The problem with Dragonforce

[En Vind Av Sorg]

His kick drum sound on Des Mysteriis was probably digitally replaced or enhanced anyhow. I only trigger kicks on my set, live and in studio. I experimented with triggering toms, but invariably decided against it. My playing style is a little too...organic? to have the toms triggered as well.

 

[Dead Winter]

Basically, they can't back their shit up that they do in the studio. Live, they're out of tune and off time and the singer sucks royally. They have great stage presence, but that doesn't make up for being failures at playing their instruments in a live setting or for Guitar World.

That really is a shame, you know. I guess it's really true that biggest piece of shit is the one that's loved by millions.

 

[Calamitas1786]

If you took a look at the Youtube link, that's essentially the point I'm trying to get across. It's a funny vid but it's never been closer to the truth.


I'm listening to Jason Becker right now, it gets me out of the Dragonforce funk.

 

[Dead Winter]

His kick drum sound on Des Mysteriis was probably digitally replaced or enhanced anyhow. I only trigger kicks on my set, live and in studio. I experimented with triggering toms, but invariably decided against it. My playing style is a little too...organic? to have the toms triggered as well.

Yeah, I agree. I don't see the need for a trigger on a tom or snare unless you really are doing some strange, spacey, industrial stuff. I think the feet should be triggered and that's it. If you can't play blastbeats, don't play them. Blastbeats are boring anyway. The groove is where it's at.

But I'm a guitarist...I know fuck-all about drums. These are just my opinions from my experiences playing with different styles of metal/drummers/musicians.

 

[flying_whale]

That really is a shame, you know. I guess it's really true that biggest piece of shit is the one that's loved by millions.

I agree. They suck cause their music is shit with useless guitar jacking off that they can't reproduce live even with a sound drenched in reverb, delay, wha and whammy. They can't even do 5 string simple sweeps at guitar world with a dry tone (those sweeps would have been nailed if they had their live ass saviour the delay, the wha and the reverb). fucking gay

 

[Calamitas1786]

A trigger is the drummer's equivilant to compression.

 

[Dead Winter]

If you took a look at the Youtube link, that's essentially the point I'm trying to get across. It's a funny vid but it's never been closer to the truth.


I'm listening to Jason Becker right now, it gets me out of the Dragonforce funk.

I've seen the Dragonforce Guitar World and Herman Li is cool vids before...

Ok, his sweeps were fucking horrendous, but they were a gajillion times better than mine. Plus, they were drunk. Plus, that was an outtake. I know we all aren't perfect players who can play flawlessly any time of the day. Those tapping licks were really, really bad though...

 

[Krigloch the Furious]

its sad how bad their singer is

 

[Hawng]

Are Dragonforce this gay?

 

[MajestikMøøse]

yeah,...

 

[BlueSky]

Dude...I think we all know what ProTools is and we've all used it at one time or another for recording. Just because a band uses ProTools doesn't make them a shit band. All your favorite bands use ProTools, it's just that some use them to different degrees. I used it to fine tweak the sound, not cover up any mistakes. If I made a mistake in the studio, I re-recorded the part.

As far as people who bash on triggers, triggers are no big deal. Hellhammer triggers his drums to fucking hell and back, George Kollias does too, as well as Nick Barker, Raimond Herrera, and any other drummer who plays in a live band that can afford it. All a trigger does is send the signal back to the midi processor every time it detects the head is being hit. You still have to hit the drum heads, though...it's not a drum machine. Of course, some drummers don't hit as hard as they should and they lose their power, but not everyone can be like Dave Lombardo and not use triggers. It doesn't make you play faster...only easier. There are very few bands who don't use triggers, and the few off the top of my head are Slayer, God Dethroned, Crematory, and Vinnie Paul. Actually, Vinnie Paul used triggers live, but not in the studio...at least according to him.

So, I'm still unclear. Do you hate this band because they use ProTools just like every other band out there, or do you hate this band because they abuse ProTools? Do we have any proof of them playing Nirvana and it coming out sounding like Malmsteen? If you dislike them, you should dislike them because you don't like their music. You shouldn't dislike a band because of the equipment they use. Karl Sanders of Nile was asked if the drums were triggered on Annihilation of the Wicked, to which he responded, "Yes, they are triggered. It's impossible to play that fast without triggers."

For me, Dragonforce has cast out any doubts I may have had about the notion of less is more, and faster isn't always better. It's just speed for the sake of speed, with no dynamics, no (good) hooky choruses, no emotion. The solos sound like a synthesizer run through a sheet of tin foil, as does the rest of the sound. It's totally flat and one-dimensional. I was actually annoyed at their concert when I first saw them, and that was two and a half years ago before they blew up. They were opening the day at Gods of Metal and I just remember their set being way too....busy...for lack of a better word. I was glad when they left the stage. I thought they actually played their instruments quite well, but it was only technical prowess...bereft of any emotion or feeling. After that, I put them out of my mind and now they blow up like they're the greatest thing since sliced bread. It's like power metal for dummies.

I'm not bashing on anyone for using protools, but simply explaining to those who might not know know what protools is capable of, and that's what I thought you were asking. Pretty much I was just trying to explain why people might consider them fake. Also from the live videos i've seen it seems they can't pull of the studio recorded shit without it being slop. so that conclusion might add up quite well. But I have no clue what dragonforce does in the studio or do I care. I simply don't think they are capable of writing a song. I never said I didn't like them for using protools. I use pro tools and triggers and love it.

anyhow I agree triggers are cool for more experimental bands and for metal or blast beats it just sounds bad. have you heard the new into eternity kick drum sound? yuck

 

[ShadowsWithin]

actually the new IE drum sound is pretty bad ass.

 

[Kvlt Wench]

Hey guys, let's all jump on the bandwagon.

 

[Enemy242]

I agree. They suck cause their music is shit with useless guitar jacking off that they can't reproduce live even with a sound drenched in reverb, delay, wha and whammy. They can't even do 5 string simple sweeps at guitar world with a dry tone (those sweeps would have been nailed if they had their live ass saviour the delay, the wha and the reverb). fucking gay

your shit's lame. i saw them at the pound and it was an amazing show, they really can play thier songs live. however in the guitar world thing and at a couple shows they've messed up but so what. i'd like to see you play any one of thier solos or write anything as good before posting crap like that. everyone hating dragonforce to be cool is pretty pathetic.

 

[BlueSky]

actually the new IE drum sound is pretty bad ass.

sounds pretty fake to me

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

Decapitated has one of the most annoying trigger sounds of any metal band I can recall. Live it sounds like two anti-aircraft guns going off in your ears.

 

[BlueSky]

 

[EricT]

Hey guys, let's all jump on the bandwagon.

Seriously.

 

[flying_whale]

your shit's lame. i saw them at the pound and it was an amazing show, they really can play thier songs live. however in the guitar world thing and at a couple shows they've messed up but so what. i'd like to see you play any one of thier solos or write anything as good before posting crap like that. everyone hating dragonforce to be cool is pretty pathetic.

wanna fuck?
first i didn't claim in my post that i can sweep better than them. And i really don't want to sweep like them, i want to sweep like loomis. Plus i was saying their music is shit. the fact that i can't write music like theirs doesn't make their music less shit, and mine better. Actually you never heard what i've wrote, you don't even know if i even write music, but if i would try i would probably write better than you or dragonforce. and plus, they use a shitload of reverb and delay and their solos are pretty much whammy based too at times, which makes them hide mistakes live. When they don't have effects they blow.

 

[Lunar Still]

I can sweep like a broom and trigger like a gun.