Metal
Marc Hudson is stepping back from recording and performing with DragonForce because of a tinnitus problem. The band announced it on Saturday 19 September; he’ll be replaced by Alessio Garavello, who had already covered his spot in 2016 and 2023 and who was his singing teacher.
“Due to an ongoing tinnitus issue, Marc Hudson is stepping back from DragonForce musical duties for the time being, which includes the upcoming album and 2026/2027 touring plans,” reads the statement. Hudson will remain connected to the band, working with the management office.
Garavello will sing the male vocals alongside Alissa White-Gluz, formerly of Arch Enemy, who joined the band in May 2026. The album they’re preparing will have a dual-vocal format, and the band says new songs start coming out next week.
“Over the last fifteen years Marc has poured his heart into this, and his voice has become a huge part of who we are,” says guitarist Herman Li. “Protecting his hearing isn’t something we’d ever ask him to negotiate on. We’d rather have him healthy and with us for the long run than push now and risk it.”
Guitarist Sam Totman adds that Garavello “helped shape Marc’s voice in the first place, so he understands these songs from the inside.”
The band tours twenty-two North American cities in November and December, with Ensiferum and Rhapsody Of Fire, starting at San Diego’s Observatory on 13 November. No dates in Spain have been announced.
Text by Roger Estivill