Hello Metalheads! I’m going to introduce today a great German Power Metal band from Hannover called Human Fortress, which has released a high recommended new album entitled “Raided Land”.
Human Fortress was born in 1997 from a previous musical project called Timezone, which was formed by the guitarists Volker Trost and Torsten Wolf, when they joined with bassist Pablo J. Tammen and they try to develop their project Timezone. After a first demo recording, the band split up and come back soon thereafter, now under the name of Human Fortress and reinforced with some new members, Jioti Parcharidis on vocals, drummer Apostolos “Laki” Zaios and Dirk Marquardt on keyboards.
After recording a new demo in 1999, the band was worked hard on the recording of its debut album, which was finally released on 2001 under Limb Records and it was entitled “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir”.
This debut album was a fantastic first released from these guys, full of Epic Melodic Power Metal sounds. It contains eleven tracks in which we can find great songs like the fantastic “The Dragons Lair” or “Divine Astronomy”, the nice ballad “Forgive and Forget”, “Amberdawn” or the amazing song which gives the album its title “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir”. If you haven’t listened this album I absolutely recommend you to listen to it, I think it’s really a fantastic debut album from these German metallers.
Human Fortress went a step further and releases on 2003 its second album called “Defenders Of The Crown”. This second assault brings us amazing Power Metal tunes like “Skin and Feather”, the great metal hymn “Gladiator Of Rome” with a previous intro called “Colloseum” or the melodic and epic song “The Valiant”. “Mortal Sinful Wrath” is another recommended track in the album, I think it’s really fantastic! “Border Raid in Lions March” and “Siege Tower” are songs in which we can find medieval and folk elements with a result very cool.
“Holy Grail Mine” is a catchy song with fantastic sound and I also like and recommend “Defenders Of The Crown” track and “Schattentor” with an epic sound and great choruses, I think they are really fantastic songs in the album.
In general, “Defenders Of The Crown” album continues the same line as “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir” offering us great songs which not disappoint to all Power Metal lovers.
After several line-up changes, Human Fortress release in 2008 their third album with ex-Galloglass vocalist Carsten Frank replacing Jioti Parcharidis and new guitarist Frank Sawade and drummer Arndt Krone replacing Volker Trost and Apostolos “Laki” Zaios, respectively. This new album entitled “Eternal Empire” contains ten tracks with a new different sound with down-tuned guitars, in which the previous melodic line on vocals also is changed by the shouting of Carsten Frank, this made a totally different brand from Human Fortress.
“Eternal Empire” album bring us powerful songs like “Borders of Insanity”, “The Raven” or the surounding track “Under the Spell” with a heavy sound and cool changes of pace. “The Wizard” is an epic track with nice melodic and folk elements, great choruses and more agressive parts, I think it’s really a good song in the album.
Sincerously, after I have listened previous two albums from Human Fortress, in which they show us an amazing Epic Power Metal sound of high quality, I have to say that “Eternal Empire” has broken their fantastic previous path, it’s only my opinion, we can see some good tracks in “Eternal Empire” album, of course, but we don’t find the great magical sound which Human Fortress offers us in the first albums.
Shortly after the release of “Eternal Empire” album, the band split. But at the end of 2008, original members Wolf, Trost, Parcharidis and Zaios started planning to resurrect Human Fortress. Next year, Jioti Parcharidis left the band again for medical reasons and Human Fortress suffers new line-up changes. With the addiction of Dirk Liehm (keyboards), Andre Hort (bass) and Brazilian master vocalist Gus Monsanto (ex-Timo Tolkki’s Revolution Renaissance, Adagio) replacing Jioti Parcharidis, the band starts to work in the recording of their fourth album, in which they try to resurrect the fantastic Epic Melodic Metal sound from the early days of Human Fortress.
And I assure you that they have done so in a impressive way. Human Fortress has release an amazing new album, which shows us that the band is now stronger than ever. The new album entitled “Raided Land” is a high recommended release from these guys with a fantastic sound and a very good production, which not disappoint to all Power Metal fans. Are you ready? True Human Fortress sound has come back!
“Raided Land” album contains thirteen tracks which will definitively go up to the band in the place it deserves. Songs like “Raided Land”, the great “Under Siege” or “Wasted Years” with a powerful and epic sound and the excellent voice of Gus, are tracks high recommended in the album. “The Chosen One” is another song with a sound very cool and “Shelter” is simply fantastic! With an impressive and epic starting and nice guitars, “Restless Souls” is a another song that I recommend you and “Guard The Blind” with the characteristic folk/medieval touches is another great piece in the album. “Gladiator of Rome (Part 2)” is simply amazing, I love this song so much! You can enjoy it by clicking the following link.
HUMAN FORTRESS – Gladiator of Rome (Part 2) (VIDEO)
by MetalWind
Ok guys, you should not miss the great return of Human Fortress, these guys have released a high recommended new album that you have to listen to it! “Raided Land” will not disappoint to you!
I send greetings to my friend Volker and Human Fortress band! Fantastic job, guys!
Pay attention to Human Fortress and “Raided Land” album, enjoy and leave your comments! See you soon!
Follow Human Fortress:
https://www.facebook.com/humanfortressofficial
