Watch Dragonforce’s Through The Fire And Flames be played on the harp by someone with faster fingers than you

Dragonforce in 2023 and a screenshot of harpist Kristan Toczko

(Image credit: Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images | Kristan Toczko via Instagram)

A harpist has covered the notoriously difficult Dragonforce song Through The Fire And Flames.

Musician Kristan Toczko published her rendition of the power metal classic on Instagram on June 1 and dazzled her 500,000-strong following on the app.

“A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one,” says one comment.

“Wow, the sound of the [harp] really worked with that riff,” another user writes.

“Those sweeps were absolutely fire 🤘” another adds.

Toczko has previously covered tracks by such rock and metal artists as AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Tool, Nirvana and more.

Dragonforce released Through The Fire And Flames in 2005 as part of their third studio album, Inhuman Rampage.

The song became infamous for its difficulty in 2007, when it was featured in the rhythm game Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock, and has since become the UK band’s signature track.

Through The Fire And Flames was recently featured in the marketing for Illumination family film Despicable Me 4.

Dragonforce guitarist Herman Li reflected on the success of the song in a recent interview with the Everblack podcast.

“It definitely helped us so much to have that song, and people get to hear it,” said Li.

“The hardest thing for any artist is to get people to hear their music, and Guitar Hero III definitely made a huge difference.”

The guitarist continued: “And now, after so many years, I meet people, and they tell me things like, ‘That song, I remember playing it with my dad.’ Or someone says, ‘I remember playing it with my brother’ – it was an incredible time of their life, and it really brings great memories for them in all ages.”

Li added that professional musicians, including Tim Henson of Polyphia, have told him that Through The Fire And Flames inspired them to play guitar.

A post shared by Kristan Toczko | Harpist (@harpistkt)
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Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Metal Hammer and Prog, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, NME and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.