DragonForce

Though video games have proved an enduring muse for all manner of electronic musicians, England’s DragonForce is one only a handful of metal outfits that draws extensively from video-game aesthetics. Named for the acclaimed 1996 war game, the group rips through its power-metal opuses with near unrivaled speed, mirroring those final moments of a timed video-game level when the soundtrack’s tempo accelerates forebodingly. In fact, everything about the band’s sound is so fast, from the blitzing guitar solos to the high-pitched vocals, that the band has fought off accusations of speeding up their recordings in the studio, claims that they happily disprove during their breakneck live performances.