DRAGONFORCE Goes Full '80s Glam In 'Strangers' Video, Announces North American Tour With BATTLE BEAST

DRAGONFORCE has launched a new video for "Strangers", a song from 2019's "Extreme Power Metal" album. The clip was filmed before the pandemic with a large-scale production with director Roboshobo (a.k.a. Robert Schober) in Los Angeles, California.

"Strangers" is described as "a tribute to everything '80s, featuring Steve Vai's WHITESNAKE/David Lee Roth-era guitars and band delivering the "ultimate glam metal cheese."

Guitarist Herman Li comments: "This video takes place in the same '80s world as our last video ('Troopers Of The Stars'),with the same cast and the same director. When Roboshobo pitched the concept, I was immediately into it.

"I'm a huge fan of the glam rock-era of music — I love the showmanship, the guitar solos, and the endearing cheesiness. And the players of that time were amazing, like Steve Vai, Warren DeMartini and Reb Beach; I think sometimes the playing gets lost, and people just remember the crazy outfits. So, this video is a loving tribute to that era — while also being authentic...

"Roboshobo told us to get some cool-looking guitars to fit the theme of the video, and the night before the shoot, I was panicking because we still hadn't found any. So, I texted Steve Vai and told him we were doing a glam rock video. He said, 'come on over', and when I got there, he had pulled out THE guitars he used with WHITESNAKE and David Lee Roth. I remember seeing these guitars in magazines as a kid, so it was incredible to get to use them on set — I almost cried when he handed them to me!

"Besides the guitars, I think we all looked really hunky in our costumes, especially our hair! For a minute, I was even considering getting a perm...I know people may think we're not taking ourselves seriously enough, but I think given the state of the world, sometimes it's just nice to kick back and have a laugh with your mates. That was definitely the vibe on set — we could barely keep a straight face watching the playback.

We're also releasing super-limited merch we did in collaboration with the artist Teenage Stepdad at: dragonforce.com/shop. It definitely captures the feeling of the era!"

To coincide with this video launch, DRAGONFORCE has announced a headlining North American tour for 2022, featuring BATTLE BEAST and SEVEN SPIRES as support.

DRAGONFORCE adds: "We are so excited to be playing in the USA and Canada again. We've spent the last year and a half waiting to get back on the road to finish the 'Extreme Power Metal' world tour. We've also got some new surprises. DRAGONFORCE always says more is more, so expect an even bigger, crazier show!

We're also thrilled to be bringing some incredible bands with us. BATTLE BEAST gives an amazing performance every time, and SEVEN SPIRES is one of the best young bands out there. We can't wait to see everyone in the crowd and at our VIP!"

Tickets go on sale Friday, October 29 at 10 a.m. local time.

DRAGONFORCE with BATTLE BEAST, SEVEN SPIRES tour dates:

Mar. 07 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory *
Mar. 08 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory *
Mar. 09 - Roseville, CA - Goldfield Trading Post *
Mar. 10 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre *
Mar. 11 - Seattle, WA - Neptune *
Mar. 13 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom *
Mar. 15 - Calgary, AB - Palace Theater *
Mar. 16 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall *
Mar. 18 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory *
Mar. 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex *
Mar. 20 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
Mar. 22 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
Mar. 23 - St. Louis, MO - Red Flag
Mar. 24 - Milwaukee, WI - Rave II
Mar. 25 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
Mar. 26 - Chicago, IL - Metro
Mar. 27 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
Mar. 29 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's
Mar. 30 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
Mar. 31 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
Apr. 01 - Quebec City, QC - Imperial Bell
Apr. 02 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Apr. 03 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Apr. 05 - Reading, PA - Reverb
Apr. 06 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater
Apr. 07 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
Apr. 08 - Pittsburgh, PA - Roxian Theater
Apr. 09 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Petes
Apr. 10 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Heaven)
Apr. 12 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
Apr. 13 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
Apr. 15 - Dallas, TX - Amplified Live
Apr. 16 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Apr. 17 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
Apr. 19 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
Apr. 20 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
Apr. 22 - Los Angeles, CA - Belasco Theater
Apr. 23 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theater

* Without BATTLE BEAST