Alissa White-Gluz joins Dragonforce as first frontwoman
Alissa White-Gluz has joined dragonforce as its new vocalist, giving the band its first frontwoman and third singer overall. The change lands as DragonForce moves into a new era tied to the 20th anniversary of Inhuman Rampage and a two-show launch in May.
Herman Li backs the switch
Herman Li, who formed DragonForce in 1999, said, "Alissa joining the band is an expansion of everything we’ve done up to this point." He added, "Having Alissa in the room changes everything." For a band that has kept the same core identity around speed and spectacle, the move signals a deliberate reset rather than a one-off guest appearance.
Li also said, "Together we will honor what made Inhuman Rampage matter, while showing people exactly where we’re going next." That framing ties the lineup change to the record’s 20th anniversary instead of treating it as a simple personnel update, and it gives the new era a fixed point that long-time listeners can measure against.
May 9 and May 17
The first live tests come quickly: the new-look band is scheduled for Welcome To Rockville on May 9 and Sonic Temple on May 17. Those dates matter because White-Gluz is stepping into a catalog shaped by Marc Hudson, who joined DragonForce in 2011 and appeared on five albums.
White-Gluz said, "I am beyond excited to be bringing such iconic music to life with these amazingly skilled musicians in such a fun and inspiring environment." She added, "I want to keep pushing my boundaries and delivering exceptional music and live experiences to the fans that I cherish so much." That puts the focus on execution, not nostalgia, and it gives the next shows a clear benchmark: whether the switch holds up in front of an audience.
White-Gluz after November
White-Gluz announced her departure from Arch Enemy after 11 years in November, then later unveiled Alyssa Day and Dani Sophia for her solo band, Blue Medusa. Her move to DragonForce makes her the third vocalist in the band’s history and its first frontwoman, a lineup change that pushes the group into new territory without breaking from the catalog it plans to celebrate.
Alicia Vigil joined DragonForce in 2022 after a two-year spell as a touring bassist, so the current lineup has already been adjusted once in recent years. The practical read for listeners is simple: DragonForce is not merely swapping singers, it is presenting a revised identity onstage, and the May festival dates will be the first public measure of how far that shift goes.
