Finely tuned and great sounding, the Fortress Under Siege was one of the most promising power metal bands, is one of the most fast developed bands and with the “Atlantis” have become, in my opinion, one of the modern scene’s best bands. Their third and most recent work was released two years ago, in 2020, so this review is our chance to revisit one of the best power metal albums released so far in the ‘20s and to introduce the “Atlantis” to anyone who has missed it.
Fortress Under Siege were founded back in 1992 by the guitarists Fotis Sotiropoulos and John Vasilakis and released their self-titled debut EP four years later. In 1998, the band splits up and they reunite again in 2010, only to release their debut full-length work, “The Mortal Flesh of Love”, one year later. A second work is released 3 years later, entitled “Phoenix Rising” and by the time their third and most recent, “Atlantis”, is presented, the Fortress Under Siege have already established their name in the power/progressive metal scene.
With the “Atlantis” the Fortress Under Siege release an album purely of their own work. There may be not fundamentally original material in 2020, but the “Atlantis” sounds like the Fortress Under Siege, with distinctive sound that derives from the characteristics of the Greek power metal scene. The album can be placed in the category of the European influenced metal, yet the Fortress Under Siege do not rely on their background and inspirations to produce music, but rather they have digested and absorbed their background and they have formed, based on that, something of their own, fresh and exciting.
The album opens in the best way possible with the song “Love Enforcer”, which sets the tone and the pace for the whole record. And when the “Atlantis” begins with such a fiery song, you know that the record will be a blast. Epic, crunchy and sharp riffs, shredding solos that set the fret ablaze, neo-classical influences, beautiful melodies by the lead guitars and keyboards and bright and majestic choruses with performed excellently, conclude the “Atlantis”. In the album, except of the progressive elements, there are some heavy metal and particularly N.W.O.B.H.M influences such in the song “Vengeance” while, also, at some points noticed some Innerwish flavored ideas.
Concluding, if the “Atlantis” passed you by when it was released, now is the time to give it a chance. It’s never too late to discover great music, so even if two years have passed, the “Atlantis” is an all-time great power metal album that you should listen to.
1. Love Enforcer
2. Lords of Death
3. Atlantis
4. Holding a Breath
5. Silence of Our Words
6. Vengeance
7. Seventh Son
8. Lethe
9. Spartacus
10. Hector’s Last Fight
11. Time For Rage
12. The Road Unknown
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