my attention. It's good ol' Dragonforce as we know it. Again catchy chorus. There's some sort of orchestral keyboard sounds that play in this and the last song which sound very good, and backing vocals work well. However, there's something about the echoing singing in the pre-solos down-paced part that really doesn't work. This is followed by a strong solo, "woah-oh" chanting which appeared in the first 2 albums of the band. Final chorus into a strong chorus.
Reason to Live - 8/10
Strangest and possibly heaviest intro to a Dragonforce song, and I like it. After that odd start is goes into another solid verse and chrous. As the third song it starts to get a bit samey, nothing wrong with not changing the formula too much, and it seems that it's much like their older stuff which I'm all for. The pre-solo guitaring is something strange as well. This song has a strange mix of heavy, light-hearted power metal and then this...slow heavy rock? which follows into something which can be found in Disciples of Babylon I believe. This whole song thinking about it sounds much like it was based on it, and that's not bad thing I suppose. Quite outro actually works here. Not my favourite but a good song nevertheless.
Heartbreak Armaggedon - 7/10
I'm in two minds about this song. For one thing it flows nicely, the chorus, once again, is catchy. But something doesn't feel right about the whole song. It's definitely in the same vein as Prepare for War or Operation Ground and Pound, and I liked those songs. This song however feels a bit weaker than those two. The solo goes into a Disciples of Babylon solo again which doesn't work well unfortunately, but about two thirds through it has a very nice solo with some good keyboard solos in there. I like that part. And it actually ends with some pace which is nice. Not the best but has some redeeming features.
The Last Journey Home - 5/10
Is this supposed to be a slow song on the album, I have no idea. It sets itself up as such and the second verse is very much like it, but it has some powerful guitar in there too. Not the most powerful and it keeps it at a slower pace. Something about this song puts me off. I think it's the fact that it's a slow but apparently powerful song. It gets more powerful as it goes on and just doesn't work well for me honestly. It's not a bad song but not one of my likes.
A Flame for Freedom - 7/10
Starts as another slow intro, it's as if this album has to have a slow intro or outro by law. This is like the last song, but it's definitely their power ballady one much like Evening Star from the first album. Honestly I think this song is good. It's a good, well put together song. It's one of the shortest dragonforce songs as well at only 5:20. Good song.
Inside the Winter Storm - 8/10
This is much like the first two songs, so it's good they at least separated them out a little. I don't know what Dragonforce's obsession with slowing the pace down with piano parts in the middle of songs is on this album as it happens in this song too. I still think this one of the better songs. The solo starts much like Operation Ground and Pound with the simple, slower paces stuff, and you can almost play them side by side without noticing much difference and, of course, it goes into the actually solo which is fast and awesome as it should be. The ending on this song is also decent and heavy which makes a change to the others.
The Warrior Inside - 7/10
Honestly when I first listened to this song I didn't like it, but it's grown on me. It's much like Revelations I believe with a bit of Fury of the Storm thrown in. Honestly it's better than I originally thought. Yet AGAIN it slows it down in the middle of the song. I don't get what's going on here, but it's getting tired, and unfortunately for this song being the last on the album it did my head in somewhat. Fortunately it doesn't as long as has some heavy chords in there, followed by a very fast solo. The ending once again is slow, but with an epic ending finish much like Valley of the Damned, but Valley of the Damned is their signature finishing song, this doesn't compare. Live, Valley of the Damned is the best song, the two guitarists and the bassist play the notes on another persons guitar whilst strumming their own in the outro, it really is a sight to behold. This song is good though with some weaker areas but not all that bad.
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That's not all! This late edit lets my bring to you the 3 extra songs. Two of which are on the special edition CD and one is a Japanese only track.
Strike of the Ninja - 9/10
Dragonforce with a hint of Machinae Supremacy, can't go wrong. This song is the shortest uneditted Dragonforce song at only 3:18. Honestly I like it a lot it's fast paced and catchy and is a good change of pace for Dragonforce songs.
Scars of Yesterday - 9.5/10
Woah, funk intro. The intro is extremely awesome, sounds like it'd fit perfectly in a game of some sort honestly and I think it's brilliant. Followed by, at about a minute in, some crazy heavy stuff with some piano then some keyboard and piano then singing. Honestly the intro couldn't have been better it's something that needs to be heard. The first verse continues the strength of the song. Even at the chorus where is slows down a bit it works extremely well. But then...slow middle part again. However it's pretty short and is followed by some more awesome like the intro. Definitely something different and very catchy. I think it may have topped Heroes of Our Time for favourite song on the album. If they put this in as a not-bonus track it would have been awesome. The short outro is also very nice.
E.P.M - 8.5/10
Yet again a fantastic intro. Yet another nice verse. Yet another good chorus. Yet another down paced middle part, but not as down paced to be fair. Again something new I suppose but still sounds similar to the other songs. No idea what E.P.M is supposed to mean, but another good song. The bonus tracks are better than some of the main ones.
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There you have it. Best song is Heroes of our Time in my opinion. If you like Dragonforce then pick this up, it's better than Inhuman Rampage honestly. Shame it uses the Disciples of Babylon gimmick too much really.
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Heroes of Our Time - 9/10
This song was released as a video much like Through the Fire and Flames. However unlike TTFaF this song is very good. Honestly, it's one of my favourites on the ablum. Great intro and catchy chorus and piano interludes make this song pretty great. However not convinced on the choice of outro. Completely cuts the pace which is a shame for such a strong opening song. It could have easily ended before it.
The Fire Still Burns - 9/10
Again a solid intro, love the epic pre-intro. The verses are decent enough to hold my attention. It's good ol' Dragonforce as we know it. Again catchy chorus. There's some sort of orchestral keyboard sounds that play in this and the last song which sound very good, and backing vocals work well. However, there's something about the echoing singing in the pre-solos down-paced part that really doesn't work. This is followed by a strong solo, "woah-oh" chanting which appeared in the first 2 albums of the band. Final chorus into a strong chorus.
Reason to Live - 8/10
Strangest and possibly heaviest intro to a Dragonforce song, and I like it. After that odd start is goes into another solid verse and chrous. As the third song it starts to get a bit samey, nothing wrong with not changing the formula too much, and it seems that it's much like their older stuff which I'm all for. The pre-solo guitaring is something strange as well. This song has a strange mix of heavy, light-hearted power metal and then this...slow heavy rock? which follows into something which can be found in Disciples of Babylon I believe. This whole song thinking about it sounds much like it was based on it, and that's not bad thing I suppose. Quite outro actually works here. Not my favourite but a good song nevertheless.
Heartbreak Armaggedon - 7/10
I'm in two minds about this song. For one thing it flows nicely, the chorus, once again, is catchy. But something doesn't feel right about the whole song. It's definitely in the same vein as Prepare for War or Operation Ground and Pound, and I liked those songs. This song however feels a bit weaker than those two. The solo goes into a Disciples of Babylon solo again which doesn't work well unfortunately, but about two thirds through it has a very nice solo with some good keyboard solos in there. I like that part. And it actually ends with some pace which is nice. Not the best but has some redeeming features.
The Last Journey Home - 5/10
Is this supposed to be a slow song on the album, I have no idea. It sets itself up as such and the second verse is very much like it, but it has some powerful guitar in there too. Not the most powerful and it keeps it at a slower pace. Something about this song puts me off. I think it's the fact that it's a slow but apparently powerful song. It gets more powerful as it goes on and just doesn't work well for me honestly. It's not a bad song but not one of my likes.
A Flame for Freedom - 7/10
Starts as another slow intro, it's as if this album has to have a slow intro or outro by law. This is like the last song, but it's definitely their power ballady one much like Evening Star from the first album. Honestly I think this song is good. It's a good, well put together song. It's one of the shortest dragonforce songs as well at only 5:20. Good song.
Inside the Winter Storm - 8/10
This is much like the first two songs, so it's good they at least separated them out a little. I don't know what Dragonforce's obsession with slowing the pace down with piano parts in the middle of songs is on this album as it happens in this song too. I still think this one of the better songs. The solo starts much like Operation Ground and Pound with the simple, slower paces stuff, and you can almost play them side by side without noticing much difference and, of course, it goes into the actually solo which is fast and awesome as it should be. The ending on this song is also decent and heavy which makes a change to the others.
The Warrior Inside - 7/10
Honestly when I first listened to this song I didn't like it, but it's grown on me. It's much like Revelations I believe with a bit of Fury of the Storm thrown in. Honestly it's better than I originally thought. Yet AGAIN it slows it down in the middle of the song. I don't get what's going on here, but it's getting tired, and unfortunately for this song being the last on the album it did my head in somewhat. Fortunately it doesn't as long as has some heavy chords in there, followed by a very fast solo. The ending once again is slow, but with an epic ending finish much like Valley of the Damned, but Valley of the Damned is their signature finishing song, this doesn't compare. Live, Valley of the Damned is the best song, the two guitarists and the bassist play the notes on another persons guitar whilst strumming their own in the outro, it really is a sight to behold. This song is good though with some weaker areas but not all that bad.
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That's not all! This late edit lets my bring to you the 3 extra songs. Two of which are on the special edition CD and one is a Japanese only track.
Strike of the Ninja - 9/10
Dragonforce with a hint of Machinae Supremacy, can't go wrong. This song is the shortest uneditted Dragonforce song at only 3:18. Honestly I like it a lot it's fast paced and catchy and is a good change of pace for Dragonforce songs.
Scars of Yesterday - 9.5/10
Woah, funk intro. The intro is extremely awesome, sounds like it'd fit perfectly in a game of some sort honestly and I think it's brilliant. Followed by, at about a minute in, some crazy heavy stuff with some piano then some keyboard and piano then singing. Honestly the intro couldn't have been better it's something that needs to be heard. The first verse continues the strength of the song. Even at the chorus where is slows down a bit it works extremely well. But then...slow middle part again. However it's pretty short and is followed by some more awesome like the intro. Definitely something different and very catchy. I think it may have topped Heroes of Our Time for favourite song on the album. If they put this in as a not-bonus track it would have been awesome. The short outro is also very nice.
E.P.M - 8.5/10
Yet again a fantastic intro. Yet another nice verse. Yet another good chorus. Yet another down paced middle part, but not as down paced to be fair. Again something new I suppose but still sounds similar to the other songs. No idea what E.P.M is supposed to mean, but another good song. The bonus tracks are better than some of the main ones.
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There you have it. Best song is Heroes of our Time in my opinion. If you like Dragonforce then pick this up, it's better than Inhuman Rampage honestly. Shame it uses the Disciples of Babylon gimmick too much really.
