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Track Listings
| 1. Invocation of the Apocalyptic Evil |
| 2. Valley of the Damned |
| 3. Black Fire |
| 4. Black Winter Night |
| 5. Starfire |
| 6. Disciples of Babylon |
| 7. Revelations |
| 8. Evening Star |
| 9. Heart of a Dragon |
| 10. When Dragons Rule (Bonus Track) |
Editorial Reviews
From the epic title track to the fist-pumping closer, the guitar pyrotechnics of herman li and sam totman light up the sky like a third world war. Vocalist zp theart has no qualms about emulating heroes like bruce dickinson (iron maiden) and michael kiske (helloween), but his lupine howls have a character all their own. Dragonforce plays faster than most bands in the genre - at the time they were hailed as the first speed metal pop group - but the production is precision-tuned and never muddy, allowing the giant slade and andrew w.k.-style choruses the room they need to explode.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you are searching for a metal band who will make you feel uplifted and full of an undescribable "epic joy" then I can recommend two bands (as well as many others, but they are slightly less amazing):
Rhapsody (www.mightyrhapsody.com)
and ... Dragonforce!
Dragonforce's "Valley of the Damned" will have those of you who love "Lord of the Rings" (JRR Tolkien) as well as fast, powerful, epic metal, in a trance.
You will listen to this album and sometime next year you will finally turn it off. It's just that good.
So anyone searching for a real piece of EPICNESS should be shot if they didn't check out Dragonforce's "Valley of the Damned", as well as Rhapsody (notably their album "Tales from the Emerald Sword Saga").
Dragonforce's other album "Sonic Firestorm" keeps with the epic sound, but incorporates much more speed and technical ability, so if you enjoy speed metal, go for that instead.
Or... GET BOTH! And fly, you fools!
Rhapsody (www.mightyrhapsody.com)
and ... Dragonforce!
Dragonforce's "Valley of the Damned" will have those of you who love "Lord of the Rings" (JRR Tolkien) as well as fast, powerful, epic metal, in a trance.
You will listen to this album and sometime next year you will finally turn it off. It's just that good.
So anyone searching for a real piece of EPICNESS should be shot if they didn't check out Dragonforce's "Valley of the Damned", as well as Rhapsody (notably their album "Tales from the Emerald Sword Saga").
Dragonforce's other album "Sonic Firestorm" keeps with the epic sound, but incorporates much more speed and technical ability, so if you enjoy speed metal, go for that instead.
Or... GET BOTH! And fly, you fools!
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Considering that Dragonforce are about to fling a new slab of breakneck-paced melodic metal at the world, I figured it was high time I put down my thoughts on the debut, after having a year to take it in. Obviously, the most striking feature is their sheer speed, matching the velocity of most thrash bands, but infusing it with a keen melodic sensibility. These choruses are some of the catchiest I have ever heard. The production is very top heavy; a little scratchy on the ears at high volumes, but I suspect that the material translates well into a live setting. The guitar solos shred so hotly I'm surprised Herman Li's guitars don't burst into flame; but, they can be over the top with the flash and pomp. They can write some great hooks, but the songs are not varied enough to make this a truly special experience; it holds on for a long time provided you don't listen to it too much so that it stays fresh. If they can exert more range in their tempos and dynamics in the future, they could easily top this respectable, but not great, debut full length. I've got my fingers crossed.
18 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I don't think this world has yet seen a faster band....... At least in power metal. First off, I want to state that this band sounds a bit like Rhapsody + Lost Horizon. Valley of the Damned reminds me more or Lost Horizon's first album - Awakening the World. And boy did that CD ever "awaken the world"! There are next to no keyboards on this album (Valley). Many of the songs are about 6:15 long, but the first track is the shortest I've ever heard at 0:13. You are getting your money's worth for 9 tracks. The title track is a wonder - one of a couple over 7 minutes. Revelations was released as a demo when the band's name was Dragon Heart. That song is also pretty good. Every song except for thae ballad, Starfire, is hyper speed. By that I mean about the speed of Father Time by Stratovarius. Imagine the speed of Rhapsody's fastest songs and Skylark's fastest songs with an even faster bass. That's how fast this band plays!
So how good actually are these 8 songs? I love 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9. Revelations isn't as good as these, in my opinion. Starfire is so hard to get into because its so much slower than the other songs! I'd say that its an okay ballad. Track 8 is like Starfire in quality.
I don't think the production for this album is that great, but the writing talent makes up for it. Think of how we still love Images in Worlds by Dream Theater (is that what its called? Can't remember.......). Its because of how good it is - not the production. I would recommend Dragonforce to about anybody. There aren't any bands who sound like Dragonforce. Some power metal bands I've heard include Hammerfall, Helloween, Brainstorm, Blind Guardian, Grave Digger, Primal Fear, Sinergy, Manowar, and Falconer, to name a few. Nobody sounds like Dragonforce.
When you get the time, go read some of my other reviews and say if they helped you or not.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Valley of the Damned
Valley of the Damned was my second Dragonforce CD and from what I hear on their later albums, this is the best one. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Brandon
An Epic
The debut album of Dragonforce was a breath of fresh air for the power metal genre at the time it was released. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Luke
So Good..
I started listening to Dragonforce this year and I have to say their music is awesome. All of the Albums are good, Valley OTD is really full of gems. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Sam
100% Worth It
Having already owned and listened to the original version of this album, I must say I am very pleased with this reissue. The songs are 'remixed and remastered. Read more
Published on March 4, 2010 by Joseph J. Frederick
Amazing
This reissue is simply awesome, the vocals sound amazing and there is no more echo effect on ZP's voice. Read more
Published on March 3, 2010 by HappyGamer
Pretty decent.
I liked this debut album from dragonforce, it is better than their later album ultra beat down which was a terrible clone of inhuman rampage. Read more
Published on January 30, 2010 by Anti MTV
CD of the Blessed
Power metal is a genre that favors the bold and the fast, and this debut effort from Liverpool's finest established a new mark for fluent, technical metal that still delivers the... Read more
Published on December 9, 2008 by Mark Neidengard
Extremely extreme power metal extremity :)
Nine songs that largely sound the same, the problems with Dragonforce (at least up until Ultrabeatdown) have been well documented but heck, this is the debut so it's pretty easy to... Read more
Published on October 21, 2008 by Paul Lawrence
Surprised
I was quite surprised by the songs on this album considering that I bought it along with Ultra Beatdown. Read more
Published on September 22, 2008 by BK
DragonForce - Valley of the Damned
"Valley of the Damned" (2003) is the debut album from epic power metal band DragonForce. DragonForce has two standout guitarists, Sam Totman and Herman Li, and you won't find more... Read more
Published on August 28, 2008 by thepaxdomini
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