Through the Fire and Flames Guitar Hero

(Music Downloads Not Rated by the ESRB) Build your Rock Band 3 library by purchasing this song game track: "Through the Fire and Flames"-- DragonForce. PLEASE NOTE: Rock Band 3 game disc is required to play song game tracks. Many Rock Band 3 song game tracks are available as both a multipack and as a single game track. These song game tracks are exactly the same (unless expressly noted as a special version or remix). Be aware that it is possible to download the same song game track twice so please carefully consider your purchases. For music credits, visit www.RockBand.com. Compatible with Rock Band 3 and Rock Band Blitz.

If you've been wondering how to appropriately pass the time during quarantine, may we recommend this video as a source of inspiration and a new mission to accomplish under lockdown: setting the new world record for DragonForce's Through The Fire And Flames on Guitar Hero. (Granted, it's a big ask.)

Mind-bogglingly fast gamer and YouTuber GHAddict has just set an unbelievably high bar on the game, playing the notoriously fiddly track at 165 per cent speed (while also looking away from the screen and even responding to comments during his livestream – what even?!).

As he casually smashes the song, he finishes up by simply stating, "Well, that's a world record (laughs). I'm gonna go piss."

Dragonforce's 2006 single "Through The Fire And Flames" became one of those legendary songs in Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock. It was the song that you tried to play on Expert mode with your friends just to see how far you could get, and was easily one of the more popular songs in the game. Though according to Dragonforce guitarist Herman Li, the band only got paid around $3,000 for the use of the track… and that's before splitting the money between band members and management.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

"How many millions of dollars did I get? Well, I'll tell you this. Guitar Hero actually only paid a one-off fee to use the song. So [it was] less than $3,000. Maybe even less."

Li said that even though Dragonforce didn't get paid much, the exposure was huge for the band. "At that time, guitar music wasn't really that popular," later adding "Letting the audience hear our music and decide if they like it or not was really special, because we definitely don't play music that fits the radio. You're not gonna hear seven minutes of shredding melodic metal on the radio."

Li's point about Guitar Hero presenting new music to a wider audience is definitely the key takeaway here, as those games had a pretty undeniably huge impact on the world at the time.

@hermanli

tens of dollars ? #throughthefireandflames #guitarhero #guitartok #musician #guitarist #guitarra #LaysGoldenDuet ♬ Through the Fire and Flames – Dragonforce

The band’s song “Through the Fire and Flames” was originally featured in “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock,” after which it became arguably the most famous song in the game’s history. However, Li says he earned almost no money from the placement.

In his now-viral video, Li, who posts as @hermanli on TikTok, explains that the game paid his band about $3,000, although he doesn’t remember the exact number.

“Guitar Hero actually only paid a one-off fee,” Li says in the clip. “So I’m thinking just about $3,000, maybe even less.”

Li’s cut, meanwhile, was just a tiny fraction of that amount.

@hermanli

tens of dollars 💵 #throughthefireandflames #guitarhero #guitartok #musician #guitarist #guitarra #LaysGoldenDuet

♬ Through the Fire and Flames – Dragonforce

As the guitarist goes on to explain, Guitar Hero’s one-time payment was split between countless others — including managers, accountants, a record label and, of course, Li’s bandmates. In the end, Li jokes, it’s possible he made “tens of dollars.”

But the musician is not angry about what he earned. As Li says in the video, it was the exposure and publicity that really mattered.

“At that time, guitar music wasn’t really that popular,” he says. “And letting the audience hear our music and decide if they like it is really special.”

To Li’s point, the game clearly had a tremendous effect on Dragonforce’s popularity.

After its appearance in Guitar Hero, “Through the Fire and the Flames” became the band’s biggest song ever, charting on the Billboard Hot 100 in both Canada and the U.S. The record is now certified platinum, meaning it has sold over a million copies worldwide.

The song was notorious among Guitar Hero players for its extreme difficulty. After the game launched in 2007, countless players went viral on YouTube for their impressive attempts at performing the song for a perfect score.

TikTok commenters had plenty to say about Li’s revelations. Many agreed he earned plenty of exposure, while others said he still should’ve earned more.

“Crazy that even at your level they still pay in exposure,” one user wrote.

“Tired of large corporates taking advantage of unacknowledged artists,” another added.

“The only time being paid in exposure worked out,” another argued.

Trending Now

Dixie & Charli D'Amelio are here to stay

Special Offer for You

Need a great gift? Check out In The Know's gift guides Shop Now

More from In The Know:

Y2K trends you probably already have in your closet, and if not, we have you covered

Now is the best time to buy the Dyson Airwrap before the holiday rush!

FYI, today's the last day you can get these TikTok-favorite beauty products for up to 30% — including the Dyson Airwrap

Which Guitar Hero is through the fire and the flames on?

Through the Fire and Flames is considered one of the toughest songs on Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock to complete without making a single mistake.

How do you unlock Through the Fire and Flames on Guitar Hero?

Through the Fire and Flames To unlock this song, you must defeat Lou in the final guitar battle on any difficulty. The song will then be unlocked for all difficulties in the bonus song list.

How hard is Through the Fire and Flames on Guitar Hero?

The song's overall difficulty It is almost always considered the hardest song to pass in any Guitar Hero game, along with Bark At The Moon (GH1 Version), Jordan, Free Bird, Satch Boogie, Scatterbrain (Live), Sudden Death, Black Widow of La Porte and Fury of the Storm.

Why is Through the Fire and Flames so hard?

“Through the Fire and the Flames” is an unrelenting barrage. It's an endurance test that requires guitar-god stamina and some serious shredding chops to pull off. Technique heavy, it'll test your tapping, sweeping and tremolo picking skills to the limit and is as demanding on your rhythm playing as it is on your lead.