Band:	Human Fortress
Album:	Thieves Of The Night
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	March 18, 2016
A review by:	Belegûr

01. Amberstow
02. Last Prayer To The Lord
03. Rise Or Fall
04. Thieves Of The Night
05. Thrice Blessed
06. Hellrider
07. Just A Graze
08. Vicious Circle
09. Smite On The Anvil
10. Dungeons Of Doom
11. Gift Of Prophecy
12. Alone

I always thought the name Human Fortress could make for some gruesome artwork with a mass of body parts forming some sort of unholy burg. I didn't get anything like that though. This is safe melodic metal defined. No songs being particularly shocking, but absolutely nothing special on offer. Thieves Of The Night sounds alright when listening to it, but I instantly forgot about it afterwards.

Unremarkably, I come to you again with a review of a German power metal band where I complain about lack of originality. However, I tend to give many of these bands a pass if they succeed in at least being catchy and dare I say it, fun to listen to. By the time I reached the 4th track "Thieves Of The Night", I literally yawned and had to take a break. I was pleasantly surprised during "Thrice Blessed" though, with a midsection that strangely reminded of something you would find on an Ayreon album. This quickly dissolves back into mediocrity though. The same thing happens with "Gift Of Prophecy", which doesn't sound as formulaic as the other tracks. It was just a glimmer of hope though.

It's not a complete disaster. "Just A Graze" does have all the hallmarks of a nice bit of power metal; a Helloween style intro with some galloping rhythm sections. It's a shame that the vocals sound so uninspiring throughout the track and the album as a whole. The vocalist sounds like he can't be bothered most of the time and with none of the other instruments sounding enthusiastic, it all just sort of plods along.

Thieves Of The Night isn't terrible. It's just a prime example of an average band making an average album. "Rise Or Fall" and "Gift Of Prophecy" might get the blood pumping for a minute or two, but there's just absolutely nothing here that is memorable.