A German power metal outfit based out of the city of Hanover, Human Fortress was founded in 1997 by vocalist Jioti Parcharidis, guitarists Torsten Wolf and Volker Trost, keyboardist Dirk Marquardt, bassist Pablo Tammen, and drummer Laki Zaios. Dedicated to expounding upon everything that is glorious and epic about heavy metal, the sextet released an eponymous EP in 2000. Two albums bursting with Dungeons & Dragons-inspired metal goodness followed with 2001's Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir and 2003's Defenders of the Crown. The band endured numerous lineup changes before issuing 2008's Eternal Empire, which introduced elements of metalcore into the mix. In 2009, the group split into two factions, with some members continuing down the extreme metal road under the moniker Ember Sea, and the remaining members operating under the Human Fortress moniker with pure, power metal might. In 2013, the band inked a deal with AFM Records and released their fourth album, Raided Land, with Thieves of the Night following in early 2016. ~ James Christopher Monger