Jumat, 20 Mei 2011

Earthquake Prediction Is this the Right way?

 InilahOleh Billy A. Banggawan | This - Fri, May 20, 2011

   

    Earthquake Prediction Is this the Right way? Enlarge Photo

    
Earthquake Prediction Is this the Right way?
INILAH.COM, Jakarta - An earthquake is an unpredictable disaster that anyone or any instrument. But the scientists found it shocking that might be a predictive tool. What is it?
The atmosphere above the epicenter of Japan and then heated up significantly a few days before the disaster broke.
Before the disaster (11 / 3), total electron content of the atmosphere called the ionosphere increased dramatically just above the epicenter of the earthquake and reached a maximum level of three days before the quake struck.
It is believed, moments before the quake, the pressure on geological plates in the Earth's crust cause large amounts of radon gas out. This radioactive gas that ionizes the air. Then, this gas makes the water molecules in the air condenses into water.
Excessive heat in the form of infrared radiation is recorded takes three days before an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter Scale (SR) rupture.
"The first results on March 8, satellite, infrared radiation emanating quickly," said Dimitar Ouzounov scientists from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland, United States (U.S.).
Considering Japan is a 'hot spot' quake, scientists create the atmosphere and supervisory stations using satellites to measure the state of the atmosphere before earthquakes. Hopefully these findings can be used to predict earthquakes. [Mor]

Minggu, 15 Mei 2011

Facebook "Sang Rival Abadi" Akhirnya Dipermalukan Google


Dari pembahasan sebelumnya yang saya posting dahulu Google Defeated Facebook. Kini Facebook Hacker Cup yang sudah dimulai dari 20 Desember 2010 hingga 11 Januari 2011 lalu secara online, kini sudah melewati finalnya sejak 11 Maret 2011 lalu. Pemenang Facebook Hacker Cup sendiri tidak disangka-sangka diraih oleh fans berat dari perusahaan Google (atau yang biasa disebut Googler). Dan ketika sang pemenang tersebut mengangkat piala di hari Sabtu (12/03) kemarin di markas Facebook, di Palo Alto, laki-laki itu sedang menggunakan badge ID Google.

Dengan melihat bahwa yang menjadi pemenang adalah rival terbesarnya, menurut salah satu Googler, Facebook pasti merasa dipermalukan. Mungkin yang lebih memalukan lagi adalah menerima fakta bahwa Petr mengenakan badge ID Google ketika berpose di depan camera dengan tangan mengangkat piala, tambahnya, seperti yang dikutip dari reddit.

Facebook Hacker Cup merupakan contest coding yang didukung oleh TopCoder. Sebanyak 25 finalis harus membuat coding selama 2 jam, termasuk coder algoritma perusahaan algoritma terumit di dunia, yang ditempati oleh Top Coder. Satu-satunya finalis yang bisa menyelesaikan masalah tersebut adalah Petr Mitrichev, orang Rusia yang menempati peringkat satu di TopCoder.

Singkatnya, kompetisi coding ini digunakan untuk merekrut pegawai. Menurut pengembang Facebook, David Alves, jika ada di antara 25 kontestan yang tertarik bekerja di Facebook, dapat melamar kerja di sana. Untuk Petr Mitrichev, semuanya ada ‘peperangan’ gaji, dan mungkin Facebook juga tidak senang melihat nama Google dalam kontesnya itu.Ini mungkin postingan yang sedikit kaladaluarsa tetapi masih menjadi berita hangat di Dunia Maya.beritanet

Seven Remix Xp

Seven Remix Xp, sebuah program yang berlisensi freeware atau gratis ini memang dirancang untuk merenovasi ulang tampilan Windows XP anda menjadi seperti Windows Seven (7).
Nantinya, seluruh file system dari tampilan (theme interface) seperti icons, gambar, animasi akan digantikan oleh file untuk tampilan (theme) dari Seven Remix XP. Proses penginstallanyapun relatif mudah. Karena kita hanya perlu untuk klik next-next-next langsung jadi. Semuanya akan memproses secara otomatis menambahkan mengganti theme, suara, gaya,
.
Dan program ini dengan sendirinya akan membuat backup dari proses penginstalan tersebut agar nantinya bila Seven Remix XP theme terdapat kerusakan atau error, anda bisa memulihkannya dengan mudah.
Seperti proses penginstallan, proses untuk me-uninstall pun mudah, karena sudah disediakan unistallernya.
Dan kapasitas Software ini saat tulisan ini dibuat sekitar 20 Mb.

Berikut Salah satu Screenshotnya,
Seven Remix XP

Ingin melihat screenshotnya yang lain? silahkan lihat di Softpedia.
Tertarik ingin mencobanya? silahkan download dibawah ini

Biography for Avril Lavigne

Date of Birth
27 September 1984, Belleville, Ontario, Canada 


Birth Name
Avril Ramona Lavigne 


Nickname
Avie 
Av 


Height
5' 1" (1.55 m) 


Mini Biography
Avril Lavigne was born in Belleville, Ontario, Canada on September 27, 1984. At 16, she moved to Manhattan and began work on her debut album. She dropped out of high school after the 11th grade when she secured a record deal. When Avril was almost 18, she released "Complicated" from her debut album titled: "Let Go," which went 6x platinum. As a petite skater girl from a small town, Avril has shown she is independent, full of confidence and determination, providing a good combination to make "Complicated" and Avril a musical breakthrough. "Complicated" went to number #1 on Billboards Top 100 while also earning her 5 Grammy nominations, MTV music awards, MTV European music awards and many more.
IMDb Mini Biography By: Stephanie Koston 


Spouse
Deryck Whibley(15 July 2006 - 16 November 2010) (divorced)


Trade Mark
Bitter lyrics.
Heavy black eyeliner and eyeshadow
Her pink streak


Trivia
One of her songs, "Losing Grip", is about an ex-boyfriend.
Won the 'New Artist in a Video' award for her song 'Complicated' at the 2002 VMA.
Parents are Judy & John Lavigne, French-Canadians.
Her first video, "Complicated", cost over $1 million.
Her younger sister, Michelle Lavigne, appeared in her "SK8R BOI" video.
She has a younger sister, Michelle Lavigne, and an older brother, Matthew E. Levine.
Was orginally pursuing a career in country and folk music, but transitioned into "punk-rock" because of its more lucrative possbilities.
Received 5 Grammy nominations, including 1 for best new artist (2003).
Debut album 'Let Go' is 6x platinum.
Dropped out of high school after the 11th grade when she secured a record deal.
Won 3 MTV Asia Awards for favorite female artist, favorite breakthrough artist & style (2003).
Has been nominated for 6 Juno Awards (2003).
Her CD, "Let Go", was the third best selling album of 2002.
Won four Juno Awards: Single of the Year ("Complicated"), Album of the Year ("Let Go"), New Artist of the Year and Pop Album of the Year.
Announced that her song 'Sk8er Boi' will be turned into a movie.
Her second album is titled "Under My Skin," which has gone 2x platinum.
Has a pizza named after her at a restaurant in her home town, Napanee, Ontario.
381,000 copies were sold of her second album "Under My Skin", making it her 2nd #1 album. According to Nielsen SoundScan, it ended the #1 spot eight- week reign of Usher's "Confessions" album. "Under My Skin" album is also #1 in the UK.
Favorite pizza topping is olives.
The song "Slipped Away" on her second album is about the death of her grandfather.
Wrote the song "Breakaway" which was sung by Kelly Clarkson.
Is the second child out of three in her family.
Is good friends with Pink,Vanessa Carlton, and Fefe Dobson.
Nominated for 3 Grammys: Song Of The Year ("I'm With You"), Best Female Pop Vocal Performance ("I'm With You") & Best Female Rock Vocal Performance ("Losing Grip") (2004).
Avril taught herself the guitar at the age of 12.
Won Favorite Female Singer at the 18th Annual Kid's Choice Awards [April 2005].
2005: Won 3 Juno Awards; Fan Choice Award, Artist of the Year, and Pop Album of the Year ("Under My Skin").
Voted #1 in Teen People's Top Hottest 21 Under 21 List [April 30th - May 1st 2005].
She was kind enough to donate many items to Rocky Stone to be given to less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign 2004.
Decided to perform in Dublin, Ireland the same day her grandfather died. After receiving the news, she knew he would have wanted her to continue on. Although all but breaking down on stage, she continued to perform in his memory.
Became engaged to Deryck Whibley on June 25, 2005.
Writes all of her own songs about her own personal experiences.
Named #36 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2005 list.
Married Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley on July 15th 2006 in an outdoor, non-denominational ceremony at a private estate in Montecito, California. She wore a Vera Wang gown and held a bouquet of white roses. Their first dance was "Iris" by The Goo Goo Dolls.
The menu plate on her wedding reception read "Avril Whibley", implying that she has assumed husband Deryck Whibley's last name in her private life.
Favorite actor is Tobey Maguire and favorite actress is Sandra Bullock.
Natural hair color is brown.
Owns over a 100 pairs of Converse sneakers.
Ranked #15 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2007 list.
Ranked #24 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 of 2008 list.
Spilt from Deryck Whibley in September 2009 and filed for divorce citing "irreconcilable differences" in October 2009.


Personal Quotes
"I liked being a minor because you can't get into trouble. Now I just have to try and behave myself."
"I might look like a tough chick - and I am - but I'm also a hopeless romantic inside."
"Why should I care what other people think of me? I am who I am. And who I wanna be."
"I'd like to be a little more hard-rocking on my next album. But I hate the whole label thing."
People ask me if I regret wasting my last teen years on becoming a singer. You know something? I don't. Because singing is my life. When and if you want something so badly you'll see. I mean, I'm just so blessed to be doing what I love to do and to have been given this opportunity. I thank God because there are so many more talented people out there that will never even come close to getting a record deal.
"To understand me, you have to meet me and be around me. And then only if I'm in a good mood - don't meet me in a bad mood."
"My mom wouldn't let me sing 'Strawberry Wine' because it had 'wine' in it."
"When I was 2 my mom said she knew I was going to be a singer. I've been performing ever since I was a young kid. So I've known I wanted to do this for awhile. I always knew in my heart that I'd be singing."
"I'm just coming out and I'm going to clearly be myself - I write what I feel, I never worry what others think."
I can write a song a day.
"My dream was always to hop up on stage in front of my fans every night and perform."
"Actually, I know for a fact there are some young female artists who don't even sing on their own records and who don't sing live. And that is pathetic." (about lipsynching)


Where Are They Now
(February 2004) Released "Don't Tell Me" from her second album.
(July 2004) Released "My Happy Ending" from her second album.
(October 2004) Released "Nobody's Home" from her second album.
(March 2005) Released the single "He Wasn't" from her 2nd album.
(April 2005) On her "Bonez" tour in Australia and Asia.
(April 2005) Released "Fall to Pieces" from her album "Under My Skin".
(October 2005) Planning her upcoming marriage to Deryck Whibley.
(November 2005) Santa Monica, California.
(March 2007) Released "Girlfriend", her 1st single from her 3rd album, "The Best Damn Thing".
(2009) Appeared in a commercial for "Proactiv" acne skin care.
(February 2009) Released music video "Alice" for Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (2010).
(2010) Appeared in an infomercial, hosted by Melissa Claire Egan, for "Proactiv Solution" acne medication.

byography dani pedrosa

Dani Pedrosa - Biography
MotoGP rider Dani Pedrosa
    Nationality :Spanish
     Birth place: Sabadell
     Birthday: 29.09.1985.
    Team:
    Residence: Castellar Del Valles
    Height: 158
    Weight: 47
    Championship points(2011): 0

 Dani Pedrosa-125ccm biography
As many other famous Motorcycle racers, Dani Pedrosa enjoyed in bikes from early age. Pedrosa got his first morcycle at age of four, and first pocket bike at age of six, riding it for fun with his friends. Daniel (his real name) started racing on minibikes at age of 11, when he entered Spanish Minibike Championship. Dani Pedrosa finished his first season in Spanish minibikes in second position, scoring his first podium finish in his second race of the season. That was the turn-point in his career, when he decided to take racing for serious, and entered same championship in next year, hawing high hopes. However, health problems stopped Pedrosa to win championship in 1997, and he had to settle with 3rd position in championship.

However, motorcycle racing is very expensive sport, and despite his great talent, Dani Pedrosa was on the edge to leave motorcycle racing and move to mountain bikes. At the last moment, he heard about Movistar Activa Cup and decided to give it a try. In a week, Dani learned to ride bikes with gearbox and passed the trials. In his first year, Dani Pedrosa finished in respectable 8th place. Alberto Puig, his current mentor, immediatelly spotted his immense talent and picked him for team. Pedrosa took part of the Spanish Chanmpionship as part of Movistar Junior Team, and finished season in 4th place. Despite finishing behind both of his team-mates in 2000, Pedrosa managed to take 4 pole positions and again he got attention of team-manager, Alberto Puig, who decided that Pedrosa is real man for 125ccm World Championship.
Year 2001 was entry point to world class motorcycle racing for 16 year old Spaniard. In his first year in 125ccm World Championship, Pedrosa twice finished on podium, both times in 3rd place (Spain and Japan). In same year, Dani Pedrosa did not scored in 5 races, and he ended debut season in 8th place with 100 points.
Year 2002 was time for Dani Pedrosa to show more of his potential. In his second 125ccm world championship season, Pedrosa finished championship in third place, fighting for the title with Vincent and Pogiali. In this season, Pedrosa scored 243 points, 30 points less from championship winner, Arnaud Vincent. 2002. was also the year when Pedrosa scored his first victories (Nederlands, Japan and Spain), and finished on podium 9 times. He also took 6 pole positions in 2002. Year 2003 was third and last season for Dani Pedrosa in 125ccm World Championship. In this season, Pedrosa finally won title with 223 points, and did it in style, with two races remaining in championship. As we have seen only one week later, those two weeks were reserve that he needed, as he had terrific crash during practice in Australia, where he broke both his ankles and ended his season. In this year Pedrosa had 5 victories and 6 podium finishes.
Dani Pedrosa-250ccm biography
Dani Pedrosa switched to 250ccm world championship in 2004. Despite slow recovery from injuries he sustained in 2003 in Australia and no proper testing time in of-season, Pedrosa scored victory in first race of the season in South Africa. What was aimed to be season of adaptation to new class soon became total domination of Dani Pedrosa: he won championship with total 317 points, scoring 7 victories and 13 podium finishes. He did not finished only one race, in Spain, and twice finished just outside the podium, in fourth. This year was one when everybody became aware of potential of Dani Pedrosa, and despite offers to move to MotoGP class, Pedrosa decided to stay one more season in 250's.
Despite being main favourite for the title in 2005, this season proved to be hard for young Spanish rider, as he sustained shoulder injuries in Japan, that bothered him until the end of the season. Anyway, Pedrosa once again scored title with two races remaining, once again in Australia. In 2005, Pedrosa scored 309 points, with 8 victories, 3 second places, 3 fourth places, and one race he did not finished.

Dani Pedrosa-MotoGP biography
Fantastic racing talent of Dani Pedrosa caused earthquakes in a year of his move to top class of World Championship, MotoGP. Being protege of Alberto Puig and Telefonica from beggining of his racing career, everyone expected Dani Pedrosa to enter MotoGP class with Telefonica Movistar Honda, but Honda had different plans for young Spanish rider - they wanted him to became factory Honda rider. In order to achieve their goal, Repsol Honda signed Pedrosa before the end of 2005 season, directly causing one of largest sponsors, Telefonica, to retrieve from MotoGP championship. Deal was done and in 2006 Dani Pedrosa became Repsol Honda rider, replacing Max Biaggi.
Once again, Dani Pedrosa execeeded expectations in his debut season, by scoring second place on his debut aboard factory Honda RC211V. In a strange 2006 season, in which class favourite, Valentino Rossi, had lot of problems and bad luck, we did not have to wait too long for Dani Pedrosa to get on the highest podium step - he did that in 4th race of the season, in China, where he also scored maiden pole position.

klitikan solo

Two countries, Cambodia and Thailand, will make Notoharjo Klithikan Market as a pilot project for community-based economic development. Secretary General United Cities and Local Goverments (UCLG) for Asia Pacific, Rudolf Hauter, who have met Solo Mayor Joko Widodo on Friday (21/1) stated that Indonesia became one of the countries selected for review and assessment of community-based economic development based. “And Solo is selected as a pilot project, considering the success in managing the city and relocating street vendors (informal traders) without violence into their attractiveness,” the secretary added.
UCLG team will come to Solo to do a comparative on Notoharjo Klithikan Market in May to September and the results will be applied in the Cambodia and Thailand.

History and Ethnic Relations Indonesia

Emergence of the Nation. Though the Republic of Indonesia is only fifty years old, Indonesian societies have a long history during which local and wider cultures were formed.
About 200 C.E. , small states that were deeply influenced by Indian civilization began to develop in Southeast Asia, primarily at estuaries of major rivers. The next five hundred to one thousand years saw great states arise with magnificent architecture. Hinduism and Buddhism, writing systems, notions of divine kingship, and legal systems from India were adapted to local scenes. Sanskrit terms entered many of the languages of Indonesia. Hinduism influenced cultures throughout Southeast Asia, but only one people are Hindu, the Balinese.
Indianized states declined about 1400 C.E. with the arrival of Muslim traders and teachers from India, Yemen, and Persia, and then Europeans from Portugal, Spain, Holland, and Britain. All came to join the great trade with India and China. Over the next two centuries local princedoms traded, allied, and fought with Europeans, and the Dutch East India Company became a small state engaging in local battles and alliances to secure trade. The Dutch East India Company was powerful until 1799 when the company went bankrupt. In the nineteenth century the Dutch formed the Netherlands Indies government, which developed alliances with rulers in the archipelago. Only at the beginning of the twentieth century did the Netherlands Indies government extend its authority by military means to all of present Indonesia.
Sporadic nineteenth century revolts against Dutch practices occurred mainly in Java, but it was in the early twentieth century that Indonesian intellectual and religious leaders began to seek national independence. In 1942 the Japanese occupied the Indies, defeating the colonial army and imprisoning the Dutch under harsh conditions.
On 17 August 1945, following Japan's defeat in World War II, Indonesian nationalists led by Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta declared Indonesian independence. The Dutch did not accept and for five years fought the new republic, mainly in Java. Indonesian independence was established in 1950.
National Identity. Indonesia's size and ethnic diversity has made national identity problematic and debated. Identity is defined at many levels: by Indonesian citizenship; by recognition of the flag, national anthem, and certain other songs; by recognition of national holidays; and by education about Indonesia's history and the Five Principles on which the nation is based. Much of this is instilled through the schools and the media, both of which have been closely regulated by the government during most of the years of independence. The nation's history has been focused upon resistance to colonialism and communism by national heroes and leaders who are enshrined in street names. Glories of past civilizations are recognized, though archaeological remains are mainly of Javanese principalities.
Ethnic Relations. Ethnic relations in the archipelago have long been a concern. Indonesian leaders recognized the possibility of ethnic and regional separatism from the beginning of the republic. War was waged by the central government against separatism in Aceh, other parts of Sumatra, and Sulawesi in the 1950s and early 1960s, and the nation was held together by military force.
The relationships between native Indonesians and overseas Chinese have been greatly influenced by Dutch and Indonesian government policies. The Chinese number about four to six million, or 3 percent of the population, but are said to control as much as 60 percent of the nation's wealth. The Chinese traded and resided in the islands for centuries, but in the nineteenth century the Dutch brought in many more of them to work on plantations or in mines. The Dutch also established a social, economic, and legal stratification system that separated Europeans, foreign Asiatics and Indo-Europeans, and Native Indonesians, partly to protect native Indonesians so that their land could not be lost to outsiders. The Chinese had little incentive to assimilate to local societies, which in turn had no interest in accepting them.
Even naturalized Chinese citizens faced restrictive regulations, despite cozy business relationships between Chinese leaders and Indonesian officers and bureaucrats. Periodic violence directed toward Chinese persons and property also occurred. In the colonial social system, mixed marriages between Chinese men and indigenous women produced half-castes ( peranakan ), who had their own organizations, dress, and art forms, and even newspapers. The same was true for people of mixed Indonesian-European descent (called Indos, for short).
Ethnolinguistic groups reside mainly in defined areas where most people share much of the same culture and language, especially in rural areas. Exceptions are found along borders between groups, in places where other groups have moved in voluntarily or as part of transmigration programs, and in cities. Such areas are few in Java, for example, but more common in parts of Sumatra.
Religious and ethnic differences may be related. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, and many ethnic groups are exclusively Muslim. Dutch policy allowed proselytization by Protestants and Catholics among separate groups who followed traditional religions; thus today many ethnic groups are exclusively Protestant or Roman Catholic. They are heavily represented among upriver or upland peoples in North Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and the eastern Lesser Sundas, though many Christians are also found in Java and among the Chinese. Tensions arise when groups of one religion migrate to a place with a different established religion. Political and economic power becomes linked to both ethnicity and religion as groups favor their own kinsmen and ethnic mates for jobs and other benefits.

Jumat, 13 Mei 2011

Dragonforce - Through The Fire And Flames Lyrics

On a cold winter morning, in the time before the light,
In flames of death's eternal reign, we ride towards the fight.
When the darkness has fallen down, and the times are tough alright.
The sound of evil laughter falls around the world tonight.

Fighting hard, fighting on for the steel, through the wastelands evermore,
The scattered souls will feel the hell, bodies wasted on the shore.
On the blackest plains in Hell's domain, we watch them as they go,
In fire and pain now once again we know...

So now we fly ever free, we're free before the thunderstorm,
On towards the wilderness, our quest carries on.
Far beyond the sundown, far beyond the moonlight,
Deep inside our hearts and all our souls...

So far away we wait for the day,
For the lights all so wasted and gone;
We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days-
Through the fire and the flames we carry on!

As the red day is dawning, and the lightning cracks the sky,
They'll raise their hands to the heavens above with resentment to their eyes.
Running back from the midmorning light, there's a burning in my heart
We're banished from a time in a fallen land, to a life beyond the stars.

In your darkest dreams see to believe, our destiny is time,
And endlessly we'll all be free tonight...!

And on the wings of a dream, so far beyond reality;
All alone in desperation, now the time has come.
Lost inside you'll never find, lost within my own mind,
Day after day this misery must go on!

So far away we wait for the day,
For the lives all so wasted and gone,
We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days,
Through the fire and the flames we carry on!

Now here we stand with their blood on our hands.
We fought so hard now can we understand?
I'll break the seal of this curse if I possibly can.
For freedom of every man!

So far away we wait for the day,
For the lives all so wasted and gone,
We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days,
Through the fire and the flames we carry on!

Muse- Hysteria

Intro 
Bass : Am E Dm Am (2x) 

A E Dm Am 

Am E 
It's bugging me, Grating me 
Dm Am 
And twisting me around 

Am E 
Yeah I'm endlessly,caving in 
Dm Am 
And turning inside out 

Reff : 
C 
'Cause I want it now 
G Dm 
I want it now 
Am 
Give me your heart and your soul 
C 
And I'm breaking out 
G Dm 
I'm breaking out 
E 
Last chance to lose control 

Interlude : Am E Dm Am (1x) 

Am E 
It's holding me, morphing me 
Dm Am 
And forcing me to strive 
Am E 
To be endlessly, cold within 
Dm Am 
And dreaming I'm alive 

Reff 2 : 
C 
'Cause I want it now 
G Dm 
I want it now 
Am 
Give me your heart and your soul 
C 
And I'm breaking out 
G Dm 
I'm breaking out 
Am 
Last chance to lose control 

Interlude : E (4x) 
Melody : Am E Dm Am (2x) 
C G Dm Am (2x) 

Reff 3 : 
C 
And I want you now 
G Dm 
I want you now 
Am 
I feel my heart implode 
C 
And I'm breaking out 
G Dm 
Escaping now 
Am 
Feeling my faith erode 

Ending : E (6x) 

Encoded by Denny Ariely

Selasa, 10 Mei 2011

biography dragon force

THE BAND
Marc Hudson – Lead vocals
Herman Li – Lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals, production
Sam Totman – Lead and rhythm electric guitars, backing vocals, production
Vadim Pruzhanov – Keyboards, piano, theremin, kaos pad, backing vocals
Dave Mackintosh – Drums, backing vocals
Fr̩d̩ric Leclercq РBass, backing vocals, extreme brutal vocals

UK based metal heroes DRAGONFORCE have announced that their long search for a new vocalist is finally over. After entries from thousands of hopefuls across the globe, the band welcomes 23 year old Marc Hudson to the band to fill the boots left by ZP Theart, who parted ways with the band in March of last year.
“I’m really excited about being a part of the DragonForce family.” Says Marc. “It’s always been my dream to dedicate my life to making music. I’m going to bring all the power and emotion I can to the songs, and help make the killer new record the fans have been waiting for!”
Born in Oxford England, Marc was picked from the thousands of applications via a number of impressive video auditions and live performances, which left the rest of the band in no doubt that they’d found their man. Since the age of 16, Marc has been building his vocal skills gigging with bands in the UK underground scene, developing a powerful style with influences which include Bruce Dickinson, Michael Kiske and Sebastian Bach. Says founding member and guitarist Herman Li:
“After almost a year of searching around the globe, it’s great to be able to finally tell our fans the good news. Marc’s expressive and melodic vocals are sounding phenomenal on the new songs, adding another dimension to the DragonForce sound that I am sure all the fans will love.”
The band has been working on a new album since early 2010, recording in various studios in California, London and the South of France. The follow up to 2008’s hugely successful “Ultra Beatdown” album will be highly anticipated, with top 10 and top 20 chart positions all over the world and a Grammy Nomination in the United States setting the precedent. With Marc brought into the fold, the band is enjoying an injection of enthusiasm and hunger that sees DRAGONFORCE prepared to return more focused and determined than ever before.
“Everyone in the band is extremely excited about how the new material is shaping up.” continues Herman. “We haven’t felt this kind of energy in the band for a long time. We can’t wait to unleash the next DragonForce album later this year.”
The new album is expected to hit the shelves in September, with a full world tour to follow.
Previous…

ULTRA BEATDOWN PERIOD
Every year there are albums eagerly anticipated, be it from hot young names, established legends or – and this is usually the most exciting of all the categories – those bands you know are on the verge of greatness.
As DragonForce, the multi-national talent based in London, prepared to release their fourth album at the end of August 2008, nobody who understands the world of metal can have any doubt that ‘Ultra Beatdown’ (as the record is called) was most certainly being awaited with a real sense that we are about to witness a band going from being ‘potential international stars’ to becoming a ‘major global phenomenon’. “Every album is different for us,” says guitarist Herman Li. “We never want to repeat what’s done before and that makes each record we do that little bit more difficult. On this one, we rejected so much because it was going over old ground. We’d heard it before. We’re not a band who get stuck with a formula and are just content to repeat the same thing over and over again.”
‘Ultra Beatdown’ had three hard acts to follow. If ‘Valley Of The Damned’ established the sextet’s fearless credentials in 2003, then ‘Sonic Firestorm’ (’04) and ‘Inhuman Rampage’ (’06) each took them further forward. In fact, the last named has now sold in excess of 350,000 copies in America alone, over 85,000 in the UK and 600,000 worldwide, spawning the US Gold single ‘Through The Fire And Flames’, thereby giving DragonForce the cachet of being the most successful new British metal act in America for two decades! However, the ‘Force are not a band to feel the impact of any undue outside influences. All the demands come from within the tight-knit group of Li, fellow guitarist Sam Totman, vocalist ZP Theart, keyboard player Vadim Pruzhanov, bassist Frederic Leclercq and drummer Dave Mackintosh. Like all the great bands you care to mention, the pressure is internal and eternal, always pushing the band to improve and develop. “You’ll find, for instance, that on ‘Ultra Beatdown’ we’ve been more varied in our pacing of songs” continues Li. “I’m not suggesting for a moment that we’ve really slowed right down but, whereas in the past, you could say that things were fast all the way through, this time we made a real effort to be a little less frenetic throughout. I believe the approach works extremely well.”
One thing DragonForce have always been good at delivering are songs with a tremendous melodic depth. Whatever other qualities they have – and there are plenty – it’s this trait that long ago marked them out as a class apart from many of their peers. Name any giant of the genre over the past 40 years or so, and they’ve always possessed the ability to compose a cunning tune or several. The same applies here. “There have been people who believe all we do is play fast. But to me, the most important part of any song is the melody. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but also feel this time it’s on a new level. Merely being fast isn’t enough to get you noticed and respected.”
The process in creating the new album began an amazing 2 years ago, when the first ideas were thought through. Studio work began to get into the groove October 2007, with a brief break at the end of that year for The Black Crusade European Tour. “We didn’t ever feel as if there was a time scale involved here. We just did whatever it took to make this the best album of our career to date. The way we’ve always done things means that what is written and demoed in the first place is rarely what we end up with in the studio. Our songs develop, evolve and change as we go along. It makes the studio an interesting place, because we’ll come up with new ideas all the time. Lyrically, we’re taking a look at life and what goes on in the world, but doing this in the usual DragonForce way!”
The new record is once again produced by the tried and trusted team of Li, Totman and Karl Groom of British prog metalheads Threshold, basing themselves at both Li’s studio and Thin Ice Studios in Surrey, where Groom does much of his work. The two guitarists have been involved with all production since the first album along with Groom since their first demo. “Our attitude is: why change what works for us? No producer could know better than the team of Herman Li, Sam Totman and Karl Groom what this band should sound like. If we had someone else as producer, then all we’d do is argue constantly, and then ignore them anyway! So, it would be a waste of everyone’s time. The day we bring in another producer will be the day that we have no ideas at all, and need help…actually, when that day arrives we’d split up! What would be point of continuing when we’re past our peak?”
‘Ultra Beatdown’ is the album that has taken DragonForce to new heights. Crashing in to the Top 20 national album charts in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Taiwan, Singapore and the Top 10 in Japan and the band have just been nominated for a Grammy Award. It’s not merely the culmination of a decade crafting and finessing a sound that has made them instantly recognizable across the world. It’s not even state-of-the-art for metal, nor just a gantlet being thrown down for everyone else. This is more than that. It’s DragonForce beating a difficult, yet ultimately satisfying, path. Experimenting, taking risks, being bold – precisely what you’d expect any masters of their art.
“Is this the peak of our career? I don’t think so,” insists Li. “But it’s a further step forward. Hey, I can actually listen to what we’ve done here, and enjoy the experience!”
Updated: 9th March 2010
It is with great regret that DragonForce announce a parting of the ways with singer ZP Theart. This is due to insurmountable differences of musical opinion but the rest of the band sincerely wish ZP great success with his future projects.
While the creative core members have begun writing the fifth album, they have also started a worldwide search for a new vocalist. “We are looking for a powerful melodic singer, to write a new chapter of DragonForce with us.” said guitarist Herman Li.