In phrases of steel evolution, few phenomena have left as indelible a mark as Guitar Hero did on a era of steel fans. DragonForce‘s famend axe-wielder Herman Li lately sat down with Metal Hammer, and through the interview, he reminisced concerning the seismic influence this rhythm sport had on the steel scene through the 2000s and early 2010s.

Li spoke fondly of the sport’s affect, and highlighted its pivotal position in catapulting each steel and DragonForce into the limelight: “Guitar Hero was crucial for steel – not only for DragonForce, however all guitar-driven music.”

“With guitar music, the waves come and go; it’s well-liked, then it isn’t well-liked, and it is arduous to say why. However Guitar Hero positively bought a younger era to listen to guitars, and gave them a alternative truly, between what they hear on the radio and what they don’t hear on the radio. Tim Henson [of Polyphia] is an instance from that era; he performed Guitar Hero as a child, and now he is a guitar hero himself!”

So all that fame meant a large paycheck, proper? Nope. Li as soon as revealed on his TikTok that the band solely bought paid round $3,000 for the use of the monitor… and that is earlier than splitting the cash between band members and administration.

“How many hundreds of thousands of {dollars} did I get? Properly, I will inform you this. Guitar Hero truly solely paid a one-off price to make use of the music. So [it was] lower than $3,000. Possibly even much less.”

Li stated that although Dragonforce did not receives a commission a lot, the publicity was enormous for the band. “At the moment, guitar music wasn’t actually that well-liked,” later including “Letting the viewers hear our music and resolve in the event that they prefer it or not was actually particular, as a result of we positively do not play music that matches the radio. You are not gonna hear seven minutes of shredding melodic steel on the radio.”

For DragonForce, the sport was extra than simply a cultural phenomenon; it was a platform that propelled their music to new heights. Tracks like “Via the Hearth and Flames” grew to become legendary throughout the Guitar Hero neighborhood, identified for his or her blistering guitar solos and difficult gameplay.

Different anthems from the band, equivalent to “Fury of the Storm,” “Operation Floor and Pound,” “Heroes of Our Time,” and “Revolution Deathsquad,” additional solidified DragonForce‘s presence within the sport and cemented their standing as icons of the intense energy steel style.

This is to Guitar Hero – the sport that shredded its manner into the hearts of hundreds of thousands and helped change the panorama of steel music for the higher.