When I last spoke with power metal master Herman Li, guitarist for the mighty Dragonforce, the Brits were on the verge of unleashing their epic new album Reaching Into Infinity. Now that LP has landed, and Li takes a spare moment to reflect on the reception thus far.
“The album came out early in Japan and it did great – it was in the top ten and we thought, ‘Wow, that’s cool!’ The feedback everywhere else has been great – now we’re going to see if the fans can put their money where their mouth is.”
He means that literally, too. With the availability of bonus material and meet and greet opportunities for Dragonforce’s upcoming Australian tour, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the record. The world tour is already under way, but only the first two singles have premiered on the live stage – and as Australia is an early stop, Li says some of the new material will be given its debut outing Down Under.
“The reception around those two songs has been great,” he says of ‘Judgement Day’ and ‘Ashes Of The Dawn’. “We made sure people had a chance to hear the songs before we played them. [There are] some new songs that we’ll play on the one tour and the next tour, we won’t play them. If you like the new album, this is the time to hear most of the songs.”
There’s always an element of the unknown when a band brings fresh tracks to the live arena, but Dragonforce are meticulous with their planning and presentation. “The new songs are mid-tempo songs and it’s about fitting them in the right place and introducing them at the right time in the setlist,” Li says. “But for Australia, the set changes again. We’re learning about the sounds, but it is about timing.”
As Li suggests, the time for Reaching Into Infinity is now – but that’s not to say that five years down the track, Dragonforce’s latest work will have disappeared into obscurity. “Our set consists of songs from pretty much every single album, not just singles but songs without videos,” the guitarist says. “As it goes further down, we play what gets the best reception from the crowd.”
They’re a live band first and foremost, then, and Li agrees that he takes the stage with the express intention of melting people’s faces with his sublime guitar work and bold persona. “Of course we’re going to melt their faces, what else are we going to do?” he laughs.
“We always try and work out ways to improve the show, and it’s good we had those first two singles done to figure more things out as we go along in the new set – there’s new equipment, lights and everything that goes along with a new show.
“I don’t want to give the game away – these days the internet is a spoiler alert everywhere.”
Truer words were never spoken, but with such a jumbo package of goodies to go with this month’s Dragonforce experience, Li admits that spreading the message is important.
I eat, sleep and play: that was the only three things I did.
“I think the music speaks for itself. But we need all the promotion we can get without concentrating on one thing. These days, the more we do it, the more we become perfectionists in more categories of things – from the light show, the video screens or the way the stage is set up – it just never stops. There’s always something going down.”
There’s no questioning his work ethic, but Li for one seems happier with his axe in hand than dealing with all the behind-the-scenes stuff. “Every day I feel like there’s not enough hours to do all the things I want to do. It’s a good way to live – you’ve always got something to look forward to, you’re not bored.
“I literally can’t get away from the computer to the guitar, which can be a good thing. I don’t want to get stressed about not getting something done. We just don’t stop. Today I wanted to practise and learn new songs, and guess what happened? I didn’t have a chance to touch the guitar from about nine in the morning until after six in the evening – just no time.
“I think time management is probably the most difficult thing for Dragonforce – I do still want to have fun in my life, play my guitar. But that’s life… for now. At the beginning of this tour, I literally played a show and slept. I eat, sleep and play: that was the only three things I did.”
Hopefully, Li and co. will be able to squeeze in a bit more fun when they come to Australia. Li cheerfully agrees: “You’re getting us fresh, you’re getting all the energy, all the head-banging and all the moshpits!”
Reaching Into Infinity is out now through Earmusic/Sony. Dragonforce play Manning Bar on Saturday June 24.
