Drumeo has shared a new video along with the following message:
"Riccardo Merlini is considered by many as the world’s fastest drummer, but can he conquer one of the most challenging metal songs ever recorded? In this video, Riccardo takes on DragonForce’s iconic track, "Through The Fire And Flames". Follow along as he works through the song’s intricate drum parts, and see if his unmatched speed can help him master its relentless intensity."
It's hard to believe that next year will mark 20 years since the release of what many consider to be one of the most over the top guitar shred tunes of all time, DragonForce's "Through The Fire And Flames", which features the group's guitarists, Herman Li and Sam Totman, front and centre throughout.
Originally included on the group's third full-length studio effort, 2005's Inhuman Rampage, the song was not issued as a single until more than half a year after the album's arrival. And its video, which features a now-classic six-string duel between Li and Totman, complete with close-up shots of the guitarists' fingers during their respective solos on the bottom of the screen, certainly played a large part in the song's success.
But the other reason for the song's ongoing popularity was its inclusion in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. As a result, the song shockingly made an appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #87 and earned silver and platinum certifications in the UK and US, respectively. The popularity of the tune also increased sales of Inhuman Rampage, which, at last count, was certified gold in both the UK and the US. Currently, the song's video has over 141 million views on YouTube.
While promoting DragonForce's latest album, Warp Speed Warriors, Li spoke with Ultimate Guitar and was willing to take a trip back down memory lane to discuss several aspects of "Through The Fire And Flames," including its creation, fans' initial reaction to the track, working out the guitar solos, its video, and if he feels it is the definitive DragonForce song.
Ultimate-Guitar.com: Next year will mark 20 years since the initial release of the song "Through The Fire And Flames." What do you recall about the writing and recording of that track?
Herman Li: "We finished that song in November 2005. We treated it just like any other song. I guess we found new ways of making weird noises, right? Like, the Pac-Man noise. We really went throughout and explored and used the guitar as much as we can to its full potential. All the whammy bar stuff, all the divebombs, from the weird noises, the elephant sound, you name it. The Pac-Man stuff, the ghost sound. It just became part of the album.
"And funny enough, I remember when that album came out, on the Dragonforce forum, our own forum, people just hated it. They said, 'This is terrible. This is the worst DragonForce album ever. The songs are terrible. It's full of video game noises, blah blah blah.' So whatever people say now, I have heard it all.
"It doesn't really matter to me. But it's funny. I think it was a great album. It took it to another level. But I can see every time you do something different, people get a bit pissed off. And then, at the same time, it became really successful because it was different at that time."
Read more at Ultimate-Guitar.com.
