View Full Version : DragonForce
Tempest
08-18-2007, 2:08 AM
I know I'm going to get a lot of mixed opinions from this one, but here goes.. Something like half a year ago I started to get into the power metal band DragonForce. I talk to people about them on occasion, but I find it's always kind of a deficit.. There's always people who like them a lot, or people who hate them with a passion.. And I find that the people who hate them often hate them for stupid-ass reasons. If you hate a band just because their lyrics dip into the fantasy realm, then I don't think you should even be trying to discuss music.. The guitar and drums in DragonForce are fucking amazing, hands down. The MUSIC is great, even if the lyrics can get a little fanciful sometimes. I just need to know if there are any other DragonForce fans out there, or maybe even people who don't dislike them for a dumb reason.
drunkchuck
08-18-2007, 2:28 AM
One of my friends got me into DragonForce about a year ago. I enjoyed their music for a while; the guitar is really nothing special to anyone who's listened to any other shred guitarists, i.e. Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Rusty Cooley, Paul Gilbert, etc. But then I listened to some of their live stuff, my friend bought a dvd and a lot of their live songs are on Youtube. In the studio they're great, but live they are... not quite so good, to say the least. Guitars out of tune, a lot of solos and riffs played out of time, etc. I have found some instances of them playing songs live nearly as good as the studio versions, but those seem to be few and far between. So this kind of put me off of DragonForce, now even if I listen to one of their studio songs, I can appreciate the songwriting and great guitar, but at the same time I imagine them playing it live and it hurts me. So this is the reason I don't really listen to DragonForce at all anymore, I can't really respect musicians that don't play true to themselves, if that makes sense. If you can't recreate the song flawlessly or at least nearly perfect every single time live, then you should not play it in my opinion. I find that a lot of DragonForce fans (not all) are people who have never been exposed to guitar virtuosity before and so when they hear DragonForce it's the best guitar they've ever heard, and "these DragonForce guitarists are the best in the world." I've heard that many times, and really it's laughable to anyone who knows the genre of shred guitar.
DragonForce is... ehh... They're 'ok' but not the best. The music [guitar, drums, ect.] It's good, but i just cant stand the guys voice. And I do agrere with drunkchuck, they dont do very well when they play live. But it's like that with a lot of other bands too. Slipknot and Mudvayne are friggin awesome in studio, but when they play live, they dont sound as good. But now that they both have been around for a while, they have gotten better and dont sound like crap anymore when they play live. So I'm sure as DragonForce stays around for a while, they'll get better.
El Mojado
08-18-2007, 10:58 AM
Well when I went to the No Fear tour, I accually didn't see anything wrong with it. The singer sounded the same, the drums where on beat, and so where the guitars and bass. The only time I belive when one of the guitars got a bit off beat is when he got his hair caught in the whammy bar. Also I thought that the audio enginner sucked balls, too much bass. I gotta admit sometimes their lyrics sound a bit nerdish, but they're are aiming for gamers. Its basically as my friend puts it "A band who has a life but aims at people who have no life". I mean they're other good fast bands but sometimes they don't compare to Dragonforce. Also if people disagree with me that they suck at live concerts, probably they had a few.
azunder
08-18-2007, 12:30 PM
I'm not too fond of Dragonforce, or bands of a similar sound. What i can appreciate is their musical talent. your not gonna get any old Burk producing music like theirs (sadly the same can't be said for the indy scene) however in spite of their technical prowess i just can't get into it. Its the same as Dreamtheatre, though there probably the best musicians atm, Extensive guitar/keyboard solo's aren't my cup of tea.
Still at least the Lyrics are original
El Travo
08-18-2007, 12:54 PM
The live performances aren't that great but I really like what comes out of the studio. I like to vocals too, it gets tiring listening to metal bands always screaming.
I refuse to judge them by their live performances, simply because I've never seen them live and I'm not going to let half a dozen videos on youtube make up my mind for me. Their studio work is impressive, but their not the greatest thing I've ever heard. And after to listening to their music for a while, you start to hear a lot of similarities between the songs. So all in all, they're a good band, but far from the greatest.
Android
08-18-2007, 3:09 PM
I have actually seen Dragonforce live and they were amazing. They weren't even all that well known at the venue, but they were spot on note for note and by the end of the set people were singing along to the choruses. What was really truly amazing was their bassist, you don't hear him that much in the recordings, but he really wails live. That was an impressive live show, especially with Chimera, He is Legend, and Killswitch Engage playing with them. They blew every single band out of the water.
I'll listen to people's complaints when they can out play the band members. I think most of it is envy and jealousy due to lack of ability. If anything, they deserve respect.
ekwfan6
08-18-2007, 3:30 PM
I'm not really into the power metal genre. The closest thing to it that I like would probably be Hammerfall, Manowar, or Sonata Arctica... And I only like a few of their songs.
The Darri
08-18-2007, 3:32 PM
Ive been a Dragonforce fan ever since I started drumming, The music is just so full of life and power (thats why they call it power metal) but I definatly think that they can do much better live, a band is just as good as they're live show.
Well that's my opinion anyway.
I_Smell
08-18-2007, 4:28 PM
Their songs do kind of all sound the same. Still though, I like it. They've got a really definative style where, if you need to find some fast, powerful, just really kickass music, you can search for Dragonforce and never be dissapointed. So they're good at what they do, even though I don't know shit about what they do.
SLjimbolian
08-18-2007, 4:47 PM
There are WAY far better power-metal bands that Dragonforce pales in comparison. Angra and Blind Guardian are both highly recommended along with Symphony X, Sonata Arctica, Pryamaze, and Demons & Wizards (they're more straight-up traditional metal than power, but still worth checking out). Dragonforce is decent at best, but highly overrated. To me, they're a gateway band to greater bands like the ones I've mentioned above.
Demoir
08-18-2007, 6:07 PM
They're brilliant. I've got all 3 albums. They're meant to be amazing (as in, they put on a good show, much trampolining and such) live, but I'm not sure when they play(ed) Newcastle, so I have no plans to see them.
El Mojado
08-18-2007, 6:12 PM
I find that a lot of DragonForce fans (not all) are people who have never been exposed to guitar virtuosity before and so when they hear DragonForce it's the best guitar they've ever heard, and "these DragonForce guitarists are the best in the world." I've heard that many times, and really it's laughable to anyone who knows the genre of shred guitar.
Really? Do you think the people agree?
DragonForce's 2004 album Sonic Firestorm earned Li the Dimebag Darrell Young Guitarist Award for best Shredder at the 2005 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. DragonForce were also nominated for best UK band. Together with Sam Totman, Herman recently won four categories in Guitar World's Readers Poll 2007 for 'Best New Talent' (winning by 70%), 'Best Metal', 'Best Riff' and 'Best Shredders'. They also won 'Best Guitar Solo' with "Through the Fire and Flames" in Total Guitar's readers poll this year.
Even Kirk Hammett called him "The Fastest Guitarist Alive"
SLjimbolian
08-18-2007, 10:07 PM
Herman Ri (that's what I call him) may be a very good guitarist, but Kiko Loureiro of Angra is much better technically then him. Pick up Angra's "Temple of Shadows" and "Aurora Consurgens" to see what I'm talking about.
xJesusx
08-18-2007, 11:40 PM
I am not the really the biggest fan of power metal for the most part, but I do enjoy dragonforce. I can't listen to them for long periods of time or on a daily basis, but I still like them. Yeah, they have stupid lyrics, but like others have said, if someone judges a band on lyrics, they are... kind of idiots. A lot of the songs sound similar, but yeah, it sounds good at least. The vocals can be a nice change from a lot of what I listen to, but he is definitely not my favorite vocalist. Overall though, I do enjoy them and have recommended/showed them to people, and these people have tended to enjoy them as well.
Matterialize
08-19-2007, 1:13 AM
I liked them. Then I discovered that all of their songs sound identical. Also, half of their lyrics are about "carrying on" and "the noble fight" and "fire" and all sorts of dramatic, generic bullshit on the subject of big, grand warfare.
I mean, one of the lines in some song is "we feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days". What the fuck? What's the significance of three years? Three? Oooh, scary. They could've picked any number, but they put "1000" in there because it's a big, important-sounding word. Has the band, like, been around for three years or something? Fuck.
In closing, I think DragonForce is a joke, but I like Where Dragons Rule because of the lead-in.
drunkchuck
08-19-2007, 4:20 AM
DragonForce's 2004 album Sonic Firestorm earned Li the Dimebag Darrell Young Guitarist Award for best Shredder at the 2005 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards. DragonForce were also nominated for best UK band. Together with Sam Totman, Herman recently won four categories in Guitar World's Readers Poll 2007 for 'Best New Talent' (winning by 70%), 'Best Metal', 'Best Riff' and 'Best Shredders'. They also won 'Best Guitar Solo' with "Through the Fire and Flames" in Total Guitar's readers poll this year.
All that's great, and DragonForce has some incredibly talented musicians, there's no doubt of that. But to me, Herman Li seem a bit overrated, judging by some of his performances. Don't get me wrong, he's very talented and far better than I'll ever get on a guitar. But what I said was that people thinking he is the "best in the world" was laughable and it is, there are many far more technically advanced players who are more consistent than Li. I included some names of other shredders in my original post, look them up, they all blow Herman Li out of the water. I also saw someone mention Dream Theatre and Symphony X, whose guitarists John Petrucci and Michael Romeo both far exceed Herman Li's level of technicality.
Even Kirk Hammett called him "The Fastest Guitarist Alive"
This doesn't really mean anything; for one thing Kirk Hammett himself is overrated as a guitarist, and for another thing pure speed doesn't matter and it is not a measure of talent; there will always be some guy in Brazil or something that can play faster, that doesn't make the faster guy the better guitar player.
gtrst7711
08-19-2007, 9:14 AM
I honestly can't stand Dragonforce at all. I have to admit that their musicians are amazing. I saw them live though with Killswitch Engage, and they were just annoying. I hated the singing, and the stupid guitarist wouldn't stop licking his guitar.
ilovebrownies
08-19-2007, 9:55 AM
This doesn't really mean anything; for one thing Kirk Hammett himself is overrated as a guitarist, and for another thing pure speed doesn't matter and it is not a measure of talent; there will always be some guy in Brazil or something that can play faster, that doesn't make the faster guy the better guitar player.
I totally agree. You can be fast as hell, but still sound like an electric ham sandwich.
I've also heard rumors that they speed up the guitars in the studio, in which case they are pathetic. Overall I think their music sounds rather uninspired and too focused on pure speed.
Tayoshi
08-19-2007, 10:16 AM
My friend got me listening to DragonForce here just a few days ago, actually. I love their guitar solos and drum parts, but, I'm not exactly the biggest fan of the singer's voice. It sounds too 80s-ish. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but for this kind of band, it just doesn't fit in with it very well.
lokago
07-26-2008, 12:33 AM
they may not bee my favorite power metal band, but that difinently isn't because of their fanciful lyrics, they are one of a few well known bands who have fantasy lyrics. they get a 8/10 from me.
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All their songs sound the same.
You'd think with being in the fantasy genre one would actually be, you know, imaginative, creative.
In some way.
Tempest
07-26-2008, 1:02 AM
Why the hell is this in TV/Movies?
The only things that sound the same across Dragonforce songs are drums. Drums happen to be the beat-holder for songs. Thus, people think all their songs sound the same.
It all sounds the same to me.
This is coming from a guy who can pick up on the minute differences in stuff like classical and jazz music.
So like, I know what I'm talking about :\
You can still like it, just know it's flufff.
You should show me two songs that you think show their range.
I think the drumming is shit, I thought they must have used a drum machine or something.
The lyrics are like, wnky but whatever. The vocals in general are pretty weak.
The guitar for me sounds like pansy shit and I am not impressed at all just because they can play it fast but that is just my taste.
Pretty much it seems like they are trying to hold a crazy theatrical appearance, you know?
But like, they are failing at it pretty badly. They just aren't heavy enough.
Badass_Shit_Talking
07-26-2008, 1:32 AM
I hate DragonForce because a kid at school I really don't like praises them ( makes video's and junk about them) because Herman Lee does the Pac-Man sound.
Add that to your list of stupid reasons.
MistyTehMoose
07-26-2008, 1:46 AM
The guitarist is excellent, the rest of the band are riding on the talent.
Meh... I'll never own an album, but it's not something I object to, really. And I think I could dig on seeing them live because it seems like they'd put on a fun show. I hate a lot of DragonForce fans, but that doesn't really mean anything, being as one of my favorite bands is Tool, and I always avoid Tool fans because they're obnoxious musical elitist assholes.
It all sounds the same to me.
This is coming from a guy who can pick up on the minute differences in stuff like classical and jazz music.
So like, I know what I'm talking about :\
You can still like it, just know it's flufff.
You should show me two songs that you think show their range.
What a retarded thing to say. I'm not defending dragonforce because I honestly think they suck balls, but wtf are you talking about?
I can practically see your head up your own ass from that post. If it's a genre you don't listen to regularly, of course it will all sound the same, just like all rap sounds the same to me the same with black and death metal.
Just because it isn't classical or free form jazz doesn't make it fluff. So what if you can pick out "minute" differences (what does that even mean?). You can tell you are listening to a different song? If that's the case I would argue that it is ridiculously easy to tell different classical songs apart since they all consist of different and distinct movements.
As someone who listens primarily to industrial metal I can tell the difference between say fear factory songs, where as when my mom hears it she just hears noise and all the songs bleed together for her.
Planky
07-26-2008, 2:20 AM
I heard about Dragonforce through my brother. He listened to it for approx 2 months non-stop, which drove me nuts. After a while I started to like one or two of the songs, so on and so forth.
As Drunkchuck points out, there are better shred artists out there, but Dragonforce is a good place to start if you are introducing someone to the genre.
Prawnatron
07-26-2008, 3:14 AM
I'm going to see them with my mates in october, but we all recently realised we don't actually like Dragonforce that much, I like Turisas though and the tickets were only 12 quid.
Tempest
07-26-2008, 3:16 AM
Meh... I'll never own an album, but it's not something I object to, really. And I think I could dig on seeing them live because it seems like they'd put on a fun show. I hate a lot of DragonForce fans, but that doesn't really mean anything, being as one of my favorite bands is Tool, and I always avoid Tool fans because they're obnoxious musical elitist assholes.
I wouldn't suggest doing that, they are absolutely dreadful live, from what I've heard.
Hickabod
07-26-2008, 5:18 AM
I think that Dragonforce are amazingly talented blokes, but some of the solos are too long and sort of lose their bite after a few songs because it's all so same-y, so I wouldn't listen to them. But I still respect their level of skill.
I wouldn't suggest doing that, they are absolutely dreadful live, from what I've heard.
My friend, who's a Dragon Force fan, said that they're getting worse after they got famous because they're starting to drink before the shows.
I personally think dragonforce rocks, but only because they are so fast and so crazy that they are funny. I don't think they are good perse, but I find it fun to listen to them.
AnOddRant
07-26-2008, 9:09 AM
Honestly i can't really stand Dragonforce but that's just because a lot of my friends are dragonforce nerds and they try to force me to like it, and they act like Dragonforce is the best band out there, which it isn't. Although i do respect herman li for his talent, I just think he needs to lay off of the booze live and play better.
The singer pisses me of too.
Dragonforce is probably the lamest power metal band around. Their albums are monotonic and boring. Valley of the damned is a fine track though.
Even Kirk Hammett called him "The Fastest Guitarist Alive"
Kirk Hammet's opinions aren't really valid when discussing guitar.
TheHighwaySong
07-26-2008, 9:11 PM
When I first heard them, I thought they were joking around, I really did. I thought it was a group of musicians who were mocking metal cliches, but no, they were indeed doing everything willingly. :indiff:
I'm not gonna totally bash them. I think they're an alright band, some songs can be catchy, hell I'll even name one, Cry For Eternity.
I saw them live yesterday. They were everywhere around the stage but talk about fuckin' corny. KEYTAR solos for the win. :rock:
tunacake
07-26-2008, 10:21 PM
Don't they get fucking wasted before shows? That's just great for insanely fast and technical guitar solos.
Syzrael
07-27-2008, 5:35 AM
I know I'm going to get a lot of mixed opinions from this one, but here goes.. Something like half a year ago I started to get into the power metal band DragonForce. I talk to people about them on occasion, but I find it's always kind of a deficit.. There's always people who like them a lot, or people who hate them with a passion.. And I find that the people who hate them often hate them for stupid-ass reasons. If you hate a band just because their lyrics dip into the fantasy realm, then I don't think you should even be trying to discuss music.. The guitar and drums in DragonForce are fucking amazing, hands down. The MUSIC is great, even if the lyrics can get a little fanciful sometimes. I just need to know if there are any other DragonForce fans out there, or maybe even people who don't dislike them for a dumb reason.
The lyrics is only part of the reason why Dragonforce really aren't good at all. But at your request, I won't talk about them.
First of all, 90% of their songs sound exactly the same. And no, this is not an exaggeration. Take Through the Fire and Flames (their most famous and one of their crappier songs) and compare it to Heroes of Our Time from the new album. A newcomer to Dragonforce would not be able to tell the difference between the two. And then compare those two to Operation Ground and Pound. Where's the diversity?
Then onto their lame "fastest metal ever" gimmick. When will people realize that fast is not synonymous with good? Have you ever taken the time to seriously listen to a Dragonforce solo? They're scales and arpeggios up and down, sweeped or tapped. Sure, it's fast, but it's boring and uncreative. Not to mention the solos go ON AND ON and don't contribute anything to the song. They're just there to show off Herman and Sam's guitar skills.
And live...ugh. They can't even play their own stuff when not in a studio. Look, I'm not going to pretend I can play as well as they can, but I know that they cannot play as well as THEY say they can. Okay, maybe they're drunk. Why the fuck would you get drunk before a performance? I think the audience would rather listen to a good performance rather than watch a bunch of dumbasses falling off the stage. How about they stay sober for one performance and then try to play their stuff? Even then, it's doubtful that they could play their own solos.
Wow, that was longer than I thought. But these are just some of the reasons why Dragonforce really are not that good. They're great as a gateway into better Power Metal bands (and as a Power Metal fan, I appreciate that), but they're nothing better than that.
Mr_Beast
07-27-2008, 6:14 AM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Dragonforce! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Gosh, I'd had a pretty hard night last night but I really needed that. Thanks guys.
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InTransit
07-27-2008, 6:31 AM
I wouldn't suggest doing that, they are absolutely dreadful live, from what I've heard.
It's been about a year since I saw them but I thought the show was actually really good and enjoyable. Keeping in mind that I only went to see them for the guitars. And then I got all fangirly because I got into the afterparty. But I wouldn't suggest ever buying an album or seeing them more than once. Once was good.
Athrogate
07-27-2008, 3:41 PM
If I wanted to listen to guitar wankery I'd play a Paul Gilbert album :| At least his stuff is fun to listen to, and he far surpasses Dragonforce in terms of technicality.
Gudizere
07-27-2008, 3:51 PM
Tickets to see them in October, cant wait!
But yeah, while quite a few of their songs sound similar, I think its not a bad thing as its a good sound. I'd much rather listen to 5 variations of a good song than 5 completely different songs that are average.
Assassin
07-28-2008, 9:25 AM
ier songs) and compare it to Heroes of Our Time from the new album. A newcomer to Dragonforce would not be able to tell the difference between the two.
Heh, those do sound as the same song. Even the guitar thing in the beginning is the same
Freelancer
07-28-2008, 12:26 PM
I got into DragonForce a few years back. I went and seen them play at Glasgow Barrowlands and they were fucking amazing.
It was when Herman Li spotted me and my friend that really made the concert worthwhile though!
Inconceivable
07-28-2008, 1:57 PM
They may be fast but it sure doesn't make them great musicians, i'm not trying to bash them to all you fans out there, i'm just making some points. Anyone can learn to play guitar fast as hell with enough practice and discipline, but it takes great musical talent to add emotion and meaning and an overall awesome feel to a solo or riff, in this genre we could look at John Petrucci from Dream Theater, super fast solos and some crazy shreds but for the most part you can tell how much he works on them to make them fit the song and add that certain touch, and I hate to keep saying "emotion" but its the best word that fits because thats what it is. If you spot some of the greats like Page, Frampton, Gilmour and Clapton, they didn't have to break their arms to make an amazing guitar solo, it just sounded right.
Anyway thats my opinion. To each their own.
eyehatepeople
07-31-2008, 7:50 AM
I have a respect for the member of DragonForce, but don't like the music they produce one bit. I think that all members of the band have a lot of talent, but don't really know how to use it.
Also I have heard (I'm not saying that this is true, just a rumour) that Herman Lee uses an effect when playing Through the Fire and the Flames that make his guitar sound like its playing 3 notes when it is really only playing one.
This made me lose a whole lot of respect for Herman Lee in particular and just made me lose respect for the band.
wilcarlie
07-31-2008, 8:46 PM
dude its just horrible the way people like them because of the guitar solos when most of it is on a synthesizer. and speed metal is shit simply because fast doesn't mean good...unless your slow in the mind and that fascinates you. the lyrics are horrible compared to any other band near their genre, they really dont try hard and its vague emptiness to me.
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Ramirez23
08-01-2008, 9:09 AM
I just saw these guys on the 30th at Mayhem Festival. They were one of the only bands on the bill that I wasent really looking forward to seeing. Now I've seen the videos where they really fucking blow live, and that was what I was expecting. But they actually werent terrible. Besides the fact all of thier songs sound the same and they played slower than in the recorded version, it wasent terrible. Still not a fan though.
Also I have heard (I'm not saying that this is true, just a rumour) that Herman Lee uses an effect when playing Through the Fire and the Flames that make his guitar sound like its playing 3 notes when it is really only playing one.
That's bullshit.
Android
08-02-2008, 11:08 PM
All the people who are making the claim, "They suck live" are you saying that because you personally have seen them failing, or was it a rumor?
I have seen them live, and whether or not you like them is irrelevant. Hardly any person in that crowd knew any of their songs, but by the end of the set they had the whole crowd singing along. I even saw Herman Lee do a 180 jump off a riser and fall flat on his ass during a solo and he didn't miss a note.
Every band is gonna have "off" performances, but gauging their ability to play live by a youtube video or rumor is just plain lemming idiocy. Make up your own mind, don't let someone else do it for you.
El Travo
08-02-2008, 11:53 PM
I like Dragonforce, I like the singer as it's nice to see an actual singer for a metal band instead of a screamer. The drums get repetitive, pretty much every song is the same drum beat. It's a crazy hard drum beat to play, don't get me wrong, just that they should switch it up. Sam is the one who gets drunk every performance. I personally haven't been to a live concert but I've seen a couple Youtube videos of live stuff and it didn't sound that great, then I see one or two which are really good. The lyrics are cool because it's different, gets away from the usual singing about a girl or something along those lines that alot bands tend to do. All in all, I like them for their studio work as it is terrific and since I don't really go to many concerts, that's pretty much all I look for.
Riddlebox
08-03-2008, 12:33 AM
I like Dragonforce, I like the singer as it's nice to see an actual singer for a metal band instead of a screamer.
Haven't you heard of power metal? Example (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeZIjZG4N8w&feature=related) (s) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fATaERKNd7I) ... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNc0bosUyI4&feature=related)
On topic, I like many others, thought these guys were completely awesome when I was playing guitar Hero. I had heard of them before but I didn't bother checking them out. After listening to a bunch of their songs, I decided that the style was just way too similar in every song, and the singer keeps using the same damn words. If I ever hear "everlasting" again, I will fucking kill myself.
I'm not referring to anything anyone has said on this forum, but saying they're not good just because they play fast is stupid. When people say "Anyone could do that with practice" I get pissed off. That applies to everything. That's how you get good.
They're talented musicians and all, I just don't like their repetitiveness. Soldiers of the Wasteland isn't bad though. (and by that I mean it's the only song you need to hear to know exactly what all the others sound like)
Bosskid
08-03-2008, 12:36 AM
Talented? Creativity? WHAT?
Oh my god, when I saw them live, I really thought I was listening to a 60 minute song. Then I heard they play drunk on stage, and that's their excuse. Excuse me? I'm fucking paying shit to see this, I don't want an excuse of crappy playing! I've heard that they speed up songs in the studio too, which can be the reason for atrocious playing at live concerts when they began.
If you want creativity, get into Tool. They are a total bliss to listen to. Awkward time changes, beautiful voice, the bass line is amazing, and with that politics and morals are twisted into a giant masterpiece.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiV_ue-PbL4
Android
08-03-2008, 1:01 AM
If you want creativity, get into Tool. They are a total bliss to listen to. Awkward time changes, beautiful voice, the bass line is amazing, and with that politics and morals are twisted into a giant masterpiece.
Bosskid, while I appreciate your enthusiastic dislike of Dragonforce, I'd like to remind you that the topic of this thread IS Dragonforce. Please remember to stay on topic. You can go to This thread (http://forums.explosm.net/showthread.php?t=35363) if you would like to talk about Tool.
Tempest
08-03-2008, 2:11 AM
I just think it's funny that Dragonforce is the only band anyone ever expects to sound EXACTLY the same live as they do in the studio. I hate to break it to you but there are a fuckton of bands nowadays that sound completely different live because of all the effects they use. There isn't an effect, however, to make it sound like you're playing faster than you are. Sorry to break it to you.
Syzrael
08-03-2008, 10:19 AM
I just think it's funny that Dragonforce is the only band anyone ever expects to sound EXACTLY the same live as they do in the studio. I hate to break it to you but there are a fuckton of bands nowadays that sound completely different live because of all the effects they use. There isn't an effect, however, to make it sound like you're playing faster than you are. Sorry to break it to you.
It's not that Dragonforce are the only band people expect to play perfectly live, but it's just that most other bands can play perfectly live, or a lot closer to perfect than Dragonforce can. If I see another band that plays crap live, then I'll give them the same tongue-lashing I'm giving this band.
And that's not the only reason why Dragonforce isn't good. Many people have listed other reasons why they dislike the band, and they aren't the "gay lyrics" or "sped up in studio" arguments that you hate.
Bosskid
08-03-2008, 10:49 AM
Bosskid, while I appreciate your enthusiastic dislike of Dragonforce, I'd like to remind you that the topic of this thread IS Dragonforce. Please remember to stay on topic. You can go to This thread (http://forums.explosm.net/showthread.php?t=35363) if you would like to talk about Tool.
Whoop, sorry about that. I've been told by many people that Dragonforce does speed up music but, is it in anyway confirmed?
Tempest
08-03-2008, 12:51 PM
Whoop, sorry about that. I've been told by many people that Dragonforce does speed up music but, is it in anyway confirmed?
On the contrary, there's plenty of confirmation that they can indeed play that fast. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6blTVunsB4) What a coincidence, they're also playing the song pretty much correctly there.
Bosskid
08-03-2008, 1:42 PM
On the contrary, there's plenty of confirmation that they can indeed play that fast. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6blTVunsB4) What a coincidence, they're also playing the song pretty much correctly there.
Wait your joking right? Example, listen to the part before the singer goes "oh oh oh." Its freakishly out of tune. And well...I thought the solo was terrible too. I don't really see what your trying to say here, sure, they played up to tempo, but that's not all that matters you know?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bblDQiGAni8
Just like in the link, Sonata Arctica can actually play. Now, I'm not just bashing on Dragonforce, but wasting my allowance to see a shit performance was not what I wanted.
Tempest
08-03-2008, 3:42 PM
I've got a surprise for you. I know it's going to be a shock, but songs SOUND DIFFERENT WHEN YOU PLAY THEM LIVE, AS OPPOSED TO IN A STUDIO. The difference in a song not SOUNDING the same live (Dragonforce), and being played incorrectly, is a very wide gap. Almost the entire video I posted is played CORRECTLY, it just sounds different due to a lack of effects.
EDIT: Why the fuck are you comparing a Dragonforce song to a completely different song by a completely different band? SURE DOES MAKE SENSE.
EDIT EDIT: Seriously? A keyboard solo. Holy fucking shit guys, an instrument that doesn't include unavoidable live performance issues (such as picks/fingers dragging along the string, bad tuning, amplifier feedback, etc) sounds cleaner than a guitar. Stop the presses.
Bosskid
08-03-2008, 4:10 PM
but songs SOUND DIFFERENT WHEN YOU PLAY THEM LIVE, AS OPPOSED TO IN A STUDIO. The difference in a song not SOUNDING the same live (Dragonforce), and being played incorrectly, is a very wide gap.
EDIT: Why the fuck are you comparing a Dragonforce song to a completely different song by a completely different band? SURE DOES MAKE SENSE.
EDIT EDIT: Seriously? A keyboard solo. Holy fucking shit guys, an instrument that doesn't include unavoidable live performance issues (such as picks/fingers dragging along the string, bad tuning, amplifier feedback, etc) sounds cleaner than a guitar. Stop the presses.
Yes, I know lives sound different, they are supposed to be faster, louder, more enthusiastic, whatever, but thats not what I said. As I (and many other people) have been saying, THEY CANNOT PLAY CORRECTLY. Maybe you wern't around with their first concerts, but they would play solos and such on different strings and what not.
I compared Dragonforce to Sonata Arctica because SA actually can actually play their song, perfectly. Of course lives arn't meant to be played flawless, but playing ridiculously is not cool.
And funny you mention the Keyboard, because Dragonforce's keyboard player actually messes up during the intro. Anyway SA's solo didn't only include a keyboard dude. Are you deaf? Can you hear the incredible sweeps in the back ground? Just because the camera is on the keyboard player doesn't mean hes the only one playing.
Tempest
08-03-2008, 4:20 PM
:blanky:
USER WAS PUT IN TIMEOUT FOR THIS POST. (http://forums.explosm.net/eventlog.php)
Reason: single smiley reply
Gudizere
08-03-2008, 4:29 PM
To be perfectly honest, I dont see the point in all this arguementative shit, its brought up everytime with Dragonforce too. The only reason I listen to them is for their unreal speed, and in some cases, I admit, it probably is unreal. But when I want to listen to a good live band or songs with soul, ill search elsewhere in my playlist. But for a quick kick from a stupidly fast solo? Dragonforce is fine for that.
And also, has anyone got Ultra Beatdown on order?
VampiricLord99
08-03-2008, 4:29 PM
I had to create an account just to reply to this thread.
Anyone who thinks that Herman Li and Sam Totman (and Dragonforce in general) are the fastest guitarists/band ever have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. They use a technique called tapping that makes it sound like they're playing really fast, but essentially all they are doing is repetedly pressing down a string. I personally know many people who can do this much better than Dragonforce, and they are far from professional.
If you want to hear a decent shred song, download Spanish Fire by Chris Impellitteri. He's a good guitarist.
Tempest
08-03-2008, 4:42 PM
I repeat; :blanky:
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