DragonForce is a power metal institution. There’s the lightning-quick guitar licks; metronome perfect drums that seem inhuman; and soaring vocals that continue to be the mainstay of their work. And while they never take themselves too seriously, there is some serious talent at work. The London-based DragonForce started nearly 25 years ago by virtuoso guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman and has grown immensely over the years with their ninth studio album, Warp Speed Warriors, set to be released in the Spring. But the sold-out crowd at the Baltimore Soundstage didn’t have to wait that long to get a taste of the new album when they hit Charm City Wednesday night. 

The band hit the stage to an array of laser lights spreading out across the dance floor and immediately went into “Revolution Deathsquad” from Inhuman Rampage with a burst of confetti showering the crowd. I hadn’t seen them before, but I knew DragonForce’s stage set up. It’s often elaborate with huge set pieces built just for the tour. So I was a little skeptical about how they would pull it off, but that skepticism was unfounded as it was as fun and over-the-top as I could have imagined. Two massive arcade game cabinets sandwiched the stage which actually worked, showing images of games being played on their giant screens. 

Herman and Sam took turns with bassist Alicia Vigil, vocalist Marc Hudson, and Billy Wilkins who joined the band on tour on guitar after DragonForce saw him covering “Through the Fire and Flames” on TikTok and were thoroughly impressed at his talent. But the impossibly fast groove came courtesy of drummer Gee Anzalone who has an inhuman ability to maintain a steady beat going 200 mph amid all the sparks, fog, and confetti. 

After a particularly blistering number, the crowd in pure DragonForce fashion starting chanting, “Holy shit! Holy shit!” “Funny story, Baltimore. That’s the first time I almost fell off the front of an arcade machine,” Herman Li told the crowd, referring to the massive cabinets where he and Sam played guitar atop the towering pieces.

A lot of DragonForce’s music is anthemic, fist-pumping, metal and that tradition continues with the two new songs performed, especially the Legend of Zelda themed “Power of the Triforce.”

Speaking of Zelda, as the song started Marc told the audience that the chicken tossed across the venue (a reference to the cucco chicken in the video game) had to stay aloft throughout the song. So as the song went on a huge stuffed chicken bounced around from one end of the dance floor to the next.

See the official video for “Power of the Triforce” by DragonForce on YouTube:

As fans sang along to every song, chanting “DRAGONFORCE” in between songs, Marc told the crowd, “this isn’t the biggest venue we’ve played so far this tour, but in terms of the sheer fuckin’ spirit… this is by far the best fucking crowd we’ve ever had on this tour.”

DragonForce returned to the stage for an amazing encore that put other encores to shame. There was not one but two covers, including the Céline Dion hit “My Heart Will Go On” and Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” that transformed the song to an unbelievably catchy speed metal banger.

But that wasn’t even the biggest highlight of the evening as they finished the set with the ever popular “Through the Fire and the Flames” replete with pyrotechnics and Herman and Alicia playing guitars on the bar next to the dance floor before heading into the crowd to surf while playing guitar.

An amazing show that took fun to the limits. DragonForce continue their US tour and it’s one not to miss.

The setlist included:

Revolution Deathsquad
Cry Thunder
Heroes of Our Time
Power of the Triforce
Soldiers of the Wasteland
The Last Dragonborn
Fury of the Storm
Black Fire
Doomsday Party
Valley of the Damned

Encore:
Highway to Oblivion
Wildest Dreams (Taylor Swift cover)
My Heart Will Go On (Céline Dion cover)
Through the Fire and Flames

Here are more photos of DragonForce at the Baltimore Soundstage on November 1, 2023. All photos by David LaMason.

And here are photos of Amaranthe opening for DragonForce at the Baltimore Soundstage.

And here are photos of Nanowar of Steel opening at the Baltimore Soundstage.

And here are photos of Edge of Paradise opening the evening at the Baltimore Soundstage.