dragonforce valley of the damned

Released: 22 February 2010 (re release) Label: Spinefarm UK

It is a complicated thing, reviewing an album by a band that is considered by many to be the musical equivalent of Marmite. So many people either absolutely love or fundamentally hate this band that it is almost impossible to ever come up with a review that will satisfy both sides and not have me verbally abused by either party. So, I do what I can - provide you all with a frank and rather blunt review of what was at its release a rather influential album.

I will start by confirming that I listened to many of the songs off this album back on the old MP3.com, when the band was called Dragonheart and they were just looking forward to being signed. I remember being impressed at the time by the sheer playing speed and overall musical capability of every member of the band. At the time, I had heard very little like DragonForce and originality of the format sounded rather interesting to me. When they were signed, I cheered for British Metal (OK, so they are hardly an English band). When the album was released, I went out and bought it.

One of the benefits of being a reviewer, a musician and an avid collector of music is the sheer weight of CDs that end up in one's collection. It is also one of the curses... With thousands of albums close to hand and new ones appearing every few days, the turnover of the albums that get listened to regularly gets faster and faster. Before you know it, the next album by a band that you liked is released and all too soon you have forgotten what listening to the previous album felt like. It's a problem I don't remember having as a teenager when I would wait desperately for the next Iron Maiden or Judas Priest album. So, when one is presented with a re-release to review, one jumps at the chance to revive one's love of an older album.

Sadly, for me, Valley of the Damned is not one of those albums that have survived the test of time. It hasn't suddenly become a poor album, but it has dated rather badly due to the developments in this style by DragonForce and their contemporaries. Quite a lot of Power Metal glories in the 'cheesier aspects of metal with sing-along choruses that wouldn't be out of place in Bavarian drinking halls. But even by those standards there is cheese a-plenty on this platter. It is not helped by the fact that, amongst other blatant copies of more traditional tunes, the vocal line to Heart of the Dragon is identical to the children's nursery rhyme "My Little Speckled Frog". In fact, despite once loving the song I can now no longer listen to it without singing the nursery rhyme.

It isn't until much later in a band's career that one can start talking about their seminal albums. When another ten years have gone by with another half dozen DragonForce albums released, I really don't think that Valley of the Damned will be the aging classic that everyone talks about.

by Kev McCarthy