HUMAN FORTRESS return with new album “Stronghold” out October 17

The epic melodic metal force HUMAN FORTRESS proudly announce the release of their highly anticipated new studio album, “Stronghold”, due out on October 17th, 2025 via Massacre Records. The album will be available as a 2-CD Digipak and as a limited edition vinyl LP.

To mark this occasion, the band also unleashes the brand-new single and video “The Abyss Of Our Souls” — a dark and dramatic tale about a sinister figure who sees his true self reflected in a magic mirror, and vows to free the world of his own evil. With its gripping narrative, powerful riffs, and soaring melodies, the song embodies the essence of epic heavy metal storytelling.

“Stronghold” marks the band’s 8th full-length album and represents a new chapter in HUMAN FORTRESS’s more than two-decade career. Produced by the band at Soundhoops Studio, with mixing and mastering handled by Alex Krull (Mastersound Studio), the record delivers a heavier, guitar-driven sound, intensified by Krull’s powerful production.

With the departure of long-time keyboardist Dirk Liehm, “Stronghold” is the first HUMAN FORTRESS album written largely without keyboards, resulting in a more guitar-heavy and aggressive sound. While some tracks explore more mainstream songwriting elements, the album remains firmly rooted in epic heavy metal, blending powerful riffs, soaring melodies, and thought-provoking lyrics.

Track listing

1. Stronghold

1. The End Of The World

1. Pain

1. Mesh Of Lies

1. The Abyss Of Our Souls

1. Under The Gun

1. Silent Scream

1. Death Calls My Name

1. Road To Nowhere

1. The Darkest Hour

CD 2

1. Obey Another Lord

1. Pathfinder

1. Lost With The Wind

1. We Are Legion (Japan Bonus Track)

Over the years, HUMAN FORTRESS have shared stages with the likes of Orden Ogan, Axxis, Skyclad, Wizard, The Grailknights, Poverty’s No Crime, Gallowglass, Mercury Falling, and King Leoric, in addition to performing at festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Metal Inside Festival, and Dominion Festival.

With “Stronghold”, HUMAN FORTRESS reaffirm their place as one of Germany’s most respected epic metal institutions, delivering an album that is both timely and timeless.