HUMAN FORTRESS – Stronghold [2-CD Japanese Edition +1] (2025) *HQ*

320_1 /// 320_2 /// HQ

Founded in the late Nineties in Hannover, Germany, HUMAN FORTRESS has been one of the best Power Metal exponents for almost 2 decades, however their sound has been experiencing slight changes in recent time. Now HUMAN FORTRESS has added to the mix a lot of classic melodic metal and hard rock groove. And this is augmented on their new album titled “Stronghold“.
Due to the departure of their keyboardist Dirk Liehm, “Stronghold” was written without a keyboarder for the first time. That’s why the album is very guitar oriented. Additionally, Human Fortress wanted to make some songs a little more mainstream – short, catchy, and pretty commercial.
Musically and production-wise, on “Stronghold” HUMAN FORTRESS sound like a crossroad between Axel Rudi Pell and latter day Jaded Heart, plus some Primal Fear and Masterplan too. All clean, polished melodic stuff, still powerful but lesser metal than before.
“Stronghold” is available in various formats, this is the 2-disc edition plus the worthy Japanese bonus track.

It kicks off with the title track, a catchy, melodic, commercial tune with ’80/90s feeling yet wrapped by a modern production design. It’s a relief to see bands that have been around for such time, still to draw inspiration from the same themes as their early albums.
Songs like “Pain” or “Under the Gun”, tend towards a darker / heavier side reminding me of Mob Rules. Also “The Abyss Of Our Souls” — a dramatic tale about a sinister figure who sees his true self reflected in a magic mirror, and vows to free the world of his own evil. With its gripping narrative, powerful riffs, and soaring melodies, the song embodies the essence of epic heavy metal storytelling.
But other tracks like “Road to Nowhere” or “Silent Scream” have a catchier hard rock-ish vibe, with swirling flashy solos and an anthemic arena feel.

As far as the musicianship is concerned, members of HUMAN FORTRESS are seasoned veterans and know how to deliver a quality album. Gus Mosanto‘s vocals are flawless, fortunately they stray from the high pitched tone typical of the style. He reminded me a mixture of D.C. Cooper and Ralf Scheepers something which is more than welcome.
A very strong, varied collection of songs ranging from melodic metal epic tunes to edgy hard rockers with some catchy factor.
Highly Recommended

CD 1:
01 – Stronghold
02 – The End of the World
03 – Pain
04 – Mesh of Lies
05 – The Abyss of Our Souls
06 – Under the Gun
07 – Silent Scream
08 – Death Calls My Name
09 – Road to Nowhere
10 – The Darkest Hour

Bonus Disc:
01 – Obey Another Lord
02 – Pathfinder
03 – Lost with the Wind
04 – We Are Legion (Japan Bonus Track)

Gus Monsanto (vocals)
Volker Trost (guitar)
Todd Wolf (guitar)
André Hort (bass)
Apostolos ‘Laki’ Zaios (drums)

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