DRAGONFORCE Signs With NAPALM RECORDS, Announces Fall 2023 North American Tour

Napalm Records has announced the signing of Grammy-nominated power metal legends DRAGONFORCE.

Formed in 1999, the London, U.K.-based unit has captivated audiences worldwide with its highly successful records and iconic singles, including the platinum-selling anthem "Through The Fire And Flames". Renowned for their epic compositions, DRAGONFORCE's signature lies in their masterful and lightning-fast guitar solos, brilliantly crafted by the virtuosic duo of Herman Li and Sam Totman. Comprising vocalist Marc Hudson, bassist Alicia Vigil, and drummer Gee Anzalone, the five-piece ensemble draws inspiration from a myriad of heavy metal styles, fantasy realms, and video games, blending 1980s rock influences with infectious sing-along choruses and uplifting melodies.

Together with today's signing announcement, and with their most ambitious album on the horizon, DRAGONFORCE is excited to announce the North American headline leg of a colossal world tour that promises to be their most exhilarating to date. Featuring special guests AMARANTHE with additional support from Napalm Records labelmates NANOWAR OF STEEL, as well as EDGE OF PARADISE, the tour will begin on October 20, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona. After visiting many major cities across the U.S. and Canada, the tour will culminate in a grand finale in Los Angeles, California on November 19. DRAGONFORCE promises to take their unique stage production to new heights, presenting a fresh setlist that includes new tracks, songs not played for a long time and beloved classics.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 11 at 10:00 a.m. local time. To secure your spot, visit Dragonforce.com for ticket options and limited VIP upgrades.

In the meantime, European fans can catch the band's energetic live performance at their remaining summer festival shows at Leyendas Del Rock and Summer Breeze Open Air.

DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li comments on the signing: "We are absolutely thrilled to join forces with Napalm Records, a true powerhouse in the metal music universe! This marks the beginning of an epic new chapter for DRAGONFORCE, and we're eager to see what our collaboration will bring to our fans around the world!"

Napalm Records managing director Thomas Caser adds: "It's an absolute honor to team up with the mighty DRAGONFORCE and announce this signing today. Their speed, sound and hooks are undeniably legendary along with their captivating and unique concepts! We look forward to getting their new music out to the world!"

Li adds about the tour: "We're really looking forward to touring in the US and Canada again. We've prepared a new setlist with some brand new songs that we'll be releasing before the tour begins. Alongside these, we'll also be playing some older songs that haven't been in our setlist for a long time, as well as some classic favorites that are a must. It's shaping up to be a fantastic tour!"

DRAGONFORCE North American tour 2023 with AMARANTHE, NANOWAR OF STEEL and EDGE OF PARADISE:

Oct. 20 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater*
Oct. 21 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel*
Oct. 23 - Austin, TX - Empire Garage
Oct. 24 - Dallas, TX - The Granada
Oct. 25 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
Oct. 27 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues
Oct. 28 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
Oct. 30 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade - Heaven
Oct. 31 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
Nov. 01 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
Nov. 03 - New York, NY - Palladium Time Square
Nov. 04 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Nov. 05 - Montreal, QC - MTelus
Nov. 06 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
Nov. 08 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theater
Nov. 09 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic
Nov. 10 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
Nov. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
Nov. 12 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
Nov. 14 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
Nov. 15 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
Nov. 16 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
Nov. 18 - Berkeley, CA - UC Theater
Nov. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern

* No NANOWAR OF STEEL

Last November, DRAGONFORCE released a music video for the song "The Last Dragonborn". The track is taken from DRAGONFORCE's latest album, "Extreme Power Metal", which came out in September 2019. Produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited, the LP was also recorded, in part, on Li's livestream channel on Twitch with participation from the fans.

"The Last Dragonborn" is the first DRAGONFORCE music video to feature bassist Alicia Vigil, who first joined the band as a touring member in January 2020.

DRAGONFORCE's platinum-selling single "Through The Fire And Flames" brought the London-based Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group international acclaim and was featured as the most challenging song on "Guitar Hero III".

In March 2019, the "Through The Fire And Flames" music video reached a new milestone: it surpassed one hundred million views on YouTube — DRAGONFORCE's first music video to do so.

"Through The Fire And Flames" is the leadoff track from 2006's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which was officially certified gold in July 2017 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

In August 2019, DRAGONFORCE parted ways with longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq. He has since joined German thrashers KREATOR.

DRAGONFORCE is:

Herman Li - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Sam Totman - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Marc Hudson - Vocals
Alicia Vigil - Bass, Backing Vocals
Gee Anzalone - Drums, Backing Vocals

Photo credit: Travis Shinn