Reviewed by Mike Rimmer

Retroactive/Born Twice Records are doing a great job digging up classic albums and making them available again on CD. 'Fortress Rock' is from 1982 when the American east coast band Stronghold blended '70s hard rock influences with a bit of Black Sabbath doomyness and created an emergent Christian metal sound that predated bands like Stryper and Barnabas. There's even a bit of prog thrown in here and there. The result is an assured album with strong songwriting, creative performances and although here and there the sound is a little thinner than I would like, this was an independent release after all, without megabucks being thrown into the recording. Pete Moore's aggressive guitar work and fabulous soloing are a joy and Gary Smith's vocals hold their own against the complex musicianship of his bandmates. Personal favourites are when the band is particularly strident on songs like "Desert Walker" and "The Called" when the punchy riffs come out to play! If you're looking for classic, hard and heavy, Stronghold deliver.

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