Maximum Overload | ||||
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Studio album by DragonForce | ||||
Released | 18 August 2014 19 August 2014 (North America) |
(Europe)|||
Recorded | July 2013-March 2014 at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden | |||
Genre | Power metal, speed metal, thrash metal | |||
Length |
49:33 76:14 (Special Edition) |
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Label |
earMUSIC (Europe) Metal Blade Records (North America) 3Wise (Australia) JVC Victor (Japan) |
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Producer | Jens Bogren | |||
DragonForce chronology | ||||
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Singles from Maximum Overload | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 71/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | |
Alternative Press | |
Blabbermouth.net | |
Exclaim | |
The Guardian | |
Kerrang! |
Maximum Overload is the sixth studio album by British power metal band DragonForce, which was released in Europe on 18 August 2014, and in North America the next day. Japanese-American singer Matt Heafy (Trivium, Capharnaum) contributed vocals on 3 songs: "Defenders", "No More" and "The Game".
The album was produced by Jens Bogren, marking the first time the band decided not to record in their own studio and with an outside producer. The album was released in three versions: standard physical or digital CD, special edition physical or digital CD (with five bonus tracks and a bonus DVD), and vinyl.
It is also the last DragonForce album with drummer Dave Mackintosh, who announced his departure from the band on 3 June 2014, and was subsequently replaced by Gee Anzalone.
The album saw guitarist Sam Totman co-writing songs with bassist Frédéric Leclercq who, due to his thrash and prog tastes, expects the album to sound "a bit more diverse".
Guitarist Herman Li explained that the album's title and artwork were inspired by "the constant bombardment of information we are subjected to during our daily lives":
Totman said it also reflected the musical direction of the album:
On 18 June 2014, German label Ear Music released the official video of the opening track "The Game" which featured new drummer, Gee Anzalone, as Dave Mackintosh had departed before the video was made. The song also features Heafy's vocals. Herman Li recorded the solos of both this song and "City of Gold" aboard Zoltan Bathory's yacht, off the coast of Los Angeles. Inspired by Sepultura's Beneath the Remains and Slayer's Reign in Blood, "The Game" is the fastest song ever performed by the band at 240 bpm, a record they had already broken in the previous album with "Fallen World".