DragonForce have announced Arch Enemy and The Agonist vocalist Alissa White-Gluz as the band’s first female frontwoman as they launch celebrations for the 20th anniversary of Inhuman Rampage and prepare their next studio album.
by Paul Cashmere
DragonForce have entered a major new chapter with the announcement that Alissa White-Gluz has joined the British extreme power metal pioneers as co-lead vocalist alongside longtime singer Marc Hudson.
The lineup change arrives as the band prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of Inhuman Rampage, the breakthrough 2005 album that transformed DragonForce from underground cult favourites into one of heavy metal’s most globally recognised modern acts. The anniversary celebrations begin with performances at Welcome To Rockville in Florida on May 9 and Sonic Temple on May 17, the first live appearances featuring White-Gluz as an official member.
For DragonForce, the timing is significant. Two decades after Inhuman Rampage delivered the platinum-selling anthem ‘Through The Fire And Flames’, the band is again repositioning itself at a moment when heavy music continues to evolve beyond traditional genre boundaries. The addition of White-Gluz introduces a vocalist whose career has crossed melodic death metal, symphonic metal and progressive heavy music, broadening the band’s already expansive sound.
Guitarist Herman Li described the decision as a natural progression for the group.
“Alissa joining the band is an expansion of everything we’ve done up to this point,” Li said. “Twenty years is a long time to do anything, let alone survive the music industry and still be so inspired to continue doing what we love.”
Li said the band intends to celebrate the legacy of Inhuman Rampage while simultaneously moving its sound forward.
“Together we will honor what made Inhuman Rampage matter, while showing people exactly where we’re going next,” he said. “Having Alissa in the room changes everything. She doesn’t just sing, she makes all aspects of our music better.”
The move formally elevates White-Gluz from collaborator to full-time member after her appearance on the reworked version of ‘Burning Heart’ from 2024’s Warp Speed Warriors. Her arrival also marks the first time DragonForce has operated with two lead vocalists as permanent members.
White-Gluz said the role allows her to explore the full technical range of her voice inside DragonForce’s demanding arrangements.
“I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians in such a fun and inspiring environment,” she said. “It feels great to showcase all the colours of my voice and utilize all my singing styles in technically challenging, deeply energizing, highly addictive songs.”
The Canadian vocalist arrives with one of the strongest résumés in modern metal. Beyond her years fronting Arch Enemy and earlier work with The Agonist, White-Gluz has collaborated with Kamelot and numerous international artists across multiple heavy music subgenres. Over more than 20 years she has amassed an extensive touring history exceeding 2,000 performances worldwide.
DragonForce’s own catalogue has become one of the most commercially successful in contemporary power metal. Formed in London in 1999 by guitarists Herman Li and Sam Totman, the band initially emerged from the UK underground scene under the name DragonHeart before changing to DragonForce in 2002.
Their early albums Valley Of The Damned and Sonic Firestorm established the hyper-speed guitar harmonies and fantasy-driven songwriting that became their trademark, but it was Inhuman Rampage that shifted the band into mainstream visibility. The album’s centrepiece, ‘Through The Fire And Flames’, became a global phenomenon after its inclusion in Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock, exposing the band to millions of gamers and younger listeners outside traditional metal audiences.
The track remains one of the defining crossover moments between heavy music and gaming culture. Its impossible-to-master reputation inside the game helped establish DragonForce as a viral name well before social media transformed music discovery. The song later achieved Gold certification and helped push Inhuman Rampage onto the Billboard 200 for 23 consecutive weeks.
Over the years DragonForce have continued expanding their audience through connections with gaming and pop culture. Their music has appeared in Fortnite Festival, Brawl Stars, Asphalt Legends and the animated film Despicable Me 4. The band has also toured with Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slipknot and Ozzy Osbourne while earning a Grammy nomination for ‘Heroes Of Our Time’ in 2009.
The appointment of White-Gluz also reflects broader changes across heavy music where female performers increasingly occupy headline creative positions within traditionally male-dominated genres. Acts including Arch Enemy, Nightwish and Jinjer have demonstrated how audiences have embraced technically complex heavy music fronted by women without the novelty factor that once dominated industry discussion.
DragonForce now appears positioned to capitalise on both legacy and reinvention. The band has confirmed that its 10th studio album is already in development, with additional touring plans expected to be announced in coming months.
For a group that built its reputation on relentless speed and technical excess, the arrival of Alissa White-Gluz signals that DragonForce remains committed to evolution rather than nostalgia alone. Twenty years after Inhuman Rampage changed the trajectory of the band, DragonForce are again rebuilding their identity for a new generation of metal fans.
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