DragonForce

Recorded during their recent Ultra Beatdown tour, before the departure of vocalist ZP Theart, double-disc live offering Twilight Dementia finds scorching power metallers Dragonforce showing their colourful plumage onstage. As expected, because it incorporates aspects of all four studio efforts performed immaculately, one can't help but stand slack jawed in constant awe of this astonishing troupe. Then again, they're so brazenly ostentatious it's not like we can do much else; we're too busy wondering how the fuck they pull off wild solos, overbearing vocals and endless drum hammering so pristinely, even if it does occasionally sound like parts battling parts instead of an actual song. When the band do come together for a rousingly epic chorus, the results are beyond fabulous, like an explosion of distorted fireworks. While everything is seamless and beyond operatic, without seeing what's going on much of Twilight Dementia feels like a barrage of musical bullets firing away without a target. We love it and respect it, but only when we can see them pull off the stellar whammy bar solos does the Dragonforce concept feel unified. While it won't win over the uninitiated, devout Dragonforce fans will find this to be the perfect kick-start to a night of booze-fuelled D&D.