LIVE REVIEW: DragonForce @ Academy 2, Manchester

DRAGONFORCE is a name that every metal fan will be familiar with. Whether you’re a power metal connoisseur, you’ve had a copy of any rock/metal magazine in the last fifteen years, or got your first taste of their music from their appearance as one of the hardest songs on the video game Guitar Hero III, the London based band have become one of the common threads that tie every fan of metal together. In celebration of the release of the band’s eighth studio album Extreme Power Metal, DRAGONFORCE bring their heavy, shreddy, bleeps and bloops to a packed house at Academy 2 in Manchester for the first time in two years.

First up was retro-futuristic instrumental duo MCROCKLIN & HUTCH. The duo formed by Thomas ‘McRocklin’ McLaughlin, a former member of Steve Vai‘s BAD4GOOD and all-round guitar prodigy, take heavy influence from 80s pop culture to create a genre they describe as rockwave shred. Backed by an LED screen playing animations and vignettes that look plucked straight from the VHS era, the duo took to the stage, their retro-future aesthetic mirrored in everything but their lacklustre appearance.

Something immediately striking was the incredible finesse guitarist Thomas McLaughlin displayed throughout their entire set. Thomas‘ playing sits perfectly at the crossroads of remarkable technique and deeply emotive expression that serves as the rugged backbone that makes MCROCKLIN & HUTCH what it is. If the arpeggiated synth lines, synth pads, and percussion of Hutch is the blank canvass upon which to create a masterpiece, then McRocklin provides the paints that bring the piece to life.

Despite the overt virtuosity that MCROCKLIN & HUTCH display, the group still somewhat struggle to make a decisive impact, especially when playing to a cold room. The lack of a solid, recognisable melody across the majority of their music left the performance without a sturdy buoy to cling to in the unfamiliar waters. The band’s music would easily be at home as a soundtrack to a movie as it would compliment the action happening on screen without distracting from it. And that’s what role the band ended up fulfilling: providing background music for the many conversations going back and forth throughout the crowd, struggling to direct peoples attention fully towards the stage.

Rating: 5/10

Next up were Japanese heavy metal band LOVEBITES. Having rocketed into the limelight upon the release of their debut EP in 2017 and earning a Golden God award for best new band in the process, LOVEBITES have quickly gone on to become of the most recognisable names to ever emerge from the Japanese heavy metal scene. With their music being heavily reminiscent of the good, old-fashioned heavy metal of the 80s, the band bring together their incredible artistry with an impressive work ethic that saw them release two EPs and two albums (with another on the way next year) over their short span as a band as they continue to help cement Japan’s place as a major player in the global metal scene.

Opening their set with The Hammer of Wrath, LOVEBITES announced their arrival with the force of a category five hurricane. The sharp bite of the driven guitars, the powerful commanding vocals, all backed by double kick drums so hard and fast you could easily imagine drummer Haruna being able to kick through a solid brick wall, give the band an immediate and immensely powerful presence. Every track the band play takes all the best elements of classic heavy metal and puts LOVEBITES‘ signature stamp on it, modernising the sound in the process and making it something completely different yet unmistakably familiar.

The adroit interplay between guitarists Midori and Miyako came as just one of the band’s many strengths, with the technical solos and complex melodies being passed back and forth between them like a friendly game of catch. Throughout the entire set, the refocusing of these interlocking musical relationships gave the whole performance an impressive feeling of unity, with every member of the band being almost superhumanly locked-in and overtly conscious of each other. Over the course of their set LOVEBITES confidently proved exactly why they have amassed a huge amount of hype surrounding them. If you don’t already know who they are, you need to get yourself acquainted because they look set for total world domination.

Rating: 8/10

With the stage flanked by two giant arcade cabinets and multicoloured lasers permeating the darkness, it was finally time for DRAGONFORCE to make their long-awaited return to Manchester. Kicking their set off with one of their newest tracks Highway to Oblivion the room was immediately galvanised, welcoming the band back to their city with a deafening flurry of cheers. The loud hiss of compressed air cannons amongst the powerful, uplifting melodies of the band’s new music further amplified the overwhelming sense of excitement and electricity in the air – it was immediately clear that DRAGONFORCE are a band held dear by many and in those early opening moments, it’s easy to see why.

DRAGONFORCE are a band that certainly know how to put on a show. On this tour, they’ve put huge effort into elevating their performance beyond just being a gig, with impressive stage dressing, visual design and on-screen animations making their show a true spectacle. Everything has been considered down to the last detail. The two huge arcade cabinets at each side of the stage, aside from being platforms for the guitarists to stand atop, are constantly playing scenes from some of the best games from the 16-bit era of home consoles along with some arcade classics.

In keeping with the video game theme that has heavily influenced the tour’s aesthetic, the third song was another track from their latest album The Last Dragonborn which was written about singer Marc Hudson‘s favourite video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The catchy, ballad-like chorus provided yet another moment of good-natured unity between everyone in attendance as the majority of the room were passionately singing every lyric back towards the stage.

Preceded by a retro advert for the Sega Megadrive console, vocalist Marc Hudson picked up a guitar and climbed atop one of the arcade cabinets for a short medley of retro video game soundtracks accompanied by footage of the games on the giant screen behind the stage. Through the soundtracks to Castlevania and Final Fantasy, Marc displayed the facets of his musical ability that we rarely get to see in what was surely a highlight for any of the band’s gamer fans in attendance.

Over the years DRAGONFORCE have become known for their impressive musical ability and their live show further hits home that point. Incredibly complex songs were made to look like child’s play while each member traversed the stage putting their all into really performing for the audience. The perfection in which their material was reproduced in a live setting, along with the little improvised sections and embellishments, further hit home just how talented this band are – it’s little wonder why they have such a vast, passionate fanbase.

Despite the band’s many lineup changes over the years, the essence of what made the DRAGONFORCE great in the first place still remains. Their ability to plan, create, and execute an incredible show should have them regarded alongside the likes of RAMMSTEIN for their impressive theatrics and theming. Musically, aesthetically, and in execution, DRAGONFORCE have always done things at a level that most bands simply cannot; and on the Extreme Power Metal Tour, they’ve raised the stakes even further.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: