Fortress (2024) by Holy Dragons
Holy Dragons are returning with their 17th full-length album!
Holy Dragons — 17 Albums. 30 Years of Metal. No Compromises.
Holy Dragons — a name that refuses to be ignored on the global metal stage. Formed in 1992 in Kazakhstan, the band has shattered geographic and musical barriers to prove one thing: true heavy metal knows no borders.
Blending the ferocity of NWoBHM, the relentless speed of USPM, and the raw power of Teutonic Metal, Holy Dragons have forged a sound that’s unmistakably their own — powerful, melodic, and unapologetically heavy.
At the helm stands Chris "Thorheim" Caine — a frontwoman who’s more than just a voice. Her commanding, aggressive vocals channel the raw energy of Leather Leone and Doro, while her guitar work rips through live performances with precision and fire. A vocalist who shreds? That’s not something you see every day.
Jurgen Thunderson isn’t just a guitarist — he’s a shred machine straight out of the Shrapnel Records playbook. Blazing speed, soulful precision, and a bluesy edge where it counts — this is the sound of a player who could’ve gone toe-to-toe with the ‘80s guitar gods. Miss him, and you’re missing one of metal’s best-kept secrets.
17 albums. No compromises. No trends. Just pure, unrelenting metal, born against all odds.
Holy Dragons are for those who stay loyal to the spirit of the '80s and crave music that pumps adrenaline straight into the veins.
One of the oldest active metal acts in their region (Central Asia), and also one of the most renowned regional metal leaders, Holy Dragons present their new work. The group's stylistic boundaries have varied over their thirty-year career, and today's style includes a significant blend of elements, drawing from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWoBHM) and "Teutonic" type of Heavy Metal. In most of the band's works, influences and elements from styles like Speed/Power Metal, Hard Rock, and more can be honestly traced.
The new album from the Kazakhstan band, hailing from Almaty (a city known as one of the most Europeanized and developed centers in the region), continues this stylistic tradition. The twelve songs on the release demonstrate a fusion of high-speed performance and vivid melodicism. The group leans towards a technical presentation of their material, with a prevalence of guitar parts. This album also features a somewhat "nostalgic" approach – listeners familiar with the band's history and their classic albums will notice references and nods to the early and classic eras of the band. To a great extent, the stylistic elements of this album harken back to the mid-2000s and late '90s. The band remains true to themselves and advocates a refined riff-oriented guitar sound without the influence of symphonic or pop-power elements.
This album marks the third full-length work for Chris "Thora Thorheim" Caine, in which she combines her relatively new role as the lead vocalist with her guitar work. For the majority of the solo parts and compositional work, Jurgen "Stratomaniaс" Thunderson is responsible, while the rhythm section consisting of Ivan "Hans" Manchenko (bass) and Zabir Shamsutdinov (drums) creates an uncompromising foundation for the development of Holy Dragons' melodic direction.
The album showcases several stylistic lines, with songs that distinctly remind listeners of the fast German Power Metal from the '90s and early 2000s (yes, this influence, which became less and less noticeable on Holy Dragons' later albums, is perhaps experiencing a renaissance here!). There are also anthem-like Heavy tracks, a couple of songs falling into the uncompromising realm of Speed Metal, and a small surprise – a nostalgic song created in the style of the '70s or early '80s with intentionally vintage sound, without any "cosmetic" stylizations to match the music of that time.
The album, titled "Fortress," consisting of 12 songs with a total duration of 55 minutes, is set to be released on January 16, 2024.
Line-up:
Chris "Thora Thorheim" Caine - Lead vocal, guitars
Jurgen "Stratomaniaс" Thunderson - Lead guitars, backing vocal
Ivan "Hans" Manchenko - Bass guitar
Zabir Shamsutdinov - Drums
Music by Jurgen Thunderson
Lyrics by Chris Caine and Jurgen Thunderson
Produced by Jurgen Thunderson (HDR Records)
Recording and mixing HDR Records, 2021 - 2023
Cover art by Zerstorer (Zeitgeist Bildstudio)
Photo by Niyaz "Nuke Priest" Smailov
Layout by Jurgen Thunderson
Stay Metal!
Tracklist
| 1. | Angel Shadows | 3:23 |
| 2. | The Stockholm Syndrome | 4:12 |
| 3. | Vampire Thrill | 3:16 |
| 4. | Warrior of Dreams (Back to the Future) | 6:29 |
| 5. | The Faces of Truth | 4:46 |
| 6. | The Game of Fate | 8:28 |
| 7. | Fear | 1:44 |
| 8. | Darkness Beyond the Other Side of Your Eyes | 4:22 |
| 9. | Demon of Silence | 3:59 |
| 10. | No Wind of Change | 4:59 |
| 11. | Red Dragon of Wales | 3:47 |
| 12. | Stronger than the Wind | 6:01 |
Credits
License
All rights reserved.
Holy Dragons is a Kazakhstani metal band, founded in 1992 in Almaty. Since the beginning to the present day the main musical direction for the group has been heavy metal. The band sticks to the 1980s style. In addition, one can trace the influence and identify the components of such styles as speed metal, power metal, hard rock, techno thrash and some other styles in the music of Holy Dragons.