Dragonforce-Inhuman Rampage, 2006

I checked this out at the library and listened to it once and it was all like a big blur so I listened to it again and tried to really pay attention to what was going on. Now there are a few ways I could approach this review. I could do the Green eggs and ham method and just say "I do not like them, Sam-I-am". That doesn't explain a whole lot though. I could take the inflexible old metalhead approach and say "these whippersnappers don't make power metal like the bands did back in my day!". That doesn't really explain my reasons enough either. So how about I ask a question about this album and that question is "what's the point?". As in what's the point to playing power metal so fast? Now I like some power metal like Helloween and Gamma Ray. The thing is these bands had influences like Iron Maiden, maybe Deep Purple and Judas Priest plus they added their own sounds and they built or added to the genre of power metal. Dragonforce appear to have taken what other power metal bands have done and just speeded it up. A lot of their supporters talk about their talent and I think there is some there, but largely it's just a big whirlpool of sound with a few bits of comprehensive music thrown in. Plus the music goes so fast that the singer just sounds awkward at times trying to chime in and keep up. I tried hard to focus and find something more, but it didn't happen. Back in the 80's there were bands like Death, Possessed, DRI and Napalm Death that started out playing just really fast, but they progressed beyond just speed. Also those bands were playing death, grindcore, hardcore or a mixture of those. I think those styles better lend themselves to playing very fast because it goes along with the aggressiveness of those styles. Power metal is not really aggressive, it's more about anthems and it's hard to sing along when the music is just buzzing past plus this is their third album. I feel that I gave this one a chance and ultimately I have to proclaim it as a stinker. I am glad to see some kind of metal coming out of England, but they are just not that good. There are and have been some good doom and stoner bands like Cathedral, Orange Goblin and the great Electric Wizard who have all hailed from England in recent years. However because Dragonforce have caught on largely due to their novelty of being fast, if somehow hearing Dragonforce gets younger fans to seek out other real power metal bands then this band may have made a contribution in that matter. So it's time for me to return Dragonforce to the library and go listen to some Helloween.