DragonForce - Inhuman Rampage review
| Band: | DragonForce |
| Album: | Inhuman Rampage |
| Style: | Power metal |
| Release date: | January 2006 |
Disc I [CD]
01. Through The Fire And Flames
02. Revolution Deathsquad
03. Storming The Burning Fields
04. Operation Ground And Pound
05. Body Breakdown
06. Cry For Eternity
07. The Flame Of Youth
08. Trail Of Broken Hearts
09. Lost Souls In Endless Time [Japanese bonus]
Disc II [DVD]
01. My Spirit Will Go On [live]
02. Through The Fire And Flames [video]
03. Operation Ground and Pound [video]
04. Rockumentary: Behind The Scenes
Through over production, unbearably cheesy lyrical content and musical masturbation, one wonders how an album like this could bring a band such mainstream success so quickly.
The first track 'Through The Fire And The Flames' comes on and it's amazing: insane guitar work, top notch vocals, and some cheesy (yet fun to sing along to) lyrics. The next song has pretty much the same format but with a slightly less catchy tune....and then the entire album seems to follow this pattern. It eventually comes to a point where it's not even songs anymore, but just Herman and Sam showing how fast they can play, which doesn't really offer any listening pleasure to the listener (hence the term musical masturbation). So you can fit 30 000 notes in in 0.5 seconds - there is no point to it if your song structure sucks beyond that point.
Another problem I have is how contrived this album seems. Like these guys are obsessed with filling out the power metal cliche with really meaningless lyrics like these: "Fighting hard/fighting on for the steel/through the wastelands evermore" What the hell is that even supposed to mean? We get it, you are power metal, now write something different, perhaps some lyrics you haven't used for every other song in your discography.
OK, now that I've got that out of my system, I'll try and find something likable about this album. When Herman and Sam aren't wanking off, they do have some very interesting material offering great heroic licks. Too bad they don't exercise this skill as often as they should. And yes, the music is cliche but it can be fun if you are in the right mood - otherwise it's just tedious.
Maybe I was being a little harsh on this album, but after sitting through countless cliched power metal albums, when you stumble across yet another one that seems to be trying even harder to fill out that cliche, you start to get a little frustrated.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 6 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Doc G. | 16.11.2007
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
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Comments: 49
Visited by: 297 users
| Paradox0 Unasuming Madnes Posts: 592 |
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023  |
I think that this band is great fun, just because they are so over the top cliché that it becomes ridicolous. If you see them live and listen to the completely meaningless lyrics you feel almost sure that this band is just a parody. The music is not neceserily good but I can still enjoy this album. I think that the song structures of about half of the songs are pretty lousy, but that's the only bad thing. Still I wouldn't rate it more than 7-8 because it's not GOOD, it's just enjoyable. Ah, now I want to write a review myself  And of course, good review!
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| +{Jonas}+ I R Serious Cat Posts: 4955  |
Quote:lol! Maybe what tehy try to do is to mock all the power metal clichés, adding their inhuman speed, making a very fun band, and some pretty cool (even anti-depresive) albums.
---- "Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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| Passenger Lost To Apathy Posts: 1464  |
Shut up, this stuff is awesome, and I hate Power Metal with a passion 
---- You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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| 4look4rd The Sasquatch Posts: 834  |
I hate DragonForce, its one of those bands that make people hate power metal and stereotype PM "meaningless lyrics with fast guitars" I DF members should be shot, or at last have their fingers cut off
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718  |
Written by 4look4rd on 20.08.2008 at 20:35 Well put. I dont think Ive ever met a Dragonforce fan over the age of 16, its all about flash, I mean, I do enjoy watching the music videos for the same reason one goes to the circus to see acrobats and what not. But when your not watching the videos you notice how talentless they are at writing songs, theyve written 3 songs in there entire career, thats about it, every song theyve written is pretty much a slight variation of those 3 songs.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| hearts_alive Account deleted |
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by Guest on 21.08.2008 at 17:26 Uhhhh...I was talking about the first part of the post.....About stereotyping and such.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| DanielViking Posts: 163  |
Power metal stuff fast as fuck, loud and harder as you can get. the quality of these musicians is beyond imagination. great album. 8
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| BlankFile Posts: 686 |
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| Doc G. Full Grown Hoser Staff Posts: 9718 |
Written by DanielViking on 17.11.2008 at 22:37 Musicianship should be about song writing quality as well. It pisses me off when people try to turn music into a science or a sport rather than art. Dragonforce can't write songs.
---- "I got a lot of really good ideas, problem is, most of them suck." - George Carlin
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| AiwiAstwihad AiryanaKhvarenah Posts: 1421  |
Quote: Haha...When i first listened to this album, i thought there's probably something wrong with my english, that's why i find no relevance in their lyrics.  In spite of the senseless cheesy lyrics, i somewhat like the sound of their music and the speed....
---- You who will come to the surface
From the flood that's overwhelmed us and drowned us all Must think, when you speak of our weakness in times of darkness That you've not had to face
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| Hrothdane Posts: 489  |
Written by Doc G. on 03.03.2009 at 09:59 Well put. In an interview I read, the band members said themselves don't consider what they do as any form of art. They even said that they would disband if they fade out of the spotlight. They are like the guys you contract to paint your ceiling. They know how to use a brush, how to paint quickly and cleanly, and the technical minutiae of painting, but they are no Michelangelo. Art is more than craftsmanship. Art requires some kind of message or purpose to define it. Dragonforce, by their own admission, doesn't care about art, and that disregard permeates this whole album.
---- Despair is death, and I'm not interested in dying. Member of the True Crusade against True Crusades
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| Lord_Regnier Posts: 1469  |
Written by Butters49 on 16.11.2008 at 22:37 Funny, as I use the term 'videogame cheesemetal' to describe Dragonforce's music. Does anyone here ever listened to Demoniac, the Black Metal band in which Herman Li and Sam Totman played before Dragonforce? Really awful. Imagine music close to what Dragonforce are doing now, but with horrible semi-harsh vocals. @Dr.Rock: I totally agree with you on the over-the-top cheesiness, the cliché aspect and musical masturbation. This music has no artistic value, from my point of view. Especially for someone like me who tends to dislike high-pitched guitar shredding. I can enjoy nice guitar solos, of course, but I never listen to metal music for the solos themselves. Also, Dragonforce's music sounds like a studio trick made only for the sake of money. I don't like when bands sound like a studio trick (Rhapsody is another example here of a band that sounds fake).
---- "Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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| Wyrd Posts: 292  |
I love Power Metal, but DragonForce is just Killing it and I Hate them so much that
---- "The bands called Demon Hunter! They hunt demons!"
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8662  |
I still think this isnt that bad, compared to crap they have introduced last year...
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Written by Butters49 on 16.11.2008 at 22:37 Duuude.. that Hedgehog is SONIC!  How can you forget his name?But about the album, althou I don't care much about Power metal and it's directions, I do agree on the subject about the cliche lyrics... it's funny and cool on the first couple of songs, but a whole album of this is too much cheese even for me...
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Gummingurru Posts: 14  |
Accurate review the first time I listened to trough the fire and the flames,I loved it. But then I listened to the cd.ALL THE MUSICS ARE THE SAME! they play the guitar very well(or fast),but they use it so much that you just can't see the difference. And then I payed attention to the Lyrics.THEY JUST DON'T MAKE SENSE! THis cd and all the others of dragonforce just throwed my first impression in the trash,and I don't think the guitars are as good as I thought before. Though the musics are the same, I think the CD deserves a 7.5 , because of the epic musics.They have great potential, but they just can't make different musics.A pity 
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| Lord_Regnier Posts: 1469 |
Since "Sonic Firestorm", all they're doing is releasing the same bullshit rehashed album after album.
---- "Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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| Kennoth Posts: 2502  |
Sure, their songwriting is shit, we all get it. Now while not defending them in any way, Cannibal Corpse and most of the brutal death metal, goregrind and such bands can't write for shit (just include as much child rape and gore as you can and you'll do fine) but nobody seems to have any problem with that.
---- *insert something deep and profound*
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493  |
Written by Kennoth on 08.08.2010 at 17:22 Cannibal Corpse =/= brutal death. Cannibal Corpse are generic DM with gore lyrics, the fact that you use them in your petty anti-death metal/goregrind crusade shows how much you know. Also, I'd say a lot of those bands are far better than StudioForce.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| RavenKing Posts: 1941  |
Written by vezzy on 08.08.2010 at 20:01 Sorry to disagree but, imo, Cannibal Corpse is nothing else than Brutal Death. Perhaps more old school than some more modern Brutal Death bands, but it's not pure old school DM like Bolt Thrower or Cancer or Death or some others. I agree that the band is trendy among teens and commercialized a lot in a way but their music has nothing commercial.
---- They shake your hand and they smile and they buy you a drink They say we'll be your friends we'll stick with you till the end But everybody's only looking out for themselves And you say who can you trust I'll tell you nobody
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| Kennoth Posts: 2502 |
Written by vezzy on 08.08.2010 at 20:01 I never said I was a DM expert, and no, unlike yourself, I don't have a need to go on a crusades of any kind. Though pretty much most people would agree that they are brutal death...
---- *insert something deep and profound*
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| RobotPolarBear Posts: 58  |
Quote: Would that be "most metalheads" or "most people, regardless of how much they know about metal"?
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Kennoth on 09.08.2010 at 01:34 Yet you attacked it because you're butthurt about Scar Symmetry.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| Kennoth Posts: 2502 |
Written by RobotPolarBear on 09.08.2010 at 01:41 The former. Naturally though, some people will claim otherwise just to prove me wrong.
---- *insert something deep and profound*
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| Kennoth Posts: 2502 |
Written by vezzy on 09.08.2010 at 11:15 I hardly call it an attack. I was merely drawing a parallel between band with one nonsense lyrics that can get away with it and another that can't.
---- *insert something deep and profound*
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Kennoth on 09.08.2010 at 15:24 Well although I think Cannibal Corpse is crap, they are musically a lot more interesting to me, plus they can pull off their music live, whereas DragonFarce can't. I agree that both band's lyrics are totally worthless. But then again I don't care for lyrics normally.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| vezzy Stallmanite Posts: 3493 |
Written by Kennoth on 09.08.2010 at 15:24 Except one band actually has decent music for the first four albums (great compared to DragonForce) and average/slightly below later on. It's the music.
---- Licensed under the GPLv3. Relinquish proprietary software for a greater GNU/America.
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| spiritofvengence Posts: 36  |
I thought you all liked cliche, at least when it came to metal
---- I'd rather like what I like because I like it, despite if everyone hates me for it, then like what I hate just to be accepted by you.
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