Pop-metallers Dragonforce produce speedy, majestic and ridiculous opuses — no song lands under five minutes, so bring a lunch if you plan on listening to this. Less wacky than Coheed and Cambria, but without the bite of harder-edged metal, this is perfectly played stuff that veers between blasting drums and quiet, sweeping keyboard moments — sometimes getting rather spastic, as in “Reasons to Live.” It’s soaring and creative, but not quite heavy enough for me. I did put it through a crucial test: when I played Final Fantasy VII using Ultra Beatdown as the musical score, it was appropriate and rad. Yet outside of the videogame atmosphere, I’m not sure how much inspirational, wanky bombast I can take.

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