Most noticeable about the record is its resemblance to modern power metal releases, due to the excessive inclusion of keyboard effects and melodic background additions. Black Fire and Revelations dash along at a rate that would enable them to do their laundry and pick up a few groceries before Superman even had a chance to catch up with that speeding bullet, while Evening Star swoops in undetected on radar to have a quickie with Lois Lane. Starfire is a charming ballad complete with piano and acoustic features that blazes as fast as a gentle summer rain.ĭespite the fact that many songs are well within the musical speed limit, no discredit can be shown towards the early days of DragonForce. The buoyant melodies supporting the genteel voice of Theart favor a serene approach instead of the full-on metal madness that we now know. The album’s beginning is much slower and less musically straining. From the perplexingly titled Invocation of the Apocalyptic Evil flowing immediately into Valley of the Damned, it seems as though the band was taking it slow before biting off more then they thought they could chew. Initially, the album does indeed sound less concentrated than more recent efforts. You should not of course let these few minor hindrances stop you from enjoying what is surely a fine power metal album. Sure, riffs are still fast and the guitars still solo unlike any other traditional power metal bands, but Valley of the Damned is in every aspect underdeveloped compared to newer works. They haven’t yet fully adopted their trademark style of light-speed riffing with excessive wanking of the fretboards. However, compared to their later efforts Sonic Firestorm and Inhuman Rampage, their debut may seem a bit tranquil to many. Valley of the Damned is essentially a newer Blind Guardian album with extreme shredding. DragonForce first appeared as a somewhat symphonic power metal band with intense soloing. Mount yourself upon the lightning dragon as you bear cold synth effects, polished singing, intense lead guitar, and unsurpassable musicianship for the good of others. Prepare yourself for a mystical journey through frozen wastelands and decrepit lands of despair, as DragonForce fires their flaming arrows of heavy metal for the first time.