DRAGONFORCE vocalist Marc Hudson is stepping back from recording and touring with the power-metal giants due to an ongoing battle with tinnitus, with longtime friend and former vocal coach Alessio Garavello stepping in for the band’s forthcoming album and 2026/2027 touring plans.
This is one of those occasions where the obvious thing matters more than keeping the machine moving.
Protect the musician first.
After around 15 years behind the microphone for DRAGONFORCE, Marc Hudson is temporarily stepping away from the musical side of the band as he continues dealing with tinnitus.
Importantly, this isn’t being presented as Hudson leaving DRAGONFORCE altogether.
He will remain involved behind the scenes, working with the band and its management while focusing on his health.
Meanwhile, DRAGONFORCE already know who will take his place.
And he’s hardly a stranger.
🖤 Marc Hudson Is Stepping Back ‘For Now’
The band confirmed that Hudson will not participate in the forthcoming DRAGONFORCE album or the band’s planned 2026 and 2027 touring activity.
The reason is an ongoing issue with tinnitus.
Rather than risk aggravating a condition directly connected to something as fundamental to a musician as hearing, Hudson and the band have decided that stepping away is the sensible course.
And frankly?
Good.
There is absolutely no album, tour or festival slot worth permanently damaging somebody’s hearing for.
👂 Tinnitus Can Be A Huge Problem For Musicians
Tinnitus is commonly experienced as ringing, buzzing, humming or other persistent sounds that don’t originate from an external source.
For musicians, it can be particularly challenging.
Years of:
Amplifiers.
Drums.
In-ear monitoring.
Rehearsals.
Soundchecks.
Studio sessions.
Festivals.
And standing approximately three feet away from Herman Li playing guitar at ludicrous speed…
…can place enormous demands on hearing.
Tinnitus varies considerably from person to person, and Hudson’s individual medical circumstances are his own.
What matters here is that the problem has become significant enough for him to stop recording and performing for the time being.
🎤 Hudson’s Voice Has Defined Modern DRAGONFORCE
Marc Hudson joined DRAGONFORCE in 2011, following the departure of original vocalist ZP Theart.
That was not an easy job to inherit.
DRAGONFORCE songs require a genuinely ridiculous vocal range.
Huge choruses.
Long notes.
High notes.
Higher notes.
And occasionally notes that appear to require prior permission from local air-traffic control.
Hudson stepped into that world and gradually made the position his own.
Over the following 15 years, his voice became inseparable from the modern DRAGONFORCE sound.
🔥 A Major Chapter In The Band’s History
Hudson’s tenure covered albums including:
The Power Within
Maximum Overload
Reaching Into Infinity
Extreme Power Metal
and Warp Speed Warriors.
Those records saw DRAGONFORCE continue expanding beyond their early reputation as the band responsible for Through The Fire And Flames.
They experimented.
They embraced humour.
They became increasingly connected with gaming culture.
And live shows grew into wonderfully ridiculous celebrations of power metal involving enormous stage production, arcade-inspired visuals and enough guitar solos to frighten the local fretboard population.
Hudson was at the centre of all of it.
🎙️ Alessio Garavello Steps In
Taking over the male vocal role is Alessio Garavello.
Power-metal fans should recognise that name immediately.
Garavello is particularly well known from his time fronting Power Quest, and he also has a long-standing relationship with DRAGONFORCE.
In fact, the connection runs deeper than simply finding an available singer.
Garavello was previously Marc Hudson’s vocal coach.
That’s quite the succession plan.
The bloke helping you develop your singing eventually ends up covering your singing.
Metal works in mysterious ways.
🤝 Garavello Has Already Helped DRAGONFORCE Before
This isn’t a completely unknown singer walking into the rehearsal room and being handed Through The Fire And Flames while everyone wishes him luck.
Garavello has previously stepped in for Hudson during DRAGONFORCE performances, including appearances in 2016 and 2023.
That familiarity matters.
He understands the material.
He understands the musicians.
And more importantly, the band clearly already trusts him.
Guitarist Sam Totman has indicated that when the band began discussing who could handle the role, Garavello was the obvious choice.
⚡ He Won’t Be Trying To Become Marc Hudson
That’s an important distinction.
Replacing somebody temporarily doesn’t mean impersonating them.
Hudson has his own voice.
Garavello has his.
The most interesting version of this next chapter will be one where Alessio respects the existing material while bringing his own character to it.
And given his power-metal background?
He’s certainly not walking into unfamiliar musical territory.
Fast guitars and enormous choruses?
He’ll probably find his way around.
🔥 Alissa White-Gluz Is Part Of DRAGONFORCE’s New Vocal Setup
There is another major element to this story.
Former ARCH ENEMY vocalist Alissa White-Gluz became part of DRAGONFORCE’s new chapter earlier in 2026.
With Garavello now handling the male vocal role, the forthcoming DRAGONFORCE album will use a dual-vocal format.
That immediately makes the next record one of the most intriguing releases in the band’s career.
Alissa’s famously powerful approach combined with Garavello’s melodic power-metal vocals opens up an enormous number of possibilities.
Clean singing.
Aggressive vocals.
Trading lines.
Layered choruses.
Call-and-response sections.
Or all of the above arriving at approximately 200 beats per minute.
Because DRAGONFORCE.
💿 The Forthcoming Album Is Still Moving Ahead
Hudson stepping back does not mean DRAGONFORCE are putting the next record on hold.
Garavello will contribute vocals to the forthcoming album alongside White-Gluz, with the band preparing to begin unveiling new music.
That means fans won’t have long to wait before hearing how this new vocal configuration actually sounds.
And that is going to be fascinating.
DRAGONFORCE have never been particularly interested in quietly repeating themselves forever.
The new lineup gives them another opportunity to shake up the formula.
🎸 Herman Li Makes The Band’s Priorities Clear
Guitarist Herman Li has emphasised the importance of Hudson protecting his hearing.
After 15 years of having Marc at the centre of DRAGONFORCE, the priority is keeping him healthy rather than pressuring him to continue working through a problem that could become worse.
That is exactly the attitude you want from a band.
Rock and metal history contains far too many stories of musicians pushing through serious physical problems because:
“The tour has to continue.”
Sometimes it doesn’t.
The tour can continue differently.
The musician’s health comes first.
🖤 Marc Is Still Part Of DRAGONFORCE
Perhaps the most reassuring part of the announcement is that Hudson isn’t simply disappearing from the organisation.
He’ll remain involved behind the scenes, working alongside the band’s management on projects expected to emerge later in the year.
So this is less:
Marc Hudson leaves DRAGONFORCE.
And much more:
Marc Hudson changes roles while dealing with a health problem.
That’s a significant difference.
Whether he eventually returns to recording and performing will depend on how things develop.
There is no reason to rush that conversation.
🎮 DRAGONFORCE Have Become Masters Of Reinvention
There’s something very DRAGONFORCE about continuing to evolve.
The band began with an almost mythological reputation for extreme speed and technical ability.
Then Through The Fire And Flames exploded through Guitar Hero III and introduced them to millions of people who discovered very quickly that plastic-guitar confidence does not translate to actual guitar ability.
Since then, the band have become increasingly playful.
Video-game aesthetics.
Pop-culture references.
Unexpected covers.
Over-the-top videos.
Giant choruses.
And live performances that look like someone combined a power-metal concert with an arcade after consuming twelve energy drinks.
They’ve learned not to take themselves too seriously while remaining extremely serious about the musicianship.
That balance works.
🐉 Hudson Helped Drive That Era
Marc Hudson deserves considerable credit for his role in that evolution.
Joining an established band is difficult enough.
Joining one with a highly recognisable former singer and one gigantic signature song is even harder.
Yet Hudson remained for a decade and a half.
At this stage, an entire generation of DRAGONFORCE fans knows his voice as the band’s voice.
That is why his absence will feel significant.
But it also explains why protecting his ability to hear matters far more than squeezing out another tour.
🔊 Hearing Health Deserves More Attention In Heavy Music
This story also highlights a wider issue within rock and metal.
Our music is loud.
Very loud.
Sometimes magnificently, gloriously stupidly loud.
And for years, hearing protection was hardly considered the coolest piece of gig equipment.
Thankfully, attitudes have changed.
Professional musicians increasingly use carefully designed in-ear systems and hearing protection, while more fans are recognising that wearing earplugs at concerts doesn’t mean you love the music any less.
Your ears don’t regenerate because the guitar solo was brilliant.
Hearing damage can be permanent.
Looking after it isn’t weakness.
It’s common sense.
🎶 A Fascinating New DRAGONFORCE Era Begins
Musically, though, DRAGONFORCE now find themselves entering genuinely unexplored territory.
Alissa White-Gluz.
Alessio Garavello.
Herman Li.
Sam Totman.
And the promise of a new dual-vocal record.
Nobody could reasonably accuse them of standing still.
How much will the sound change?
Will Garavello handle the soaring melodic material while Alissa brings the heavier side?
Will both singers switch between styles?
Will the arrangements become heavier?
More theatrical?
More progressive?
We’re about to find out.
🤘 THE RIFF REPORT VERDICT
First and most importantly:
Marc Hudson is making the right call.
When hearing is your livelihood, risking further problems simply to meet touring and recording commitments makes absolutely no sense.
Hudson has given 15 years to DRAGONFORCE and helped define a major era of the band’s career.
He deserves the time required to look after himself without feeling pressured to race back onto a stage.
The encouraging news is that he remains part of the DRAGONFORCE world behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, bringing in Alessio Garavello feels considerably less like hiring a stranger and more like calling someone who has already been part of the extended family for years.
He knows Marc.
He’s coached Marc.
He’s previously sung with DRAGONFORCE.
And now he’ll join Alissa White-Gluz for what promises to be one of the most unusual vocal combinations in the band’s history.
So yes, DRAGONFORCE are changing.
But this isn’t necessarily goodbye.
For now, it’s about giving Marc Hudson the space to protect something infinitely more valuable than another tour.
His hearing.
Get well, Marc. The stages will still be there. 🖤🐉🤘
