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Dragonforce: Sonic Firestorm (2010 Reissue) (Audio Only) Power Metal Noise Records, Spinefarm Records (2010) April 19th, 2004
- Also comes with Bonus DVD that features a live concert from 2005, commentaries and interviews. Originally posted on March 7th, 2010 | |||
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Review
While the band's debut full-length album Valley Of The Damned broke the doors down, it wasn't until their second album Sonic Firestorm that Dragonforce became more of a household name. Whetever the reason for the fame, this is also the release that caused the band to really become the focus of infamy by many of the Metal community, proclaiming this band nothing but a bunch of frauds. Either way, the band's second release is still heralded as their shining moment, and for good reason. Sonic Firestorm shows the band starting to mature a little more as an act. While on the previous album the material started to feel a little repetative, as if the band had run out of riffs to splice together and just started to throw things together from previous songs. On this effort, the band has managed to create songs that are fast and challenging, with the exception of the ballad track "Dawn Over a New World", as well as seems to have a bit more structure as far as the guitar riffs go, aside the solos of course. Overall, this release just feels much more solid an effort over the previous debut full-length thanks to all of this, and it becomes blatently obviousw right from the starting track "My Spirit Will Go On", which introduces you to a Dragonforce that manages to put more intensity in their music without having to go at a blistering speed. The only thing that is worrisome about this release is that the album is essentially set up the same way as Valley Of The Damned, but omitting the very brief introduction track at the start of the album. The only difference is that much of the material here is not quite as fast, and that it's one short track due to that aforementioned omission, causing Sonic Firestorm to come across as more of a matured rehash of their first album, but with practically everything scrapped and rewrote. Much like the previous recording, there's some catchy songs that fall eerily similarly in place, with tracks like "My Spirit Will Go One", "Dawn Over a New World", and "Soldiers of the Wasteland". The only track on here that's really pushing the speed limit for the band would be "Fury of the Storm" which has some great guitar work on it that again borders the inhuman. 2010 Reissue: The 2010 reissue also features a bonus DVD, but unfortunately Spinefarm did not include it with the promo material, just the audio. And, just like the Valley Of The Damned full-length reissue, Sonic Firestorm got the same treatment. While the audio quality was not bad, the album was remixed and remastered, which does sound good compared to the original. It's no real reason to ditch the original copy of the album, but if you want to check out the DVD material, as well as the once Japanese bonus track exclusive track "Cry of the Brave" and have some spare cash to blow, then the 2010 reissue is worth checking out. Dragonforce have crafted a very good album with Sonic Firestorm, no matter how they managed to make it. The music isn't necessarily as fast paced and seems more likely to be played by humans in real life this time around. Without being total overkill, the band manages to incorporate some blistering music with a steady pace to not make the material just too much to take in all at once, leaving you with an album that does show off the talent that the band has for creating catchy and heavy Power Metal songs. While not still perfection, this album is the next best step for the album. And, of course, if you have the ability, the 2010 reissue is sure to be a pleaser to the die-hard fans, as well as the casual listeners of this act.
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