With a live show described cripplingly over the top as well, as having the most difficult Guitar Hero track of all time in Through The Fire & Flames, DragonForce are a band that demand respect. With their new album titled Ultra Beatdown, I’m more than happy to give it to them.

“We just thought it almost sounded like a video game,” Vadim Pruzhanov, the insane keytar-wielding piano man of the band, tells me. “The album itself we were really happy with, I think it’s the best thing we’ve done so far. We recorded it in 5.1 surround so you can have your cinema surround sound system and you’ll be surrounded by power metal. DragonForce will be giving you the Ultra Beatdown from all over the place – it’s going to be sick, man.”

Despite having a name that conjures up an image of a broadsword-wielding warrior of old, Vad is one of the most down to earth and friendly people I’ve ever had the good grace to talk to. “We love meeting fans,” he explains, “because when we look at them we see ourselves at their age. We’re just like grown up versions of our fans; we’re power metal fans just like them.” There is none of the jaded cynicism you’d expect of a metal lord of his standing – he’s just so incredibly stoked to be doing what he’s doing.

The inclusion of Through The Fire & Flames on Guitar Hero III is a fairly natural progression for the band and Vad, who is well known for his video game-esque keyboard solos. “As a band, we were influenced by video game music, because back in like Zelda and Mario days there was only a midi soundtrack. There wasn’t any audio – like proper audio you get nowadays. Back then there were just simple sounds making really catchy music. So yeah, we thought we could produce music that’s as catchy as that pretty much, but with more instruments. With more everything!”

I ask him about the possibility of a DragonForce video game. “Yeah, I think it’d be really cool if it had six of us you can choose from, and we could all have like individual special powers. Herman’s character could produce some sort of guitar sound, or my character could scissor kick, and we be just running around killing shit, that’s be awesome,” he says at an incredible velocity.

The band is famous for its ability to play incredible music while drinking onstage. “To be honest, it doesn’t really make a lot of difference because we learn the songs to the point where our brain just sort of tells our fingers to play the instrument almost automatically, and when you drink it just loosens you up a bit. But people like Sam Totman, guitarist], they drink every single day on tour, and they can get away with it. If I get drunk one night, the following day I’m going to be feeling hungover, but I do get drunk.

“Sam usually gets drunk like three or four hours before the gig. [It’s] his warm-up for the show, and he carries on drinking after the show. I mean, we’re not alchos or anything. When the tour is over, no one really drinks. I mean, sometimes we do go out, but you know it’s all sort of easy-going.”

I’m listening with great interest as he justifies his drinking, imagining him getting up in an Alcoholics Anonymous and telling stories like, “I used to do the thing where I would get so bored, not of the gig, but bored of playing the same thing, and the excitement was going because I knew every song really well and was playing songs like note for note, and I was just thinking fuck man, and I just started drinking on stage, you know like downing beers and stuff, and it gives a sort of edge, you never know if you’re going to fuck up or not, and even if you almost fuck up it gives you a moment of excitement, like ‘wow shit man,’ you’re more aware of what’s happening.”

I grill him about his worst onstage fuck-ups, and I’m met by a quite giggle across the phone line. “It’s a pretty funny story actually. What happened was I had to go for a dump during one of the songs. I think it was like Soldiers Of The Wasteland, it was the middle section and I was like completely shitting myself. I ended up having to go take a shit on the side of the stage, and yeah, that was pretty brutal. The band could see it and everyone else could see it, I was killing myself. But Sam’s usually the worst because he’s the most wasted,” he adds. “He used to try get his cock out on stage, and we stop him doing that.”

All the shenanigans aside, DragonForce are consummate performers with a legendary reputation for acrobatic and ball-blistering performances. “We do a lot of random stuff – like we jump in the crowd and stuff, it’s a bit crazy. When we perform we try to bring that atmosphere of living for the day as if there’s no tomorrow. You know, let yourself go, and every time we hit the stage we don’t care what happens. We hurt ourselves, we get bruises, fall over, sometimes the keys fall over, but it doesn’t matter. We just let ourselves go and have fun.”

“But it’s going to be cool because we’re coming to Australia in mid-October,” he concludes. “We’re going to burn some hair, party hard and pass out.” I for one can’t fucking wait.

Dragonforce will rip it up at the following venues:

Wed Oct 22 – Perth, Metropolis Fremantle
Fri Oct 24 – Adelaide, HQ (Lic/AA)
Sat Oct 25 – Melbourne, Forum Theatre
Mon Oct 27 – Brisbane, Tivoli Theatre
Tue Oct 28 – Sydney, The Metro (Lic/AA)