I bought the whole album on Tuesday when it came out. After a few listen-throughs I think I can give a good review.
I bought their album "Inhuman Rampage" (containing the song "Through the Fire and Flames") when it came out. There was and still is a lot to like about it. If there is a criticism, it is that with the exception of the last track the whole album is a sonic assault. Drums, guitars, everything pounding away at the speed of light. It's technically impressive, but a bit oppressive to listen to. It's great if you're driving and you need to stay awake. The songs tend to run from one to another without a great deal of difference between them. I didn't get their follow-up "Ultra Beatdown" because what I heard from it sounded like "Inhuman Rampage, Part Deux."
"The Power Within" is a different animal. Make no mistake, the pummeling drums and speed-demon guitars are still there, but there are parts where, gasp, they slow down. I would almost go so far as to say that some of the changes within songs are almost prog-like. The new singer, Marc Hudson, is an improvement over ZP Theart, in my opinion. He has a wider range. I would really be interested to hear how their next album turns out after they've had him in the band a couple of years. On several tracks, I thought he sounded quite a bit like a more metal Tommy Shaw.
I would classify Dragonforce as Power Metal (shred with medieval themes). Others would probably classify them as Melodic Metal--a term I don't like because "Melodic" is usually used as a pejorative when talking about metal. I define melodic metal as "metal without Cookie Monster." If you use that definition then I agree. I suppose this album is less "brutal" than "Inhuman Rampage," although that's not necessarily a bad thing. The first two tracks are quite a bit like "Inhuman Rampage." Then comes "Cry Thunder" which is the strongest track on the album. When "Wings of Liberty" starts, it sounds like its going to be a sappy poppy ballad, but it eventually kicks in and is one of the most dynamic tracks on the album. The album ends with an acoustic version of the song "Seasons" which is a cool, ballad-like take on it--I think Hudson really sounds like Shaw on this one. I like it, but serious black/doom/death metalheads won't.
The "special edition" includes a live-in-the-studio version of "Cry Thunder" which gives an interesting look at how the band would sound in a live situation. Yes, they really can play that fast. There's a version of "Heart of the Storm" with an alternate mix--not much to see here. The last of the three bonus tracks is an instrumental which is very cool, but quite short.
All told, I really like this album. Fans of power/melodic metal should check it out. Listen to "Cry Thunder" above. If you like that, you'll like the album.
