Human Fortress
Encyclopedia
Human Fortress is a power metal
band that strives for an epic feel with their music, calling their music "epic battle metal." The band is from Hannover, Germany
.
After recording a demo in 1999, the band got to work on their debut album, which was completed in the summer of 2000. They entered a talent contest sponsored by a popular German metal magazine. Their song "The Dragons Lair" was released on a compilation CD for the contest, and was subsequently voted "Favorite Track" by online fans. Due to this recognition the band reached a deal with Limb Records, and released their debut album Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir
.
2003 saw the release of the band's second album Defenders of the Crown
, this time on Massacre Records
. The recording process included guest performances by members of the bands Galloglass, King Leoric, and Meridian Zero. After this album, guitarist Volker Trost left the band and was replaced by Frank Sawade.
In 2007, the face of Human Fortress changed once again, as singer Jioti Parcharidis and drummer Apostolos "Laki" Zaios left the band. They were replaced by Carsten Frank and Arndt Krone, respectively. Human Fortress released their third CD, Eternal Empire
, on April 25, 2008. Arndt Krone and Torsten Wolf left the band in the same year, the first being replaced by drummer Vincent Gongala.
In 2009 the band announced that Frank Sawade, Pablo J. Tammen, Dirk Marquardt and Vincent Gongala would form a new band called Ember Sea with singer Eva Skamira, continuing the new style adopted for the third album, and that the former band members Jioti Parcharidis, Torsten Wolf, Volker Trost and Apostolos "Laki" Zaios, reinforced by newcomers Ingmar von Berg and Dirk Liehm, would continue as Human Fortress in the style of the first two albums. However, singer Jioti Parcharidis left again due to health problems in the beginning of 2010. The band is currently searching for a new singer.
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...
band that strives for an epic feel with their music, calling their music "epic battle metal." The band is from Hannover, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Biography
In 1997, guitarists Torsten Wolf and Volker Trost joined with bassist Pablo J. Tammen to form a band called Timezone. Shortly after recording a demo, however, the band split up. Soon thereafter, the lineup was rounded out with singer Jioti Parcharidis, drummer Apostolos "Laki" Zaios, and keyboardist Dirk Marquardt, and called themselves Human Fortress.After recording a demo in 1999, the band got to work on their debut album, which was completed in the summer of 2000. They entered a talent contest sponsored by a popular German metal magazine. Their song "The Dragons Lair" was released on a compilation CD for the contest, and was subsequently voted "Favorite Track" by online fans. Due to this recognition the band reached a deal with Limb Records, and released their debut album Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir
Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir
Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir is the debut album by the German power metal band Human Fortress, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "The Dragons Lair" - 3:46# "Under Black Age Toil" - 4:46# "Lord of Earth & Heavens Heir" - 6:06...
.
2003 saw the release of the band's second album Defenders of the Crown
Defenders of the Crown
Defenders of the Crown is the second album by the German power metal band Human Fortress, released in 2003.-Track listing:# "Knights in Shining Armour" - 3:20# "Defenders of the Crown" - 4:18# "Colloseum" - 1:30# "Gladiator of Rome" - 4:41...
, this time on Massacre Records
Massacre Records
Massacre Records is an independent record label based in Abstatt, Germany.The label was founded in 1991 by Torsten Hartmann. The label is specialized on bands of the harder varieties of metal...
. The recording process included guest performances by members of the bands Galloglass, King Leoric, and Meridian Zero. After this album, guitarist Volker Trost left the band and was replaced by Frank Sawade.
In 2007, the face of Human Fortress changed once again, as singer Jioti Parcharidis and drummer Apostolos "Laki" Zaios left the band. They were replaced by Carsten Frank and Arndt Krone, respectively. Human Fortress released their third CD, Eternal Empire
Eternal Empire
Eternal Empire is the third album by the German power metal band Human Fortress, released on April 25, 2008.Differently from the previous two albums, which consolidated power metal as the band's main genre, it has also many traces of thrash metal....
, on April 25, 2008. Arndt Krone and Torsten Wolf left the band in the same year, the first being replaced by drummer Vincent Gongala.
In 2009 the band announced that Frank Sawade, Pablo J. Tammen, Dirk Marquardt and Vincent Gongala would form a new band called Ember Sea with singer Eva Skamira, continuing the new style adopted for the third album, and that the former band members Jioti Parcharidis, Torsten Wolf, Volker Trost and Apostolos "Laki" Zaios, reinforced by newcomers Ingmar von Berg and Dirk Liehm, would continue as Human Fortress in the style of the first two albums. However, singer Jioti Parcharidis left again due to health problems in the beginning of 2010. The band is currently searching for a new singer.
Current members
- Torsten Wolf - guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, backing vocals (1997–2008, 2009–present) - Volker Trost - guitar (1997–2003, 2009–present)
- Ingmar von Berg - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2009–present) - Apostolos "Laki" Zaios - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2000–2007, 2009–present) - Dirk Liehm - keyboardsMusical keyboardA musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
(2009–present)
Former members
- Jioti Parcharidis - vocals (1997–2007, 2009–2010)
- Pablo J. Tammen - bass, backing vocals (1997–2009)
- Thomas Albrecht - drums (1997–2000)
- Dirk Marquardt - keyboards, backing vocals (1999–2009)
- Frank Sawade - guitar (2003–2009)
- Carsten Frank - vocals (2007–2009)
- Arndt Krone - drums (2007–2008)
- Vincent Gongala - drums (2008–2009)
Studio albums
- Lord of Earth and Heavens HeirLord of Earth and Heavens HeirLord of Earth and Heavens Heir is the debut album by the German power metal band Human Fortress, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "The Dragons Lair" - 3:46# "Under Black Age Toil" - 4:46# "Lord of Earth & Heavens Heir" - 6:06...
(2001) - Defenders of the CrownDefenders of the CrownDefenders of the Crown is the second album by the German power metal band Human Fortress, released in 2003.-Track listing:# "Knights in Shining Armour" - 3:20# "Defenders of the Crown" - 4:18# "Colloseum" - 1:30# "Gladiator of Rome" - 4:41...
(2003) - Eternal EmpireEternal EmpireEternal Empire is the third album by the German power metal band Human Fortress, released on April 25, 2008.Differently from the previous two albums, which consolidated power metal as the band's main genre, it has also many traces of thrash metal....
(2008)