Review by Jack on November 7, 2001.

Human Fortress before “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir” was a band I’d never even heard of before, let alone listened to. I’m certainly glad Limb Music Productions gave me the pleasure to listen to this excellent album. This group of six fellows from Germany play boisterous and overblown power metal that fits in with the lyrical topics of Rhapsody or Blind Guardian, by that I mean fantasy songs about dragons and high lore in faraway lands is the norm for Human Fortress. What is different about “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir” that makes it stand out apart from the other fantasy metal bands is the way they go about their metal.

Did anyone like Bon Jovi or bands like Warrant or Deep Purple from the 80’s? If you are like me and love the occasional retro album, then Human Fortress surprisingly fit that bill well and provide a good trip back to the retro days with still retaining the power metal edge. Whether this was intentional or not, I do not know, but they should work with that uniqueness for further albums as it would keep them above the rest of the pack. Human Fortress states on their web page they “are an epic- true- metal- band which saves the spirit of the glorious heavy- metal- bands into the 21st century and establishes a genius musical output.” Whether this is means retro or not is not for me to decide, but whatever it is; its bloody good! While some maybe cynical and suspicious of the cheesy-ness that may come with this hybrid formula, I am one such person that is extremely skeptical of cheesy-ness and find Human Fortress to walk the fine line without any hiccups.

Jioti Parcharidis doesn’t possess an overly unique voice but has a perfect voice for this sort of metal, Dirk Marquardt is probably what keeps Human Fortress in the retro styling as it seems that “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir” is geared around the synthesizer work of this keyboard wonder. Laki Zaios does a wonderful job of keeping the drum kit interesting with his powerful rhythms and consistency. There isn’t much more to say about Human Fortress; suffice to say that in a world that fraught with silly power metal; Human Fortress are able to stay on the sensible side of the genre and “Lord of Earth and Heavens Heir” is an excellent demonstration of this.

Bottom Line: This is really good metal, it has it all; wicked guitars, solid vocals, inspirational drumming and creative synthesizers. And to top it off, if that wasn’t enough Human Fortress they have a seriously good retro streak embedded in them.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Allan on May 23, 2002.

Honestly, I’m not an expert on live albums. I haven’t ever owned any, only heard maybe a few tracks, and have usually steered clear of them. Also, I have never had the pleasure to witness My Dying Bride’s magic in a live setting. Regardless, I was very impressed when I began a journey through “The Voice of the Wretched”. I’ll go as far as to say that this album encapsulates the elements of My Dying Bride as well as, if not better than their studio albums; I can only imagine what it’s like in a real show setting.

“The Voice of the Wretched” is what I would consider the bands first live album. They did release a bonus disk with “The Angel And The Dark River” that showed the band playing songs at Dynamo, but I wouldn’t really consider that a live album. So for their first live album, it does an excellent job of covering material from all albums, excluding “As the Flower Withers” .

Nearly every single nuance is paid close attention to by the band, starting with the major elements and then moving in. The material from each album has a colder, harsher sound than it does in studio which enhances the atmosphere to a certain degree. Since the songs are all from different albums, a problem might be whether or not the album flows well. Even though it’s not as seamless as a studio album, it does seem continuous and not too rigid. Where violin once was, there is now keyboard. It’s surely not as beautiful as a violin, but it is fairly accurate. The production allows each instrument to be heard clearly. Whether it’s Aaron’s vocals over the distorted guitars, or a sweet piano melody, everything seeps through the layers of music. The atmosphere is still here, of course, and it’s as powerful as ever. How you could have that without My Dying Bride doesn’t seem conceivable. It’s just as powerful on here as it is in the studio albums. Everything comes together with sincerity, whether it’s the heaviest riff or the lightest progression.

Every musician on this album plays with tons of emotion, as if their instrument is a part of themselves. Singer Aaron Strainthorpe lays down his vocals in agony and despair, hitting each song’s notes right on. His stripped down approach fits the music very well. Whether it’s the bass, the guitars, or the keyboards, the members all act as a cohesive whole that pay attention to each other instead of worrying about only themselves, in turn creating something that is natural instead of something forced and mechanical.

Bottom Line: Any body that hasn’t had the chance to witness My Dying Bride live, this is probably as close of a representation as you will get until you see them. It serves as a great piece of work until the band releases their next album.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 7

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Allan on May 23, 2002.

Honestly, I’m not an expert on live albums. I haven’t ever owned any, only heard maybe a few tracks, and have usually steered clear of them. Also, I have never had the pleasure to witness My Dying Bride’s magic in a live setting. Regardless, I was very impressed when I began a journey through “The Voice of the Wretched”. I’ll go as far as to say that this album encapsulates the elements of My Dying Bride as well as, if not better than their studio albums; I can only imagine what it’s like in a real show setting.

“The Voice of the Wretched” is what I would consider the bands first live album. They did release a bonus disk with “The Angel And The Dark River” that showed the band playing songs at Dynamo, but I wouldn’t really consider that a live album. So for their first live album, it does an excellent job of covering material from all albums, excluding “As the Flower Withers” .

Nearly every single nuance is paid close attention to by the band, starting with the major elements and then moving in. The material from each album has a colder, harsher sound than it does in studio which enhances the atmosphere to a certain degree. Since the songs are all from different albums, a problem might be whether or not the album flows well. Even though it’s not as seamless as a studio album, it does seem continuous and not too rigid. Where violin once was, there is now keyboard. It’s surely not as beautiful as a violin, but it is fairly accurate. The production allows each instrument to be heard clearly. Whether it’s Aaron’s vocals over the distorted guitars, or a sweet piano melody, everything seeps through the layers of music. The atmosphere is still here, of course, and it’s as powerful as ever. How you could have that without My Dying Bride doesn’t seem conceivable. It’s just as powerful on here as it is in the studio albums. Everything comes together with sincerity, whether it’s the heaviest riff or the lightest progression.

Every musician on this album plays with tons of emotion, as if their instrument is a part of themselves. Singer Aaron Strainthorpe lays down his vocals in agony and despair, hitting each song’s notes right on. His stripped down approach fits the music very well. Whether it’s the bass, the guitars, or the keyboards, the members all act as a cohesive whole that pay attention to each other instead of worrying about only themselves, in turn creating something that is natural instead of something forced and mechanical.

Bottom Line: Any body that hasn’t had the chance to witness My Dying Bride live, this is probably as close of a representation as you will get until you see them. It serves as a great piece of work until the band releases their next album.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 7

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Allan on May 23, 2002.

Honestly, I’m not an expert on live albums. I haven’t ever owned any, only heard maybe a few tracks, and have usually steered clear of them. Also, I have never had the pleasure to witness My Dying Bride’s magic in a live setting. Regardless, I was very impressed when I began a journey through “The Voice of the Wretched”. I’ll go as far as to say that this album encapsulates the elements of My Dying Bride as well as, if not better than their studio albums; I can only imagine what it’s like in a real show setting.

“The Voice of the Wretched” is what I would consider the bands first live album. They did release a bonus disk with “The Angel And The Dark River” that showed the band playing songs at Dynamo, but I wouldn’t really consider that a live album. So for their first live album, it does an excellent job of covering material from all albums, excluding “As the Flower Withers” .

Nearly every single nuance is paid close attention to by the band, starting with the major elements and then moving in. The material from each album has a colder, harsher sound than it does in studio which enhances the atmosphere to a certain degree. Since the songs are all from different albums, a problem might be whether or not the album flows well. Even though it’s not as seamless as a studio album, it does seem continuous and not too rigid. Where violin once was, there is now keyboard. It’s surely not as beautiful as a violin, but it is fairly accurate. The production allows each instrument to be heard clearly. Whether it’s Aaron’s vocals over the distorted guitars, or a sweet piano melody, everything seeps through the layers of music. The atmosphere is still here, of course, and it’s as powerful as ever. How you could have that without My Dying Bride doesn’t seem conceivable. It’s just as powerful on here as it is in the studio albums. Everything comes together with sincerity, whether it’s the heaviest riff or the lightest progression.

Every musician on this album plays with tons of emotion, as if their instrument is a part of themselves. Singer Aaron Strainthorpe lays down his vocals in agony and despair, hitting each song’s notes right on. His stripped down approach fits the music very well. Whether it’s the bass, the guitars, or the keyboards, the members all act as a cohesive whole that pay attention to each other instead of worrying about only themselves, in turn creating something that is natural instead of something forced and mechanical.

Bottom Line: Any body that hasn’t had the chance to witness My Dying Bride live, this is probably as close of a representation as you will get until you see them. It serves as a great piece of work until the band releases their next album.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 7

Rating: 8.8 out of 10

Review by Allan on May 23, 2002.

Honestly, I’m not an expert on live albums. I haven’t ever owned any, only heard maybe a few tracks, and have usually steered clear of them. Also, I have never had the pleasure to witness My Dying Bride’s magic in a live setting. Regardless, I was very impressed when I began a journey through “The Voice of the Wretched”. I’ll go as far as to say that this album encapsulates the elements of My Dying Bride as well as, if not better than their studio albums; I can only imagine what it’s like in a real show setting.

“The Voice of the Wretched” is what I would consider the bands first live album. They did release a bonus disk with “The Angel And The Dark River” that showed the band playing songs at Dynamo, but I wouldn’t really consider that a live album. So for their first live album, it does an excellent job of covering material from all albums, excluding “As the Flower Withers” .

Nearly every single nuance is paid close attention to by the band, starting with the major elements and then moving in. The material from each album has a colder, harsher sound than it does in studio which enhances the atmosphere to a certain degree. Since the songs are all from different albums, a problem might be whether or not the album flows well. Even though it’s not as seamless as a studio album, it does seem continuous and not too rigid. Where violin once was, there is now keyboard. It’s surely not as beautiful as a violin, but it is fairly accurate. The production allows each instrument to be heard clearly. Whether it’s Aaron’s vocals over the distorted guitars, or a sweet piano melody, everything seeps through the layers of music. The atmosphere is still here, of course, and it’s as powerful as ever. How you could have that without My Dying Bride doesn’t seem conceivable. It’s just as powerful on here as it is in the studio albums. Everything comes together with sincerity, whether it’s the heaviest riff or the lightest progression.

Every musician on this album plays with tons of emotion, as if their instrument is a part of themselves. Singer Aaron Strainthorpe lays down his vocals in agony and despair, hitting each song’s notes right on. His stripped down approach fits the music very well. Whether it’s the bass, the guitars, or the keyboards, the members all act as a cohesive whole that pay attention to each other instead of worrying about only themselves, in turn creating something that is natural instead of something forced and mechanical.

Bottom Line: Any body that hasn’t had the chance to witness My Dying Bride live, this is probably as close of a representation as you will get until you see them. It serves as a great piece of work until the band releases their next album.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9.5
Atmosphere: 9.5
Production: 9
Originality: 9
Overall: 7

Rating: 8.8 out of 10