DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li commented: “For the last fifteen years, Marc has poured his heart into this band, and his voice has become such a huge part of who we are. Protecting his hearing isn’t something we’d ever ask him to compromise on. We’d much rather have him healthy and with us for the long haul than push through now and risk that. He’s still in the room with us every day, just wearing a different hat, and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

Added DRAGONFORCE guitarist Sam Totman: “When we started talking about who could step in, there was really only one name on the list. Alessio has been part of our story longer than most people realize. He helped shape Marc‘s voice in the first place, so he understands these songs from the inside. But he’s not here to be anyone but himself, and he brings his own warmth and energy to everything he sings. Hearing him on the new material has lit a real spark in all of us, and we think you’re going to love him as much as we do.”

DRAGONFORCE has announced Alissa White-Gluz as the group’s newest member and first frontwoman, earlier this year. In a momentous union of two storied and unstoppable forces, the preeminent pioneers of extreme power metal will now be joined by one of metal’s legendary vocalists, unleashing both an intrepid evolution of the genre and the start of a seismic year ahead.

On her new partnership with DRAGONFORCE, and pairing her vocal prowess with the band’s time-warping precision and live show spectacle, Alissa says, “I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians in such a fun and inspiring environment. It feels great to showcase all the colors of my voice and utilize all my singing styles in technically challenging, deeply energizing, highly addictive songs. I am so thankful for the amazing support I have been lucky enough to receive from the metal world over this wild career I’ve built; I want to keep pushing my boundaries and delivering exceptional music and live experiences to the fans that I cherish so much.”

Beginning this Saturday, May 9, at Welcome To Rockville, and Sunday, May 17 at Sonic Temple, DRAGONFORCE‘s debut live performances with White-Gluz will also kick off the twentieth anniversary of “Inhuman Rampage”. As the 2006 album that birthed the platinum-selling global phenomenon of “Through The Fire And Flames”, which spent 23 consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold, “Inhuman Rampage” introduced the band and their music to tens of millions of new fans and counting. With extensive touring plans to be revealed, and a tenth studio album currently in the works, DRAGONFORCE are bringing more listeners than ever into this next chapter of their eternally joyous, adrenaline-filled journey.

See Alissa tease “Through The Fire And Flames” in the video below.