On September 27, DRAGONFORCE will unleash its eigth full-length album, “Extreme Power Metal”. Produced in Los Angeles, California by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited, “Extreme Power Metal” was also recorded, in part, on guitarist Herman Li‘s livestream channel on Twitch with participation from the fans.

For a first preview of the album, a video for the new single “Highway To Oblivion”, can be viewed below.

“Highway To Oblivion” will also appear today (Tuesday, July 30) as a playable level in “Audica”, a virtual reality “rhythm shooter” from Harmonix, the makers of “Rock Band” and “Dance Central”. Armed with a pair of rhythm blasters, players will be able to step into a cosmic arena and smash targets to the beat of the song. A standard edit of the song will be available as well as the intensely challenging full-length version. Clocking in at just under seven minutes, the full-length version of “Highway To Oblivion” on Expert will be the most difficult song on the soundtrack to date. A flawless run with precise accuracy, timing, and form will earn players one of the coveted top spots on “Audica”‘s global leaderboards. For a preview of gameplay, follow Harmonix‘s Twitter and Facebook pages.

“Extreme Power Metal” track listing:

01. Highway To Oblivion
02. Cosmic Power Of The Infinite Shred Machine
03. The Last Dragonborn
04. Heart Demolition
05. Troopers Of The Stars
06. Razorblade Meltdown
07. Strangers
08. In A Skyforged Dream
09. Remembrance Day
10. My Heart Will Go On

Regarding “Extreme Power Metal”, Li says: “This album again combines the best of DRAGONFORCE in an even bigger, more epic way than we have ever done before. We are so excited for fans to hear it.” Following the departure of Vadim Pruzhanov from the band last year, the keyboards of this new album were performed by Coen Janssen of symphonic metal titan EPICA, bringing a new dimension into a DRAGONFORCE album. Guitarist Sam Totman says: “We worked really closely with Coen on this new album. We are so happy with what he has brought into this new album. Every fan will be so happy to hear his majestic playing.”

Drawing from a wide range of influences, the band’s sound combines the singalong choruses of classic ’80s rock with triumphant, uplifting melodies and fantasy-themed power-metal-inspired lyrics. As a nod to their passion for all things video-game related, the band frequently incorporates retro game sounds and melodies into their recordings and live shows.

Following the release of “Extreme Power Metal”, DRAGONFORCE will begin a world tour in support of it. Li promises: “In this age where our music is easily accessible, I am not going to waste time trying to describe the sound of our new album. I’ll let the music do the talking. However, what I can tell you is our upcoming tour will be our biggest in a decade. We have a massive epic production and a really special surprise for VIPs. We can’t wait to see everyone out on the road.”

Fonte: Blabbermouth.net