DragonForce have announced a lineup change: Marc Hudson is stepping down from the band’s musical duties because of a problem with tinnitus in his ears. He will not take part in the next album or the 2026 and 2027 tours, but he remains part of the team behind the scenes, working with management on projects that will surface during the year.
Male vocals are being taken over by Alessio Garavello, an old friend of the band and the vocal coach who worked with Hudson. He will support Alissa White-Gluz, who features on vocals on the new material, and the album will be in a dual vocals format, with the first new songs coming very soon.
Guitarist Herman Li dwelt on the reason for the departure: “For fifteen years Marc gave his heart to this band and his voice became part of who we are. Protecting his hearing is not something we would ask him to sacrifice. We would rather he be healthy and with us for years than push it now and risk it. He is still in the room with us every day, just wearing a different hat.”
There is also a personal connection between Garavello and Hudson’s journey. As Sam Totman explained, the choice was a singular one: “Alessio is part of our history more than people realise. He helped shape Marc’s voice, so he knows these songs inside out. But he hasn’t come to be someone else — he brings his own warmth and energy to whatever he sings.”
Hudson was DragonForce’s frontman from 2011 and completed fifteen years at the mic, appearing on several albums of the band’s modern era. The change was announced shortly before the “Inhuman Rampage 20th Anniversary” tour, scheduled for November and December in North America, where DragonForce will play the album in full for the first time.
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