Sister Hazel: Ken Block (vocals, acoustic guitar); Andrew Copeland (vocals, electric & baritone guitars); Ryan Newell (acoustic, electric, slide & classical guitars, mandolin, background vocals); Jeff Beres (Fender Rhodes piano, melodica, bass, background vocals); Mark Trojanowski (drums, loops).

Additional personnel: Endre Granat, Sheldon Sanon (violin); Simon Oswell (viola); David Low (cello); Kim Bullard (strings, Mellotron, loops); Mike Finnigan, Jason Fuller (piano, Hammond B-3 organ); Johnathon Gilutan (piano); Paul Ebersold, Don McCollister (Hammond B-3 organ); Jaime Muhoberac (organ, Mellotron); Jeff Savage (keyboards, loops); Count Umbutu (tambourine); Denny Fongheiser (percussion, loops); Luiz Conte (percussion); Emily Sailers (background vocals).

Producers: Paul Ebersold, Ritchie Zito, Ralph Sall, Don McCollister, Mike Clink.

Engineers include: Mike Clink, Ross Hogarth, Noel Golden.

Principally recorded at Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, California and Nickel And Dime Studios, Avondale Estates, Georgia in 1999 & 2000.

This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.

The Florida-based band, whose name was inspired by a rescue mission minister, returns with FORTRESS, new music featuring uplifting vocal harmonies and simple, catchy modern rock with an eye to the future and an ear to the heart of classic rock values. Many of these tracks scream for radio play.

"Backporch" features tasty slide guitar, while "Change Your Mind" is the obvious single. "Surreal" evokes '70s-era Rod Stewart, while "Shame on Me" rocks just a little bit harder, recalling Counting Crows and Blues Traveler. "Your Winter" combines raw vocals with sweet, interwoven guitar and accordion melodies. "Strange Cup of Tea" showcases dirty electric blues, while "Elvis" documents a declining romance where the song's hero is happy walking away with nothing more than a "big painted velvet" portrait of Mr. Presley. A bittersweet title track closes FORTRESS with a nod to the Beatles on the fade.