Human Fortress are still going strong, 22 years into their career. “Reign of Gold” is a solid Power Metal offering, in the tradition of Vanden Plas, Helloween, Gamma Ray, Unity, et al, with a foot firmly planted in Traditional Heavy Metal.

Journeyman Gus Monsanto has kicked around the scene for years, but is on his second album as lead vocalist for HF. It’s a bit frustrating; he has a great, classic-sounding voice, but as a rule, the songs on “Reign of Gold” typically start strong, then weaken a bit when the vocal melodies start in.
It’s all a bit paint-by-numbers, but definitely enjoyable. They run the gamut of highway tempos, from cruising to speeding, without ever getting to dangerous velocities. For my money, they’re best they push the pedal down a bit, as on the mid-album tracks, "Surrender," and the album-best, "The Blacksmith." I also dig the Irish folksiness of "Lucifer's Waltz" and "Bullet of Betrayal."
This is a safe one.