In what’s safe to say a pretty unexpected announcement, power metal juggernaut DragonForce have announced their new frontwoman as Alissa White-Gluz, former singer of Arch Enemy.
Arch Enemy announced the departure of White-Gluz in November last year, ending a 12-year tenure with the band, and promising “big news” to come in 2026. And now, she’s certainly delivered on that promise.
It doesn’t look like White-Gluz’s introduction into the DragonForce brood means the departure of longtime vocalist Marc Hudson, though, as it seems that the pair will serve as co-lead vocalists. Hudson has sung on five DragonForce albums: The Power Within (2012), Maximum Overload (2014), Reaching into Infinity (2017), Extreme Power Metal (2019), and Warp Speed Warriors (2024).
“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,” reads a press release confirming the news.
“Alissa joining the band is an expansion of everything we’ve done up to this point,” says DragonForce co-founder and lead guitarist Herman Li.
“Twenty years is a long time to do anything, let alone survive the music industry and still be so inspired to continue doing what we love. Together we will honor what made Inhuman Rampage matter, while showing people exactly where we’re going next.
“Having Alissa in the room changes everything. She doesn’t just sing, she makes all aspects of our music better. And she sounds incredible live! I can’t wait for the fans to see her and hear what we have been working on.”
“I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians in such a fun and inspiring environment,” says Alissa White-Gluz. “It feels great to showcase all the colours of my voice and utilize all my singing styles in technically challenging, deeply energising, 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.”
After stepping down from Arch Enemy in November, Alissa White-Gluz launched a solo career, recruiting guitarists Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia for her solo band, Blue Medusa. What the new announcement means for Blue Medusa remains to be seen.
DragonForce – with Alissa White-Gluz in tow – are set to perform at two upcoming dates. Check them out at the band’s official website.
Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of Guitar World, Total Guitar, Metal Hammer and MusicRadar.