In my 62 years of life, besides family and friends, I have three things that help me cope with the stresses and dramas of everyday life. Obviously, MMORPG.com writers are video games. Then there’s comic books and his one of my most passionate loves…music!I always blend these topics to write about comic writers and musicians who incorporate video games into their careers. I wanted to
Luckily, earlier this year, we were able to connect musicians with the idea of a video game.I had the opportunity to interview you, so please read power of the dragonthe Grammy-nominated, London, UK-based extreme power metal band talk about their love of video games and the impact it has on their music.
Any opportunity presents itself
My love of music always falls into the classic metal category. I own 850 of his records and over 3,000 of his CDs, DragonForce’s music is among them. I own DragonForce music, but I’ve never wanted to see them live. Earlier this year my son-in-law bought a meet and greet package ticket and tagged me to meet the band and ask if I would like to see them. Of course, as a music lover, I couldn’t stand it.
I dropped names and threw my position when I met the band members at the pre-show metal express radioand, surprisingly, the singer Mark Hudson I knew our founder. After seeing the band’s show that night, it became clear how much they loved the game. Their stage sets include arcade him machines playing 8-bit games, digitized stage props, and costumes that pay homage to the pixelated era in which many of us grew up. I was. The band frequently incorporates retro game sounds and melodies into their recordings and live shows.
Given my involvement with web-based radio stations, I have done many one-on-one interviews with musicians in the past. After watching DragonForce that night, I thought this might be our chance to talk with musicians about their love of gaming and their musical influences. Thankfully, singer Mark Hudson was web friendly and willing to participate in the ensuing interview. Please enjoy!
Marc Hudson (DragonForce) Interview on Games and Music
MMORPG: Which comes first, do you like games or music?
Mark Hudson: Video games came first. I think I was about 10 years old when I bought my first game console (Super Famicom) for Christmas.came along mario all stars, and I remember playing it all the time.then went to play Zelda: A Link to the Past, star wing When F-Zero I remember blowing my mind!
MMORPGs: Does your love of gaming extend to tabletop and board games?
MH: No, it’s not. I’ve often thought tabletop games sounded fun, but had never tried one myself. I used to draw Warhammer models when I was younger, and that’s important too.
MMORPG: What was the first video game you remember playing? How old were you?
MH: Played before I got my first console Kirby’s dreamland When Castlevania On my friend’s original Game Boy. But my parents didn’t buy it for me at the time.
MMORPG: What is your favorite game genre?
MH: My favorite genre is probably role-playing games, mostly J-RPGs.
MMORPGs: Which video game system do you own and which one do you prefer?
MH: Somehow I managed to get a PS5 a while ago. I have a Switch that I take on tour, and I still play PS Vita.
MMORPG: Any thoughts on VR (virtual reality) games? Have you tried it? do you want
MH: I think it’s cool.I finished resident evil 7 It was probably one of the most hilarious and traumatic video game experiences of my life!
MMORPG: I saw a band live and found out about the band’s songs. elder scrolls skyrim I think that answers the question, what is your favorite video game of all time and why?
MH: i would have to say final fantasy 7There are so many other games I want to play more than that these days, but that game’s story and music hold a special place in my heart.
MMORPG: Are there any other video games that you feel connected to? elder scrolls skyrim?
MH: absolutely!I fall out to the series Elder Scrollsbut the theme of the series is not very “power metal”, so writing the song was easy. skyrimI also love the atmosphere of . Castlevania Games (although I haven’t finished one yet). There is a song called “Dracula X” in my solo album!
MMORPG: What’s the “latest” video game you remember playing?
MH: I played absolute crap from a game called Hunt: ShowdownIt’s the only thing I’ve been playing with lately since I finished persona 5.
MMORPG: What is your proudest moment or achievement in gaming?
MH: I can’t say I’m proud of my achievements in the game. Because it doesn’t look like a real result.My Friend and I Defeated “Ruby’s Weapon” FF7 But only counterattack. Looking back, it was a completely unnecessary flex that I’m still weirdly proud of.
MMORPG: After seeing the band live for the first time on tour last spring, your stage show shows that all or most of DragonForce members share a love of gaming. Obviously guitarists Sam Totman and Herman Lee, and yourself. What about bassist Alicia Vigil and drummer Gee Anzalone?
MH: play a little PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlefield) online on his Twitch channel, not sure about Alicia, but we played a bit warcraft together a while ago.
MMORPG: According to the stage set, DragonForce seems to be a big fan of retro games and retro games. Is this true, or is it simply that this is the most identifiable setting for live settings (arcade machines, 8-bit video, etc.)?
MH: We love retro games, but also because Sam is literally stuck in the 80s and it spills over into everything he does.
MMORPG: Did this shared love of video games help you in any way in joining the band in 2011?
MH: not really. I think that was just one of the commonalities I found out later.
MMORPGs: Clearly, this shared love for gaming must create a special bond between all of you, right?
MH: I do not say so.Sam and I had a bit of a rivalry over who could get the highest score for the original Donkey Kong For a while, but other than that we just play our own songs and don’t talk much about it.
MMORPG: Is someone in the band considered a “gaming guru/expert”? Someone who likes to read current game news and reviews and buy the latest games for the band means
MH: that would be me Herman would say it was him, but it’s not. It’s definitely me.
MMORPG: The latest DragonForce album (Extreme Power Metal) has a song called “The Last Dragonborn”. elder scrolls skyrimGuitarist Sam Totman wrote the lyrics. Given the topic, were you involved in it?
MH: Yes I did. Sam wrote the lyrics with very little playing of the game, so he walked me through the lyrics to help me make sense of it.
MMORPG: Are there any songs inspired by a sequel to “The Last Dragonborn”, such as “Elden Ring”, which makes you feel like a spiritual successor?
MH: I don’t know, but it’s definitely possible. People seem to like the song, and there’s nothing wrong with the idea of making more video game-inspired songs.
MMORPG: You are working on a solo album titled “Starbound Stories”. It’s inspired by that anime, but we already have tracks that inspired it, so we’re taking some of it into the game. CastlevaniaIs this your first solo album? Have you ever written a lot of music and lyrics?
MH: Yes, it’s my first solo album! I wrote a lot of lyrics for DragonForce and most of the songs I was in before that.
MMORPG: Are the guest musicians on your solo album gamers or anime lovers?
MH: Funnily enough, it doesn’t! His Shaz D, a key player, plays the game, and so does Fred. I don’t think many of the people involved in this project watch anime, but they all love catchy anime music!
MMORPG: Are there any other video game-inspired tracks you have planned for your solo album that give you a hint?
MH: There was a song about an Xbox 360 game Lost Odyssey, However, I binned that song because it wasn’t as catchy as the others.
MMORPG: It’s no exaggeration to say that I also like anime art. What is your favorite anime title, book or show? Which inspired the material for your solo album?
MH: To be honest, I love anime and manga art, love music and atmosphere, but I haven’t seen much anime. I’ve seen all the Studio Ghibli movies. cowboy bebopAll of Dragon Ball I played the series and played a lot of JRPGs. I haven’t seen many anime lately.
MMORPG: Who drew the anime artwork you showed? Who drew the blade-wielding art, perhaps on the album cover or featured in your teaser?
MH: The album artwork was created by Shilin Huang, who has her own web comic series. Teaser The artwork for her trailer was from a fan of us who creates art for her. Shout out to Crazy Broccoli for that!
MMORPG: Do you think being a gamer makes you a better musician, or is it totally irrelevant?
MH: not really. If anything, it probably made me a little worse. If I hadn’t been playing Hunt much lately, I would have been a better singer and guitarist.
MMORPG: What’s left on your gaming “to-do list”?
MH: i need to play elden ring When cyber punkApart from that, I would like to finish Yakuza: Like a DragonOh I’m looking forward to Hollow Knight Silksong!
MMORPG: Mark, thank you for taking the time to talk to us, especially during your busy tour. Do you have any closing words for the fans?
MH: Thank you very much! The only thing I should mention is to keep checking my social media pages for updates.starbound story‘! To quote all bands, “BIG NEWS COMING SOON”
