Inhuman Rampage
Inhuman Rampage is the third studio album by the British power metal band DragonForce, released on 28 December 2005 in Japan by JVC Victor and on 9 January 2006 internationally by Roadrunner Records (with the US release on 20 June 2006).[1][2] The album was produced by the band's keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov and recorded at Thin Ice Studios in Surrey, England, featuring a tracklist of eight songs that exemplify DragonForce's signature style of high-speed neoclassical metal with extensive guitar solos, symphonic elements, and fantasy-themed lyrics.[1] Key tracks include the opening single "Through the Fire and Flames", which runs over seven minutes and became the band's breakthrough hit due to its inclusion as the credits song in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in 2007, propelling album sales and introducing the band to a wider audience.[3] Other notable songs are "Revolution Deathsquad", "Operation Ground and Pound", and "Trail of Broken Hearts", the latter featuring guest vocals by Amanda Somerville.[1] Commercially, Inhuman Rampage achieved significant success, reaching number 70 on the UK Albums Chart, while in the United States, it debuted at number 103 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Heatseekers Albums chart after selling nearly 10,000 copies in its first week.[4][5] The album was later certified gold by the RIAA in the US in 2017 for sales exceeding 500,000 units, largely attributed to the enduring popularity of "Through the Fire and Flames", which itself achieved platinum status.[5] Critically, it solidified DragonForce's reputation for technical virtuosity in the power metal genre, though some reviews noted its formulaic approach to speed and shredding.[2] The album's legacy includes a 20th-anniversary celebration in 2025, highlighting its role in elevating the band to international prominence.[6]Background and development
Album concept
Inhuman Rampage embodies DragonForce's vision of pushing power metal to extreme heights of speed and technical prowess, building directly on the foundation laid by their 2004 album Sonic Firestorm. Guitarist Herman Li explained that the band aimed to amplify the energy and velocity while preserving melodic accessibility, incorporating more elaborate guitar harmonies and keyboard elements to create a sense of futuristic epicness. This approach resulted in longer, more ambitious tracks designed to showcase the band's instrumental capabilities without sacrificing catchy hooks.[7][8] The album's overarching theme revolves around an "inhuman rampage," serving as a metaphor for relentless, fantastical warfare and high-stakes conquests, infused with over-the-top bombast characteristic of the genre. Drawing from retro video game soundtracks—particularly shoot-'em-up arcade games—the music evokes fast-paced action and dramatic intensity, influencing the harmonized guitar lines and rapid tempos. Lyrical content further emphasizes epic fantasy battles, with imagery of storming fields, revolutionary squads, and fiery trials that paint vivid scenes of otherworldly conflict.[8][9] DragonForce intended Inhuman Rampage as a bold statement in power metal, escalating the technicality and compositional scope to distinguish it from prior works, while maintaining the genre's core elements of soaring choruses and virtuoso solos. By integrating influences like early '80s heavy metal bands such as Iron Maiden and Helloween, the album crafts a definitive blend of fantasy-driven narratives and exhilarating speed, solidifying the band's identity in the metal landscape.[10][9]Songwriting and pre-production
The songwriting for Inhuman Rampage was a collaborative effort led by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, who crafted the majority of the guitar riffs and overall song structures, with Sam Totman credited for the music on five of the album's eight tracks.[11] Vocalist ZP Theart contributed significantly to the lyrical content and vocal melodies, co-writing lyrics for three songs including the opener "Through the Fire and Flames" and the closing track "Trail of Broken Hearts."[11] Keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov added distinctive keyboard layers and co-wrote music for three tracks, "Storming the Burning Fields," "Body Breakdown," and "Trail of Broken Hearts," enhancing the album's symphonic elements.[11] Pre-production began in early 2005, with band members developing ideas individually in their home studios before convening to refine them collaboratively.[12] This process emphasized the creation of rough demos that highlighted extended guitar solos and relentless double-kick drumming patterns, aligning with the band's signature high-speed power metal style while incorporating fantasy-themed inspirations from the album's overarching concept.[12] The chaotic workflow spanned about six months, starting with catchy chorus hooks and evolving through verses, pre-choruses, and bridges, ensuring the material remained dynamic and technically demanding.[12] The band opted for just eight tracks to maximize their impact, allowing each song to unfold as an epic composition averaging over seven minutes in length, with "Through the Fire and Flames" positioned as the opener to immediately demonstrate their technical prowess through its blistering tempo and intricate solos—recorded in September 2005.[13] This streamlined approach focused on quality and intensity over quantity, building on the established lineup's synergy.[11] Inhuman Rampage marked the last album featuring bassist Adrian Lambert, who provided the rhythmic foundation during songwriting and pre-production before departing the band later in 2005.[14]Production
Recording sessions
The recording sessions for Inhuman Rampage commenced in March 2005 and extended through September of that year, with the bulk of the main tracking occurring at Thin Ice Studios in Surrey, United Kingdom, while overdubs were handled at LamerLuser Studios in London.[15] These sessions built upon initial demos crafted during the album's pre-production phase.[13] Drummer Dave Mackintosh focused on capturing the album's blistering tempos during his tracking, pushing rhythms up to 200 beats per minute on standout tracks such as "Through the Fire and Flames" to underscore the band's signature velocity.[16] Guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman then layered their parts, dividing lead solos based on stylistic strengths and technical demands to build the intricate dual-guitar framework.[13] Vocalist ZP Theart recorded his contributions with an emphasis on soaring, high-register delivery reminiscent of operatic power metal traditions, providing the melodic anchor amid the instrumental frenzy.[17] Keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov integrated his parts throughout the sessions to infuse a symphonic texture, enhancing the epic scope of the arrangements.[1] One notable challenge arose during the guitar tracking for "Through the Fire and Flames," when Li snapped a string near the end of the extended solo at approximately the 4:55 mark; the audible "weeeee... poom" effect was deliberately preserved in the final take for its raw energy.[18]Mixing and mastering
The mixing of Inhuman Rampage was conducted at Thin Ice Studios in Surrey, UK, by engineer Karl Groom alongside band members Sam Totman, Herman Li, and Vadim Pruzhanov.[1] This collaborative approach allowed the band to directly shape the album's sound during post-production.[19] The process emphasized achieving clarity in the album's rapid guitar passages and intricate arrangements, ensuring the high-tempo elements remained distinct and energetic across the 55:50 runtime. Techniques such as stereo separation were applied to the layered guitars and keyboards, while careful compression helped maintain balance and prevent auditory fatigue.[20] Mastering was handled by Eberhard Köhler at Powerplay Mastering in Berlin, Germany, where the final dynamic range was optimized specifically for the CD format to preserve the album's intensity and detail.[1] Overall production credit was given to DragonForce, underscoring the band's hands-on control over the creative and technical vision for the record.[19]Musical style and composition
Genre influences
Inhuman Rampage is firmly rooted in power metal, characterized by its blistering tempos that frequently reach 180-200 beats per minute, setting it apart as an exemplar of extreme speed within the genre.[21] The album draws heavily from pioneering power metal acts such as Helloween and Iron Maiden, incorporating the latter's signature twin guitar harmonies and galloping rhythms while amplifying the high-energy, anthemic structures typical of Helloween's sound.[8] Neoclassical shred guitar techniques, inspired by Yngwie Malmsteen, are prominently featured through intricate solos and harmonic minor scales that evoke classical influences blended with metal aggression. Guitarist Herman Li has noted the band's approach to dual guitars leans toward the virtuosic styles of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani rather than strictly traditional metal riffing, adding layers of technical complexity.[8] Symphonic elements emerge via keyboard arrangements that incorporate orchestral flourishes, enhancing the epic scope without overshadowing the core metal drive.[8] The synth leads on the album recall 1980s video game soundtracks, a deliberate nod to the band's broader inspirations.[22] These melodic, chiptune-like elements stem from video game soundtracks of the era, which Li describes as relying on catchy hooks due to technological limitations, infusing Inhuman Rampage with a playful, futuristic vibe.[22] Compared to DragonForce's earlier works like Valley of the Damned (2003) and Sonic Firestorm (2004), Inhuman Rampage represents an evolution toward greater technicality, with extended track lengths often surpassing seven minutes to accommodate elaborate compositions and solos.[8] This progression pushes power metal boundaries by intensifying the "extreme" aspect the band coined for their self-described style, blending thrash, progressive, and shred elements into a cohesive, high-octane sound.[8] What distinguishes Inhuman Rampage from contemporaneous European power metal acts is its vibrant, video game-inspired energy, which injects a sense of arcade urgency and whimsy absent in more operatic or folk-infused variants of the genre.[22] This fusion creates a hyperkinetic listening experience that prioritizes relentless momentum over somber narrative depth.Lyrical themes
The lyrics of Inhuman Rampage predominantly revolve around themes of epic heroism, war, and perseverance, immersing listeners in grand, narrative-driven tales of conflict and triumph. Songs like "Through the Fire and Flames" exemplify fantasy battles, depicting a lone warrior's relentless journey across frozen wastelands and through infernal flames to confront ancient evils, underscoring unyielding determination against overwhelming odds. Similarly, "Operation Ground and Pound" channels military conquests with vivid imagery of storming burning fields, smashing boundaries, and charging toward a molten sun amid skies of pain, evoking the intensity of large-scale warfare.[23] In contrast, "Fields of Despair" shifts to motifs of profound loss and emotional endurance, portraying desolate landscapes where tears mingle with rain and hearts bleed in endless searches for the departed, highlighting resilience amid grief.[24] The songwriting for these lyrics involved close collaboration, with vocalist ZP Theart contributing significantly to fit emotional depth and narrative nuance to the established melodies and riffs.[25] This process typically placed lyrics last in development, ensuring they molded to pre-established melodies and riffs for maximum vocal delivery impact, rather than dictating the musical framework.[26] The album's lyrics focus on escapist, anthemic narratives of heroic fantasy. These themes harmonize with the music's extreme speed, amplifying the sense of urgent, larger-than-life quests. Adding levity to the intensity, tracks like "Revolution Deathsquad" introduce humorous undertones via sci-fi twists, blending over-the-top depictions of aerial battles, distant angels, and revolutionary forces under starlit skies into a playfully exaggerated epic.[27]Release and promotion
Formats and editions
Inhuman Rampage was initially released on compact disc in Japan on December 28, 2005, through Victor Entertainment, followed by a worldwide release on January 9, 2006, via Sanctuary Records for the UK and Europe, and Roadrunner Records for the United States.[28][1] The standard edition contains eight tracks with a total runtime of 55 minutes and 50 seconds, featuring the album's core songs such as "Through the Fire and Flames" and "Operation Ground and Pound."[29] A special edition followed in March 2007, expanding the CD to include the bonus track "Lost Souls in Endless Time" and bundling a DVD with music videos for "Through the Fire and Flames" and "Operation Ground and Pound," along with behind-the-scenes tour footage.[30] The Japanese edition, released by Victor, incorporates the bonus track "Lost Souls in Endless Time" and enhanced multimedia content, including additional video elements tailored for the region.[31] In subsequent years, the album became available in digital formats on platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, offering both the standard and special edition track listings for streaming.[32][33] A limited-edition picture disc vinyl was issued in Europe in 2006 through Noise Records, providing a collectible analog format of the standard edition.[34] As of 2025, no official remastered version of the album has been released.[28]Singles and marketing
The lead single from Inhuman Rampage, "Through the Fire and Flames", was released in August 2006, several months after the album's global launch.[35] This track served as the album's opener and helped build momentum through its high-speed guitar solos and epic structure. The accompanying music video, DragonForce's first, was directed by Julian Reich and produced on a modest budget of €5,000.[36][37] It depicted the band performing in a dimly lit room under amber lights, capturing spontaneous moments such as guitarist Sam Totman drinking during filming to convey an unpolished, energetic vibe.[37] The second single, "Operation Ground and Pound", followed as a promotional release on November 27, 2006, via Roadrunner Records.[38] This edited version of the album track emphasized its militaristic themes and fast-paced riffs, with an official music video showcasing the band's live energy and thematic visuals aligned with the song's narrative.[39] "Revolution Deathsquad" was issued as a promotional single in 2007, targeting radio and industry outlets to extend the album's reach.[28] Certain album editions, such as the special edition, incorporated these music videos as enhanced content for fans.[33] Promotion for Inhuman Rampage began with pre-release demos shared on MySpace, leveraging the platform's popularity among metal fans in the mid-2000s to generate early buzz.[40] The album's Japanese edition, released on December 28, 2005, was supported by a promotional tour, including a performance at Club 1ne 2wo in Tokyo on December 6, 2005.[41] Post-release efforts included appearances on MTV's Headbangers Ball, where the band performed tracks from the album to connect with heavy metal audiences.[42] Roadrunner Records integrated the campaign with metal festival sponsorships and limited-edition merchandise, such as tour posters and apparel, to sustain visibility throughout 2006 and 2007. In 2025, to mark the 20th anniversary of the album, DragonForce announced a promotional tour in China for April 2025. Guitarist Herman Li expressed interest in reuniting the original Inhuman Rampage touring lineup for a potential commemorative tour.[6][43]Commercial performance
Chart performance
In the United States, Inhuman Rampage debuted at number 103 on the Billboard 200 chart in June 2006, with nearly 10,000 copies sold in its first week. The album also reached number 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart in late 2007, following the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and maintained a presence on various US charts for over 20 weeks, reflecting its gradual buildup through niche metal radio play and later mainstream exposure.[44][3][45] In the United Kingdom, the album peaked at number 70 on the Official Albums Chart and spent 4 weeks there. It performed stronger on genre-specific rankings, attaining number 2 on the Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart in January 2006 and charting for at least 42 weeks overall. The lead single "Through the Fire and Flames" reached number 13 on the Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart, where it spent 18 weeks, though it saw only modest radio airplay before its inclusion in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in late 2007, which propelled renewed interest and chart longevity for the album.[4][46][47] Internationally, Inhuman Rampage achieved moderate success in Europe and Asia. In Japan, it topped the Oricon rock chart. It peaked at number 54 on Sweden's Sverigetopplistan album chart in early 2006. The album's slow initial sales were notably accelerated by mid-2007 video game integrations, enhancing its visibility and extending its chart runs across multiple territories.[1][48][45]| Country | Chart | Peak Position | Weeks on Chart |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Billboard 200 | 103 | >20 (various charts) |
| United States | Heatseekers Albums | 1 | N/A |
| United Kingdom | Official Albums | 70 | 4 |
| United Kingdom | Rock & Metal Albums | 2 | ≥42 |
| United Kingdom | Rock & Metal Singles ("Through the Fire and Flames") | 13 | 18 |
| Sweden | Sverigetopplistan Albums | 54 | 1 |
| Japan | Oricon Rock | 1 | N/A |