What do you know? A brand new Human Fortress album, now back on Massacre Records like they were in their glory days 20+ years ago. This band's history has been all over the place, and yet I always hope they will make another good album. Did they finally do it? Well, no.

This shares all the flaws of the more recent works by this band: muddled songwriting that flashes some good melodies but can't seem to cohere into anything memorable. It's frustrating, because they play some good parts, and you can see how the songs could be better, but they never are. Also, singer Gus Monsanto sounds awful this time out. I don't know what he is doing, but his approach is often harsh and screechy, making these tunes actively painful to listen to. He's not a first-rate vocalist on a good day, but here he sounds terrible. This is a double-disc album, an hour long with the bonus cut, and none of the songs here ever stand out or catch fire. The whole thing just comes across as awkward and uncomfortable. Power Metal made by a band who sound like they have never heard what Power Metal is supposed to sound like.