Extreme Power Metal
2019 studio album by DragonForce
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Extreme Power Metal is the eighth studio album by British power metal band DragonForce, released on 27 September 2019.[7] It is the band's last studio album to feature longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq[8] and the first not to feature longtime keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov, who left the band in 2018;[9] Epica keyboardist Coen Janssen recorded keyboards for the album as a session member.[7] The lead single "Highway to Oblivion" was released on 30 July 2019.[9] The band embarked on a world tour in support of the album following its release.[10] Music videos for "Troopers of the Stars" and "Strangers" were filmed, but not released until two years later, on 27 August 2021 and 25 October 2021, respectively.[11] In 2022, the band continued touring the album after their last tour's cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] On 29 November 2022, the music video for "The Last Dragonborn" was released, being the first music video with new bassist Alicia Vigil.[13]
| Extreme Power Metal | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 September 2019 | |||
| Studio | Mix Unlimited, Los Angeles | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 52:50 | |||
| Label | earMUSIC, Metal Blade, JVC Victor | |||
| Producer | Damien Rainaud | |||
| DragonForce chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Extreme Power Metal | ||||
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Recording
The band recorded the album with producer and Once Human's bassist Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited in Los Angeles.[14] Part of the recording was also livestreamed on guitarist Herman Li's Twitch.[15]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Highway to Oblivion" | Sam Totman | Totman | 6:48 |
| 2. | "Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine" | Totman | Totman | 6:36 |
| 3. | "The Last Dragonborn" |
|
| 6:12 |
| 4. | "Heart Demolition" | Frédéric Leclercq | Leclercq | 5:39 |
| 5. | "Troopers of the Stars" | Totman | Totman | 5:03 |
| 6. | "Razorblade Meltdown" | Totman | Totman | 4:45 |
| 7. | "Strangers" |
| Leclercq | 4:29 |
| 8. | "In a Skyforged Dream" | Leclercq | Leclercq | 4:45 |
| 9. | "Remembrance Day" |
| Totman | 5:10 |
| 10. | "My Heart Will Go On" (Celine Dion cover) | Will Jennings | James Horner | 3:23 |
| Total length: | 52:50 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Behind the Mirror of Death" | Leclercq | Leclercq | 5:32 |
| Total length: | 58:22 | |||
The Japanese special edition of the album also included a bonus DVD containing professionally recorded footage of the band's performance at Download Festival in 2018.
| No. | Title | Original album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ashes of the Dawn" | Reaching Into Infinity (2017) | 4:46 |
| 2. | "Cry Thunder" | The Power Within (2012) | 5:16 |
| 3. | "Judgment Day" | Reaching Into Infinity (2017) | 7:01 |
Personnel
DragonForce
- Marc Hudson – lead and backing vocals
- Sam Totman – guitars, backing vocals
- Frédéric Leclercq – bass, guitars, backing vocals
- Herman Li – guitars, backing vocals
- Gee Anzalone – drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Coen Janssen – keyboards, piano, orchestration, programming
- Emily Ovenden – additional backing vocals
- Clive Nolan – additional backing vocals
- Kalen Chase Musmecci – additional backing vocals
- Steve Francis, Ross Mallon, Josh O'Brien, Paul Roberts, Tim Mekalick – additional backing vocals on "Troopers of the Stars"
Technical
- Damien Rainaud – production, mastering, mixing, engineering
- Laurent Tardy – engineering
- Alec Newell – drum engineering
Visuals
- Stan-W Decker – cover art, layout
- Vladan Cvetkovic – photography
Charts
| Chart (2019) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[18] | 87 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[19] | 42 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 145 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] | 158 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[22] | 34 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[23] | 26 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[24] | 21 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[25] | 29 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[26] | 93 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[27] | 12 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[28] | 4 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[29] | 36 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[30] | 13 |
| US Indie Store Album Sales (Billboard)[31] | 19 |