Wait, the funny Guitar Hero III song is turning 20? What the fuck? Yes, indeed—what better way to kick off 2026 than to make the masses feel Olde? DragonForce needs little introduction to anyone who existed during the ’00s. Born from the remnants of black metal band Demoniac in 1999, British guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman have always been the tandem at the center of the band with their Yngwie-esque “more is more” philosophy. Valley of the Damned and Sonic Firestorm already got significant attention, but 2006’s Inhuman Rampage is the one that made the band infamous. Many called their songs too long, too fast, unplayable live, and too random, while also being all the same shit. And yet, they broke through in a US market hostile to proper riffs and solos. How could this happen, and why did no one stop them?
Inhuman Rampage was DragonForce throwing shit at a wall, and somehow all of it stuck. As much as they are influenced by Stratovarius’s melodic power assault, the backing harsh vocals (“Operation Ground and Pound”) and sheer ferocity point to other roots. The guitar work is undeniably beefy as much as it is shreddingly maximalist, decorated with all sorts of eccentric bleep-bloop effects (“Storming the Burning Fields”). Vadim Pruzhanov’s hook-laden keyboard (“Cry for Eternity”) and songwriting contributions (“Body Breakdown”) are a crucial melodic counterpoint sorely missed on the latest two albums. Finally, ZP Theart’s vocals are iconic for a reason. While not the most technically impressive nor multifaceted, he has a powerful and unique delivery that isn’t divisive the way a traditional Kiskean (Helloween) wail would’ve been, making this wild wankfest stand out even more among power metal bands. All of the above led to a remarkably consistent record. The album’s deep cuts (“Body Breakdown,” “The Flame of Youth”) are even stronger than the hits, and the amazing Japanese bonus track “Lost Souls in Endless Time” has always been the true album closer in my book.
Inhuman Rampage ended up being a huge success, first on its own merits and then as part of pop culture. By this time, the world was finally starting to get over the whole nü and ‘alternative’ phase. Trends are cyclical, and DragonForce were in the right place at the right time; ambitious, complex songwriting and guitar solo virtuosity appealed to a wider audience in a way it couldn’t have 5–10 years prior. As for the elephant in the room, “Through the Fire and Flames” earned legendary status in 2007 as Guitar Hero III’s hardest song to master. Consequently, DragonForce became known as the “TtFaF” band, occasionally to the members’ chagrin. Many have forgotten they were already popular pre-Inhuman Rampage, playing shows with Helloween and Iron Maiden before headlining themselves. They got featured on a game because of their popularity, not the other way around. Regardless, the tie-in certainly didn’t hurt, and it’s part of the reason I am here writing about them today.
But if this was such a resounding success, why did no other bands try to replicate DragonForce? There’s no shortage of people who couldn’t have matched their speed or energy, as proven by grindcore and such. I think it’s a combination of several conspiring factors. For one, the second wave of power metal (roughly 1997–2006) at large was having its last hurrah around this time. Secondly, no one else had the same deranged bundle of influences that these guys had. Black metal, power metal, AOR, retro games—even if other bands tried, they wouldn’t have been able to understand Inhuman Rampage’s formula without these roots.
Inhuman Rampage remains one of my favorite power metal albums to this very day. DragonForce would later go on to switch things up, making more great albums followed by some mild disappointments, but none would catch lightning in a bottle as Inhuman Rampage did. And few even tried, for no one in the power metal scene currently sounds like old DragonForce, especially not the band themselves. Some are glad to leave this style behind, but I think there is a missed opportunity here. In a world of Archspires, it has become abundantly clear that there is still demand for bands who push the extremes, the boundaries of sanity and tastefulness. Trends are cyclical, and nü is rearing its ugly head again. Who will make the next Inhuman Rampage?
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