On the other hand, almost all the songs still pass the 7 minutes mark, making the album a tough listen if you're not used to the genre, and they often have a similar structure, a problem also found in "Inhuman Rampage".Īlbum highlights include the opener "Heroes of Our Time", one of the band's most famous songs, which features a thrilling solo section and an amazingly catchy chorus, the eight-minutes epic "The Fire Still Burns", "Reasons to Live", which includes an interesting tango-like midsection, and "The Last Journey Home" (the album's second single, and its longest track), which is the first mid-tempo song from the band that isn't actually a power ballad (and it's also my favourite song from the record). One thing that distinguishes "Ultra Beatdown" from "Inhuman Rampage" is the presence of some mid and slow-tempo sections, that prevent the songs from becoming monotonous. Although it's good to see the band experimenting with its sound, I have to say that the result is often pretty odd.
DRAGONFORCE ULTRABEATDOWN SERIES
The band experimented further with the keyboard sound, and this resulted in a series of strange videogame-like noises (the intro of "Reasons to Live" is a good example). The songs are very fast, they feature multiple complex guitar solos, lightspeed-fast guitar harmonies, cheesy lyrics, catchy choruses and melodies, and plenty of blast beats. Ultra Beatdown isn't very different compared to the band's previous album, "Inhuman Rampage". Propelled by succesful single "Heroes of Our Time" (one of the highlights of the record), the album debuted at the 18th position in the Billboard 200, selling 24.000 copies in the US during the first week following its release. When it was released, it was an instant success. Ultra Beatdown is the fourth album by English power metal band DragonForce.