Human Fortress: Reign Of Gold (AFM, 2019)

(Mostly) German power metal band Human Fortress helped close out 2019 with a new studio album, their sixth to date, titled Reign Of Gold. The band has been on a hot streak since Brazilian vocalist Gus Monsanto joined their ranks, and they continue that with the Tommy Newton-produced Reign Of Gold. 2013’s Raided Land and 2016’s Thieves of the Night found the band inching away from the classic power metal sound of their early efforts and more towards the kind of melodic metal of bands like Masterplan and Firewind. Reign Of Gold has the best of both worlds. It satisfies on an epic, dramatic power metal level and has plenty of catchy, heavy melodic songs. Gus Monsanto was impressive enough in Adagio and even Revolution Renaissance, but he really seems most at home with Human Fortress. His powerful voice and sheer presence on these songs is the perfect counterpoint to Todd Wolf and Volker Trost’s sharp guitar work. Human Fortress kept this one lean and mean. 11 tracks totalling 45 minutes, and only a single throwaway instrumental intro track. That leaves ten really solid melodoc metal songs that never wear out their welcome. “Thunder,” “The Blacksmith” and “Lucifer’s Waltz” are favorites, thanks to their more epic lyrical approach and Monsanto’s dramatic vocal delivery, but there are no disappointments here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEYD-Vet0DE

Human Fortress is steadily becoming one of the better melodic/power metal bands around. They just need more people to pay attention. Fans of power metal, melodic metal, or any combination of the two – especially bands like Iron Fire, Firewind, Thunderstone and Masterplan – should really enjoy this one.