Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage (2006)
Well, here we are, the album that began my metal path. Without it, my metal interest wouldn't have existed...unless it starts different. Inhuman Rampage!! Despite being out of my earlier epic power metal taste that includes this band, DragonForce is a band I would always love in my heart and appreciate. It's really cool how they're called "extreme power metal" even though they're power metal but not extreme metal. The label makes sense because of the band's extremely cheesy lyrics (the type of cheese I like), extremely fast guitars, and extremely fun choruses. If you're not a power metal fan, then...why are you here?! If you are, then scr*w the haters and check this band out!
The haters think DragonForce make the same d*mn song over and over, but I don't think so. The songs only sound same-ish, which doesn't bother me. This is the first album where the band experimented with a nice touch of harsh vocals, performed Lindsay Dawson of Demoniac (the former band of guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman before DragonForce). There's nothing else different about the album, but that's fine because it still rules, slightly better than the slightly generic Sonic Firestorm.
The album kicks off with their most popular song, and the complete start of my entire metal interest... "Through the Fire and Flames"!! If it wasn't for this song, or for my dad and brother both finding it, I wouldn't have been interested in metal, or maybe I would via a different song. Yes, this is indeed my own metal "big bang" (NOT the K-pop boy band, the universal beginning I mean). From the intricate guitar lines and solo plus strange Pac-Man noises to the amazing vocals and fantasy lyrics, this song burned away my horrid radio-pop future and replaced it with a glorious metal one. And I can't believe it was just 8 years ago when it all started. So thank you DragonForce, along with my dad and brother! Then we have another awesome song "Revolution Deathsquad", though this one is a bit generic. It's got catchy verses and a glorious chorus, along with background harsh vocals. However, the long guitar soloing could've been better shorter. I still f***ing love it though. "Storming the Burning Fields" has more cheese but still something to love, especially the guitar intro and soloing, the latter being followed by a beautiful "whoa-oa-oah" choir.
"Operation Ground and Pound" is another single and would probably be my 3rd favorite song of the album and the band (behind the first 2 songs). It has excellent verses, an amazing chorus, incredible soloing, and even the music video is awesome! "Body Breakdown" is another cool highlight. A lot of the different instruments play together and apart, sounding weird while staying awesome. The verses start quiet before picking up the heaviness, all while staying fast. That's probably one of the most unique songs of the bunch. Nicely done! While all the songs are awesome, "Cry For Eternity" I'm not so big on. While it has speedy intensity and catchiness, it's just not as much as the other ones. It's also slightly longer at over 8 minutes, but just not as long and epic as the 10-minute epic from Sonic Firestorm. All the 8-minute length does is make this mediocre song more draggy. It's not a horribly bad song in any way (that's why the perfect 5-star rating is still here), but it doesn't have the greatness of the others.
"The Flame of Youth" sounds a bit weird in some parts, but it has a catchy chorus, and the band still shines as always. "Trail of Broken Hearts" is a nice closing ballad for the standard edition of the album. To be honest, that's what they should've done in their previous albums; save their ballads for last. I still like those album's ballads as they are, and slightly better than the one in this album. If you think you've experienced everything in the standard edition, there's more in the bonus track of the special edition that you should definitely get, "Lost Souls in Endless Time"! It's a different uplifting song but still one of my favorites. There's a nice keyboard solo which you don't usually hear from a guitar-solo-dominant band like DragonForce. The higher vocals sing hilariously cheesy lyrics that I still like, along with an awesome chorus. Brilliant!
That pretty much sums up my first ever journey as a metalhead. I can recommend Inhuman Rampage to any power metal fan. It can hypnotize anyone who doesn't like metal to enjoy that genre, at least from my experience. And even though their best albums are with ZP Theart, I enjoy the later albums with Marc Hudson. I love you, DragonForce!
Favorites: "Through the Fire and Flames", "Revolution Deathsquad", "Operation Ground and Pound", "Body Breakdown", "The Flame of Youth", "Lost Souls in Endless Time"