New DragonForce Album - Ultra Beatdown

It is almost here! After several years, several tours, a popularity boost thanks to Guitar Hero, and many long hours in the studio, DragonForce is releasing a fourth studio album. Ultra Beatdown is set for an August 25th release date, but their first single from the album, Heroes of Our Times, has already been released on the band's MySpace page and the music video was posted on YouTube. The album line-up consists of ZP Theart, Herman Li, Sam Totman, Vadim Pruzhanov, Dave Mackintosh, and new bassist Frédéric Leclercq.

When asked about the direction and sound of the upcoming album:

It's not going to be majorly different. But hopefully the melodies will be nicer, the guitar solos will be better, the production will be better. You just try to improve in every area.
—Sam Totman

There isn't much to change, but yet there is. The last three albums have been very much guitar-orientated, and this one probably will be as well, but I want to try to do some extra coloring in with the vocals.
—ZP Theart

Bands always say, 'Our new album is faster and heavier,' and then it's never true, so we're not gonna say that. But playing fast just works for us. People who say we play too fast are probably right, but guess what? There's a million other bands that play slow. People listen to DragonForce and go to the show because they know that we're doing something other bands aren't doing.
-Herman Li

The stage is set and all that is left is to count down the days. Following the release, DragonForce will be touring the U.K. then Australia. If you are, like me, living in the States, then catch DragonForce touring now with the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Tour.