Before the masterpiece of Extreme Power Metal, Dragonforce reinvented the wheel with The Power Within. Whereas the formerly mentioned album presented Power metal in a streamlined and easily consumable light, with different applications of other genres as well. To understand where the ontology of Extreme Power Metal originated from. We must go through each track of The Power Within to examine it thoroughly.
“Holding On”: 4
What an opening! Dragonforce blasts off with their commonly soaring style, partnered with Dave Mackintosh’s punchy drum work. One of my favorite improvements from the Z.P. era of the approach to guitar writing, with the more sporadic leads. Instead, they present a grounded take on the rhythm sections. Obviously, Herman Li absolutely shreds on “Holding On” and its coinciding guitar solo. With the introduction of Marc Hudson on vocals, he perfectly fits in Dragonforce’s helix of epicity. The track tackles overwhelming feelings, and the measurement of stoicism it takes to cope with them day by day.
“Fallen World”: 3
I have mixed feelings on this track, since the mix envelops the previous track. It is halted by the brighter feeling of this track. However, its composition seems completely fine. Maybe I wasn’t in the correct mindset, or I just don’t understand it all. It’s not a bad song, but just very middle-of-the-road. It illustrates a world broken down, which is idiomatic of one’s own struggle through recovering from loss.
“Cry Thunder”: 5
Luckily, listeners are brought back with the main single of the record. Let me tell you, there is a perfectly good reason why this track is so prominent amongst Dragonforce fans. Especially identifying this album in particular. Hudson’s vocals are powerful and command the listener to focus. The track was built on crowd work, with the anthemic melodies. Li’s guitar work returns to its rhythmic roots, allowing Hudson to push the melody. It’s a fun song narrating the fight of good and evil, all idiomatic of resilience and hope.
“Give me the Night”: 5
Following up on the previous track, “Give me the Night,” which speeds up the composition a lot, while also feeling brighter. “Cry Thunder” had a phlegmaticism that made it sound darker, but this track seems more emotional. Mackintosh’s drums shred through the mix. However, I like that Li and Co. never fall back into their old habits and adapt their newer approach to the speed. “Give me the Night” highlights the struggles of substance problems in a struggling intimate relationship.
“Wings of Liberty”: 4
I honestly wasn’t expecting a stripped track off of this album, but it was a welcome diversion. It is nice to finally see Vadim Pruzhanov’s work at the forefront of Dragonforce, and not encompassed in futuristic-sounding synths either. The composition is basic, and reminds me of 80s Hair metal ballads. Even with its novice structure, Dragonforce uses it to create their well-established grandeur in an isolated and emotional setting. “Wings of Liberty” is a metaphoric illustration of hope and courage, all encapsulated in a dragon flying through the sky.
“Seasons”: 5
Even though I liked the previous track, “Seasons” was a nice breath of fresh air for the album. Compositionally, nothing has changed. But why fix it when it isn’t broken? It brings back the brighter approach to the instrumentation. For some reason, Hudson’s vocals sound a little different, almost reminiscent of the cleans Matthew Tuck’s cleans from the earlier works on Bullet For My Valentine’s records. It’s not bad, but it is out of place. I like the fullness of the song, and they do a great job of letting each part simmer in the ears of listeners. The lyrical content of the track is about the effort to build oneself back up when a disappointing part of their life occurs.
“Heart of the Storm”: 3
Like I said before, I adore the newer approach Dragonforce takes on this record. Just like anything else, when the listener (me) is seven tracks deep into an album, tracks become blurred. This song is a perfect example. It’s not bad at all. But I feel tired at this point.
It is just a regurgitated and consumed composition we heard on the other tracks. Even the lyrics are the same “rise above adversity” lyrical theme.
“Die by the Sword”: 4
Thank goodness this album is ending well. The track following the bore that was “Heart of the Storm” it’s a seamless transition from the more emotional side of the album to the granular aspect of Dragonforce. In spite of that, “Die by the Sword” keeps the now well-established composition and methodical approach to The Power Within. The song is set in a war-torn world, bound by war and a vicious plague.
“Last Man Stands”: 5
The Finale of The Power Within tells the story of sacrifice in a tragic world, hinting at the grand feeling of a warrior’s end. Let me tell you, the rest of the song perfectly maps this out. It’s in your face, in ways, nostalgic of the work on Iron Maiden’s Brave New World. It hits everything I desire as a finale, without sacrificing the genius of Dragonforce. Hudson’s vocals and Li’s guitar embellish victory. What’s not love?
Overall, the album is a near-masterpiece with a rejuvenation of a sub-genre that can get very bloated with the same concepts and instrumentation. Even though Extreme Power Metal is my favorite album within their catalogue, I can’t ignore the type of blueprints this album left for that record.
