Fortress was a Los Angeles-based band that released their debut album, HANDS IN THE TILL, in 1981. Proudly and unabashedly taking cues from Journey, Foreigner, and Rush, the album is 12 stabs at pure AOR glory--the embodiment of everything to which punk was a reaction. However, the album is a winner in its enthusiastic embrace of trite radio rock. Ripe for head-banging sing-alongs, this is the sound of your older brother skipping school and hanging out at the lake. Fortress's charms prove to be enduring on this 2008 Rhino reissue.

United Kingdom ~ "A long lost AOR-star that has recently resurfaced is Charlie Souza one-time bass player for pomp legends FORTRESS. I say resurfaced, the fact is he's never been away! Having carved out a successful career as a session musician, as well as releasing several CDs, Charlies profile has never been higher. The one thing that will appeal to all fans of Pomp Rock is the fact that Charlie has reissued the legendary Fortress album, "Hands In The Till", onto CD for the first time. This album really is a one-off all time classic of it's type. Full of glorious up-tempo eighties pomp rock, this 1980 release by Fortress is music from a bygone era when albums like this were ten-fold, and often got overlooked - as was the case with this album. Led by the golden-coated vocals of Jim West, the Fortress brand of rock was well recieved by yours truly at its time of release. Songs like "How Do I Exist", "Hands In The Till", "Kisses", the Axe-like "Requiem" and the utterly immense "Mystery" are still firm favourites to this day. Their Axe meets Roadmaster style of pomp was tailor made for the eighties, but still sounds fresh to this day!" Robbie Evans ~ Powerplay Magazine, York, England. www.PowerPlayMagazine.co.uk