In their new video Strangers, Dragonforce go full 80s glam excess with a wink to the camera style that not many bands could pull off. Taken from their 2019 release Extreme Power Metal, the track goes hand-in-hand with its video that really celebrates the fun at the core of the band.
Showcasing the bands self-aware nature, Strangers captures glam metal cheese in the most Dragonforce way possible. Directed by Roboshobo, the video even features guitars donated by Steve Vai from the Whitesnake and David Lee Roth eras.
Guitarist Herman Li broke down the video and its creation:“This video takes place in the same ’80s world as our last video (‘Troopers of the Stars’), with the same cast and the same director. When Roboshobo pitched the concept, I was immediately into it. I’m a huge fan of the glam rock-era of music – I love the showmanship, the guitar solos, and the endearing cheesiness. And the players of that time were amazing, like Steve Vai, Warren Di Martini, and Reb Beach; I think sometimes the playing gets lost, and people just remember the crazy outfits. So, this video is a loving tribute to that era – while also being authentic…
“Roboshobo told us to get some cool-looking guitars to fit the theme of the video, and the night before the shoot, I was panicking because we still hadn’t found any. So, I texted Steve Vai and told him we were doing a glam rock video. He said, ‘come on over’, and when I got there, he had pulled out THE guitars he used with Whitesnake and David Lee Roth. I remember seeing these guitars in magazines as a kid, so it was incredible to get to use them on set – I almost cried when he handed them to me!
“Besides the guitars, I think we all looked really hunky in our costumes, especially our hair! For a minute, I was even considering getting a perm…I know people may think we’re not taking ourselves seriously enough, but I think given the state of the world, sometimes it’s just nice to kick back and have a laugh with your mates. That was definitely the vibe on set – we could barely keep a straight face watching the playback.”
Watch the video for Strangers:
After having their touring cycle for Extreme Power Metal cut short, Dragonforce have announced that they will be returning to the USA and Canada in March to finish off the cycle in even bigger fashion than before.
“DragonForce shows always feel like a party,” Li says. “We’re so excited to come back to the USA and Canada. We’ve spent the last year making our live show even more epic and insane than ever before, and we can’t wait for everyone to see the craziness we have planned.”
