DRAGON FORCE // NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
With the release of their 8th studio album ‘Extreme Power Metal’ Dragon Force they brought their heavy riffs to a packed venue.
DAGON FORCE PERFORMING NEWCASTLE’S NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS UNION - 14.11.2019
PICTURE BY: WILL GORMAN PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★☆☆(3/5)
Dragon Force! A band that every metal fan will know. At their last show of the tour Dragon Force give Newcastle a show they won’t forget with nice mix of old and new tracks.
I’ve been familiar with Dragon Force since I was very young from when I played Guitar Hero 3 which is where I and many others were introduced to them. They have now become a band that unities all metal fans.
First up was Mcrocklin and Hutch but due to queues getting into the venue I got into the venue as their last track finished. The second support of the evening were the Japanese heavy metal band Lovebites. Opening their set with The Hammer of Wrath it set the tone for the night with loud drums from a double bass and heavy guitars. Track after track had all the classic elements of heavy metal and Lovebites put their spin into it by providing a more melodic vocals compared to the usual screaming, this modern twist was welcomed by the growing crowd.
Guitarists Midori and Miyako knew exactly how to wow the crowd and their chemistry was brilliant. Their melodies and solos were thrown back and forth between each other.
Over the course of their set they managed to win the crowd over, they lived up to the hype and their closing remark to the crowd was “We are Lovebites and we play heavy metal.”
At either side of the stage two arcade machines lit the stage and purple lasers filled the venue. With each member entering one till the music stopped and Highway to Oblivion began playing and within seconds confetti was released covering the venue in white paper. Instead of a backdrop we were greeted with an immersive backdrop with visuals, stage dressing and the arcade machines which acted as risers. As well as confetti, the hiss CO2 cannons filled the venue as they fired over the crowd.
Singer Marc Hudson asked the crowd “Does anyone like video games? This next song is written about my favourite game of all.” The track in question was The Last Dragonborn which was inspired by Hudson’s love for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. This track had the crowd belting out the lyrics word for word. Dragon force are known for the insanely complex tracks while members climbed around the stage.
Their energetic set was also filled with a bizarre cover of Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, and of course Dragon Force put their own twist into it. Finishing the evening with their most well-known track Through the Fire and Flames before streamers once were launched into the crowd.
Overall their set was full of energy and the crowd couldn’t get enough of Dragon Force.