Reviewed:
- ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (1970)
- Salisbury (1971)
- Look at Yourself (1971)
- Demons and Wizards (1972)
- The Magician's Birthday (1972)
- Sweet Freedom (1973)
- Abominog (1982)
- Head First (1983)
- Raging Silence (1989)
- Different World (1991)
- Sea of Light (1995)
- Sonic Origami (1998)
- Wake the Sleeper (2008)
- Living the Dream (2018)
- Chaos & Colour (2023)
...VERY 'EAVY ...VERY 'UMBLE 1970 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Gypsy', 'Walking in Your Shadow', 'Lucy Blues', 'Dreammare', 'Real Turned On', 'I'll Keep Trying', 'Bird of Prey'
It took me a long time to really delve into Uriah Heep's massive catalogue. I've had 82's Abominog in my collection for years (though I don't remember when I actually bought it) and I knew the song 'Gypsy' back in my school days, because one of my friend's dad had a copy of ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble, but like I said, it wasn't until years later that I actually picked up more of their albums. To be more precise, I saw the band in the end of December 2019 with Diamond Head supporting - it was a very fun and drunken show for me, I had a great time. But I'd bought a bunch of their albums on eBay prior to the gig so I was at least more familiar with them before I went.
...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble is the debut album, and it's honestly one of the most underrated records in heavy music that the 70's produced. This came out in 1970, and if it wasn't for the fact we'd already had the first couple of Led Zeppelin albums at this point, along with records such as Deep Purple In Rock and Black Sabbath's self-titled debut just months prior, I reckon it could've made more impact on heavy metal music as a genre just for having a song like 'Gypsy' on it alone. I wouldn't say it's a forgotten gem or anything like that - pretty sure most hard rock and metal enthusiasts will have heard of this album at least, but it definitely isn't held in the same regard as albums like the one's I've already mentioned from the same period. Well, okay, 'Come Away Melinda' probably wasn't blowing anyone away in 1970. It's a very acid rock-focussed ballad that reminds me a lot of the the stuff that the original Deep Purple lineup were doing in the late 60's. Singer David Byron's voice even reminds me a fair bit of Rod Evans on this album. Either way, not a bad track by any means, but nothing groundbreaking (turns out that it's a cover of a 1963 song by Harry Belafonte). 'Lucy Blues' is, as the title suggests, a slow, jammin' kind of blues number. Again, a good song, but a lot of British bands had already been doing the same thing throughout the 60's.
'Gypsy' however, is a phenomenal song, especially for the time. It's heavy, proggressive, bluesy, lengthy and is just an unsung heavy metal classic. Mick Box - himself an unsung guitar hero - plays this awesome infectious, catchy introduction to the track before it transitions into the lumbering beast that it is. 'Walking in Your Shadow' is pretty bluesy too, but again, it's heavy. And I've said this before when I reviewed Judas Priest's first album (Rocka Rolla) - pretty much all early to mid-70's metal was bluesy - it's what it was derived from. I totally dig the acid rock-infused, heavy riffage of 'Dreammare' (complete with that very 60's "la-la-la-la" vocal melody), while 'Real Turned On' is another driving, bluesy and metallic number. 'I'll Keep on Trying' is a psychedelic, proggy trip while 'Wake Up (Set Your Sights)' is a weird kind of progressive jazz rock-fusion piece that occasionally sort of gives me early King Crimson vibes.
I'll admit that this isn't a consistent album. I don't mean that the quality of the music is inconsistent, more like the direction of the album kind of shifts between 70's heavy rock and metal to psychedelic prog and blues at times - that's probably part of the reason why it's more of a cult album than, say, Sabbath's debut, but it does have some outstanding numbers on it. I'd say it just falls short of brilliance, but it's still totally worth owning. My 2003 expanded version has a bunch of bonus tracks on it (mostly just extended and live versions of the same tracks), but it also has 'Bird of Prey', which is another 70's metal gem and was included on the US version of the album. This track shouldn't have been listed as a 'bonus song' in my opinion, particularly if it was standard on the American release anyway.
Adam's rating: 8.8/10
SALISBURY 1971 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Bird of Prey', 'Time to Live', 'Lady in Black', 'Salisbury'
This second album is slightly more proggy than ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble - I think the actual playing, from a technical point of view, is better here. The album doesn't seem to get quite as much attention as the former, though. And while none of the songs here are as good as 'Gypsy', but I don't really have a big list of flat-out bad things to say about Salisbury either, even if it is noticeably weaker than the debut. 'Bird of Prey' has been re-recorded and used as the opening track, and it's still awesome - particularly the riffage that comes in about two thirds of the way and keeps playing 'til the end of the song. David Byron's voice when he tries to hit the highs sound very forced and as a result give the track quite an unintentionally goofy feel, but that's kinda part of it's charm too. It's cheesy, but not necessarily in a bad way! 'The Park' is a very folky number with slide and acoustic guitars all over it. I don't mind it, in that I never skip it when it comes on, but it doesn't really fit in among the rest of the tracks on this album, and affects the flow because of this. 'Time to Live' is better - I love the organ playing throughout it, although the guitar riffs are a little uninspired - but I guess I wouldn't have been saying that in 1971, so in retrospect it's probably quite a good rocker.
'Lady in Black' is one of the best tracks on here. Hell, it's one of their best songs ever. It's a ballad of sorts with a kind of medieval tinge to it, and the simple vocal melody hook that repeats throughout is extremely memorable and singalong. It's the kind of song that is perfect for singing to at a Heep gig when you're pissed - I know I was when I saw them last year! 'High Priestess' is a pretty straightforward, solid rocker. Not much to say really. The title song is the album's closing track, and it's a sixteen minute prog rock epic, complete with brass and woodwork arrangements and tons of musical transitions. Kind of sounds like Deep Purple's Concerto for Group and Orchestra from 1969, only with a smaller orchestra... uh, and not as good either. Not that I think 'Salisbury' is bad - far from it. In fact, I like the rockin' parts of the song, and I like the vocals; and sometimes all the accompanying brass instrumental works quite well with Mick Box's guitars and Ken Hensley's organ, but it's really not on the same level as what some of the other prog stalwarts of the time, such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer or Yes were doing. That said, it's still a standout of this particular album. It's clear that the band intended this track to be the centrepiece of the record, although I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. And given that Heep aren't really primarily a prog band, I could understand why some people might think this song is an overblown mess. But you've gotta agree that the actual musicianship on 'Salisbury' is impressive.
I enjoy Salisbury. I like each of the six tracks on here, but it definitely isn't as strong as it's predecessor. To me, Heep are better at writing heavy rock songs than anything else, and there's only a handful to really choose from here - and it isn't as bluesy either. That said, all of these tunes are decent in their own right ('Lady in Black' is especially an all-time classic), and I still recommend tracking down a copy of the album in some form or another.
Adam's rating: 7.8/10
LOOK AT YOURSELF 1971 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: The whole album!
Unlike Salisbury, which I actually found to be something of a step back from the debut, Heep really pushed the boat out with Look at Yourself. Now this is what they're all about! The opening title track is an awesomely fast and heavy metaller with some absolutely radical Ken Hensley organ-drenched tones. I love the way it speeds up to crazy levels and then just ends - what a cracking way to begin this record. 'I Wanna Be Free' is killer too, which starts off kinda light and smooth, but soon develops into the big and heavy, riff-laden track it is. 'July Morning' is an excellent prog rock piece, much more refined than 'Salisbury' from the previous album - and also with a more appropriate run time of ten minutes rather than sixteen. I can't help but compare 'July Morning' to Deep Purple's 'Child in Time'. The mellow organ parts are similar to that of Jon Lord's on said Purple classic, and it also has it's own moments of heaviness too, as well as some dramatic David Byron vocal melodies. Yep, it's another classic alright.
I really dig the ass-kickin' heavy blues rocker 'Tears in My Eyes'. I actually get some slight Jimi Hendrix vibes from Mick Box's guitar leads on this one, which can only be a good thing. I also like the acoustic break in the middle of the song. 'Shadows of Grief' is a quirky and sporadic track - some weird, odd tempos in the riffs and rhythms, but that's part of it's charm. This is a long proggy song at eight minutes and forty seconds, so it features a moody and atmospheric transition roughly half-way - and it ends kinda spooky-sounding too! It's followed by 'What Should be Done' - a smooth piano number. However, after the madness of 'Shadows of Grief', there's something still oddly unsettling about 'What Should be Done', and I can't really explain what it is that makes me feel this way! It's like yeah, this is a mellow, kinda jazzy tune but there's still something slightly off about it, in the best way possible! Anyhow, the album ends with a nice and straightforward heavy rocker, 'Love Machine'.
I just wanna say that Ken Hensley is such an underrated organ/keyboard player. For me he steals the show on Look at Yourself, more-so than the rest of the band. Don't get me wrong, he's never gonna top Jon Lord for me, but his organ tones back then were off the fucking hook! In regards to this album as a whole, it's a major step-up from Salisbury and in my opinion, also a fair bit stronger than the debut. To me, this was the first Heep album that is classic stuff from start to finish. I don't think it's a masterpiece - I feel that Mick Box would do better in terms of his guitar work at different points further down the line, but in general this is an excellent record and the start of a small streak of classic albums.
Adam's rating: 9.2/10
DEMONS AND WIZARDS 1972 (Castle)
- Standouts: Everything.
There's a bit less fucking around with different musical styles on Demons and Wizards, which is arguably their most acclaimed album of all time. I'm probably gonna go ahead and agree with this - at least in terms of the Uriah Heep albums I have listened to. I haven't heard all of the Heep's discography at this point (it's pretty huge, and I've still got way more of their albums to collect), so bare with me. The first couple of Heep albums were a bit all over the place in terms of genres; Salisbury for example, is a very inconsistent LP. As with Look at Yourself, Demons and Wizards is again a much more focussed record in comparison to the first two, with more tracks to speak of and generally shorter song lengths too. I think 'The Wizard' is one hell of an opener - it's not a particularly long track, but it's aged pretty well, with great acoustic guitars and vocals across the board. It has a slight gospel influence to it, in my mind, but the song is true classic rock, plain and simple. 'Traveller in Time' is a solid acid rock number, with an unmistakeably 60's-sounding guitar tone (reminds me of Status Quo's 'Pictures of Matchstick Men'). 'Easy Livin'' is a driving hard rock classic, and was something of a hit for the band in Europe. Again, like some of the other early Heep songs, a lot of the melodies in 'Poet's Justice' (particularly in relation to the vocals) remind me of Mk. I-era 60's Deep Purple, only with a heavier sound overall, and structured more around heavy metal riffage. I like to imagine if Purple kept Rod Evans and Nick Simper in the band, they'd probably have sounded a bit like early 70's Uriah Heep...
'Circle of Hands' features some splendid organ work from Ken Hensley once again, and some fine vocal hooks from David Byron. This is just a great rock ballad that ticks all the boxes. 'Rainbow Demon' is a plodding, powerful track with a huge sound while 'All My Life' is a short, catchy and punchy hard rocker. 'Paradise' is another fine ballad, and like 'The Wizard', is largely acoustic-based. It fades into 'The Spell', the last song on the album, which is a very upbeat, radio-friendly rocker to begin with (and later on transitions back to the original tune it began as). I do like the proggy piano work on the track, and I like Mick's soloing too, but this is still probably my least favourite tune on the record. I don't dislike it, it just doesn't settle with me as well as the rest of the stuff on here.
Overall though, I really enjoy this record. I mean, I like the one's that came before, sure, but they got even better on Demons and Wizards, and the band themselves continue to sound more comfortable in their own skin too. The songs still have prog touches here and there, but they've just been crafted finer than almost anything that came before, and the production's better too. I dunno if I'd stick it in the same league as albums like Deep Purple In Rock or Machine Head and Black Sabbath's debut or Master or Reality from the same time period, but Demons and Wizards certainly deserves it's place among the seminal heavy rock/metal records of the 70's.
Adam's rating: 9.3/10
THE MAGICIAN'S BIRTHDAY 1972 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Sunrise', 'Spider Woman', 'Blind Eye', 'Echoes in the Dark', 'Rain', 'Sweet Lorraine', 'The Magician's Birthday'
Well, if you enjoyed Look at Yourself and Demons and Wizards, you really can't go wrong with The Magician's Birthday! It kicks off with the big, spacey anthemic hard rock of 'Sunrise'. Classic material, that's what this is. 'Spider Woman' is a short but sweet, fun and catchy little number with some cool grooves. 'Blind Eye' is a very good acoustic-electric hybrid track with some folk rock sensibility about it. There's definitely some Jethro Tull inspiration in this one, and it works extremely well, as does the dramatic, moody rock ballad 'Echoes in the Dark'. 'Rain' is actually a really pretty piano piece, and David Byron sings it fantastically... unlike Ozzy singing 'Changes' on Sabbath's Vol. 4 from the same year! Sorry, but I just had to compare it to something slightly similar! 'Sweet Lorraine' is a brilliant song - great poppy vocal hooks, some bizarre synth tones, some killer funk guitar... this has it all! The title track concludes the record, and is about as proggy as you'd expect it to be from it's ten minute length. It's a cool song, full of surprises. Lots of strange, creepy organ and synth work, as well as some absolutely fantastic, exciting lead guitar work from Mr. Box. They were just showing off with 'The Magician's Birthday'!
I'd probably stick Demons and Wizards and Look at Yourself ever-so-slightly above this record. It's not quite as heavy overall, with Hensley's organ being more subdued by comparison. And 'Tales', while solid, isn't perfect. I find it to be kind of tired and uninspiring next to the other tracks, but it's still competent enough for me to sit through it each time I hear this album. I do think Magician's Birthday manages to do some things better however. For starters, I think David Byron's vocal performance is stronger here overall than either of the previous two, and even if the songs aren't as hard-hitting in general this time around, the songwriting itself is arguably more refined and rounded here, and possibly more hooky overall.
Okay, so the last two are better then. But still, Magician's Birthday is strong enough that it sits among the top of the Heep discography. I bagged a used copy of the 2017 expanded edition, which is very nice indeed. It comes with a second CD full of a shit-load of alternative versions of of the tracks, plus more. It's also packaged very nicely. To be honest, the 2003 Sanctuary Uriah Heep single-CD reissues are very good too (I have ...Very 'Eavy... Very 'Umble, Salisbury, Look at Yourself and Abominog as part of this series), with plenty of bonus tracks of their own, plus tons of liner notes from Mick Box and others.
Adam's rating: 9/10
SWEET FREEDOM 1973 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Dreamer', 'Stealin'', 'Sweet Freedom', 'Seven Stars', 'Circus', 'Pilgrim'
Ya know what I hate? Photos of the band on album covers! It's the easiest way to badly age the visual presentation of a record, and make it look more dated - even if David Byron was rockin' an excellent 'tache at the time. Crappy album covers aside, the music on Sweet Freedom is once again very strong for the most part. Opener 'Dreamer' is a stupidly fun and upbeat rocker with tons of groove. And 'Stealin'' is a stone cold Uriah Heep classic. It's a heavy, bluesy kind of jammy slice of 70's metal, even if it basically just 'Easy Livin'' slowed down (something which I never really thought about until I read countless things from other fans). 'One Day' has some almost gospel-inspired vocal arrangements, but musically it's very typical of 70's Heep and I dig it. The title track I guess could pass for a ballad, in that it has some big, emotional choruses, though it is still quite a positive, uplifting track. This is a singalong number for sure, one that I again really enjoy.
'If I Had the Time' is mid-tempo and has some trippy keyboard tones and just an overall psychedelic atmosphere. It's not one of my favourites on here as I find the keyboard melodies to be repetitive, but even the weaker tracks on this record are still rather good. The straightforward 'Seven Stars' is a solid heavy rocker that keeps the album's flow interesting. The alphabet recital thing at the end is pretty dumb I'll admit, but it makes me chuckle, so there! I also think 'Circus' is a decent little acoustic piece. A pretty pop tune that adds to the record's diversity. 'Pilgrim' is a lengthy, heavy rocker with some cool funk-driven guitar work. Mick Box is a seriously underrated guitarist. He was doing tons of stuff with his axe on these early Heep records and not getting enough credit for it.
This album tends not to get the same credit as the last bunch, and while I agree that it is kinda inferior to the previous three, it's still a great record all in all. There's a definite shift in tone here, even if it is only subtle - the mystique of an album like Demons & Wizards or Salisbury is kind of gone at this point (save for maybe 'If I Had the Time'). It's almost like they were trying to get back in touch with reality, and I don't like it! Regardless, these songs are still really good - and musically they're 100% Heep. And that's what counts.
Adam's rating: 8.2/10
ABOMINOG 1982 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Too Scared to Run', 'Chasing Shadows', 'Hot Night in a Cold Town', 'Prisoner', 'Hot Persuasion', 'Sell Your Soul'
Hmm, a lot of material was released between 1973's Sweet Freedom and 1982's Abominog, and I'm missing...well, all of it. The lineup was different by this time too - of course, Mick Box is and always will be the band's lead guitarist, but Peter Goalby was on vocals for a few years around this time in the 80's, and notable bassist Bob Daisley plays on this album too. The sound had changed too, naturally, although this album is still unmistakeably Uriah Heep. As it happens, Abominog is generally regarded as one of the band's best albums, despite lacking in the prog rock department and focussing more on just being a straightforward arena hard rock/heavy metal album for the most part. It was a return to form the band, because it looks as though the band had made a string of poor albums in the late 70's after David Byron left (haven't heard 'em myself though). This was the first Heep album I bought, and I had it in my collection long before I picked up anything else from this band.
Despite the 'shinier' production and 80's keyboard sounds, I think this is mostly a very solid album. 'Too Scared to Run' is easily one of my favourite Heep songs - what a powerful, driving slab of New Wave of British Heavy Metal-sounding greatness. A kickass tune that should be played more on all those classic rock radio stations. 'Chasing Shadows' is really great too; absolutely love those rhythmic keyboards that keep the track pumpin'. I really don't like 'On the Rebound' however (originally a Russ Ballard song - jeez, just how many songs has this guy written?!). I like Goalby's vocals on it, sure, but this song has a really horrible, 80's synth pop kind of thing going for it, and it's aged terribly. 'Hot Night in a Cold Town' (a song that Steppenwolf had also recorded, and written by Geoffrey Cushing-Murray...) is a solid ballad however. It isn't quite 'big' enough to qualify as a power ballad in my opinion, and honestly, that's a good thing. I think 'Running All Night (With the Lion)' and 'That's the Way That It Is' are harmless, melodic arena rock songs and I also enjoy the moody balladry of 'Prisoner'. The next couple of songs are better however: 'Hot Persuasion' is pretty excellent - prime Heep, with a shredding guitar solo. And 'Sell Your Soul' is another great, upbeat heavy metaller with tons of great riffs, solos and performances from every member of the band.
Last thing I've gotta mention is the album cover - it's awesomely cheesy stuff, exactly the sort of thing any NWOBHM band of the time would'a been sticking on the sleeves of their own records! However, it does leave the impression that this album is gonna be heavier than it actually is! Annihilator would totally rip it off for 1996's Refresh the Demon... Whatever, Abominog is still a mostly great combination of 80's heavy metal and arena rock. Maybe it's a tad overrated - I don't think it's the outstanding record that some of the reviews I've seen online claim it to be, but it does still pull off what it's trying to do very well for the most part.
Adam's rating: 8/10
HEAD FIRST 1983 (Castle)
- Standouts: 'Red Lights', 'Rollin' the Rock', Weekend Warriors'
The follow-up to Abominog - same band, same lineup, yet somehow it just isn't as good as it's 1982 predecessor. The ingredients are still mostly the same, but the metallic tones have began to slip a little here, and the melodic rock side of Abominog is definitely more significant regarding Head First. That said, I still dig certain tracks on this album. It's not classic Heep, but it can sometimes be a solid enough melodic hard rock record. The prominent keyboard tones on opener 'The Other Side of Midnight' should be annoying - well, they kind of are if you don't focus on any other aspect of the track, but as a whole this a catchy little pop rocker. Hard rock riffs, infectious keyboards and nice hooks. Not Heep in the classic sense at all, but good stuff in terms of their '80s output. 'Stay on Top' and 'Love is Blind' weren't even written by the band. But I do quite like the former. A bit. It has a sort of '80s funk/pop rock feel to it, and I usually find myself tapping my foot along to it. As for 'Love is Blind' - this one's pretty good too. Kinda reminds me of the harder-rocking side of Magnum.
Some of the heavy metal influence remains here. 'Red Lights' is a fast and upbeat heavy rocker with a definite NWOBHM sound at times. I like it a lot. I also enjoy the slow-building 'Rollin' the Rock'. All those '80s keyboards work rather well on this track, and I like how they build atmosphere before the heavy, guitar-driven chorus kicks in. Finale 'Weekend Warriors' is probably the second most metallic number on the album with it's faster, heavier riffage. It feels like an Abominog leftover, but I mean that as a compliment.
I could have done without the Bryan Adams cover, 'Lonely Nights' though. I mean, it's not poorly performed or anything like that, it's just that Bryan does these kinds of rock ballads so well that you may as well just listen to the original. I mean, who turns to Uriah Heep for this sort of thing anyway? Not a fan of the poppy 'Sweet Talk' either. I like Mick Box's wah-wah guitar solo on it a lot, but the synthy keyboard notes really drive me the wrong way. 'Straight Through the Heart' definitely treads dime-a-dozen power ballad waters, but it's still listenable at the very least. I've just heard this kind of thing a million times before, and done better.
So, Head First is a disappointment next to it's predecessor. Neither of these albums really sound like the Uriah Heep most people think of them as, but Abominog is unquestionably a classic. Head First just dips a little too far into pop rock territory for me, but I can still get some enjoyment from a sizable portion of the songs here. None of them are great though.
Adam's rating: 6.6/10
RAGING SILENCE 1989 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: 'Hold Your Head Up', 'Rich Kid', 'Cry Freedom', 'Bad Bad Man', 'More Fool You'
This album marked the beginning of a new era for Uriah Heep; it was the first album to feature Canadian vocalist Bernie Shaw as well as keyboardist Phil Lanzon. Both are still with the band to this day, and both have been invaluable to the group's career... however, I'm not entirely sure the fans would necessarily have agreed with that statement around the time Raging Silence dropped in 1989. Aside from maybe Abominog, it's hard to argue against the fact much of the band's weaker material was recorded around the late '70s and throughout the '80s.
This CD does start off rather well however, I think. 'Hold Your Head Up' is a nice melodic rocker; a big catchy chorus, nice bass lines and melodies - and Shaw's unmistakeable vocals. I've always found that each Heep vocalist had his own style - Bernie is no different, but still fits within the band like a glove. At the very least, his vocals are perfect for the stuff he was recording with the band. As it happens, 'Hold Your Head Up' is an Argent cover, but unless you were already familiar with their version, you'd hardly know it. 'Blood Red Roses' however, is much sleeker and glossier by comparison. It's got synthy '80s keyboards all over it, but they accompany Mick Box's heavy riffs surprisingly well. Yeah, this one is shiny '80s melodic rock, but amazingly it's been pulled off rather well. Heep are not an AOR band by any stretch of the imagination, for some reason I like this track. And I really dig Bernie's vocals on it once again. 'Voice in My Head' - well, this one is comparable to 'Blood Red Roses' in that it's glossy, but it's a tad more dramatic and poppy overall. Not good per say, but I don't hate it either.
'Rich Kid' is pretty solid all-round however. It's not trying to sound like golden-era Heep, but it is a decent slice of riff-heavy upbeat '80s hard rock. Not much else to say about it really. I enjoy the driving rhythm of the heavy rocker 'Cry Freedom' too. It gets me pumped-up. Again, don't expect it to sound similar to anything from Look At Yourself or Demons and Wizards etc., but as far '80s arena hard rock goes, it's actually rather good. And you know what? 'Bad Bad Man' is fun too. Another fast upbeat rocker, and Bernie sings it with a more gravelly, rough kind of approach - and it suits the heavier nature of this track just fine. 'More Fool You' is another standout for me. It's big and heavy, full of cool Mick Box guitar riffage and chops, singalong lyrics. If it weren't for the '80s reverby production, it wouldn't sound too far off '70s Heep. 'Rough Justice' too, is a
... aaand in terms of the bad stuff, well, the fact Raging Silence doesn't sound typically '70s will be a turn-off for some people. I mean, it's impossible to try and imagine the AOR-sounding ballad 'When the War Is Over' (which I still like, somewhat) on a Heep record in 1972. Because this is very much a polished '80s hard/arena rock album, it doesn't sound traditionally Heep. It's much more comparable to an album like Head First, only more polished still. Unlike Head First however, I do think the songs are better on this record overall. Umm, except maybe 'Lifeline'. That one is kind of annoying, even if Bernie rules on it yet again.
So yeah, this is an album that on paper shouldn't work, yet in practice it does. Well, for me anyway. The funny thing is, plenty of classic '70s heavy bands went down a similar path to this in the '80s. For example, I never cared much for Blue Oyster Cult's Club Ninja (which is comparable IMO) - yet I do enjoy the bulk of what Raging Silence has to offer. Yeah it's shinier, but most of the songs actually have balls and still manage to be as heavy as you'd like them to be overall. None of them are masterpieces of course, but nearly all of them are enjoyable in their own right. The band sound professional, Bernie Shaw proves himself as their new vocalist and as far as this type of '80s rock goes, well, you can do far worse.
Adam's rating: 7.2/10
DIFFERENT WORLD 1991 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: Erm, 'Blood on Stone' is okay, and 'Seven Days' can be fun...
Different World was the second album to feature Bernie Shaw on vocals, and from the looks of things, this isn't a popular album amongst the massive Heep discography - sadly I can see why.
The first track is a pretty good heavy rocker though; 'Blood on Stone' is a solid, crunchy opener that certainly sticks to the usual Heep formula. 'Which Way Will the Wind Blow' is kinda generic-sounding 80's style hard rock (despite the fact it was recorded in 1990), sure, but the riffs are cool, and Bernie sounds good on it too. The problem is, the majority of the stuff on this album displays a band who were, in a way, out of touch with their own identity at this point in their career. The keyboards have mostly been used in a way that it gives off an arena rock/pop metal kind of stench, which is out of character for a band like Uriah Heep. Surely by 1991, this particular sound was already dated, what with grunge storming the rock scene. But a lot of Mick's riffs are out of character too - for instance, 'All God's Children' gives me Extreme vibes, and that's certainly not what I'm looking for in a band like this. Fucks sake, this tune even has a kids choir singing vocal harmonies on it! At least Raging Silence sounded the way it did because it was still the '80s! 'All for One' could have maybe worked as a Foreigner song, but certainly not a Heep track. In fact, some of the guitar playing on 'All for One' is similar to that of a song like 'Animal' by Def Leppard. 'Step by Step' and 'Seven Days' are okay I guess, but most of this album is just forgettable, throwaway stadium rock with no real identity of it's own. 'First Touch' and 'Cross That Line' suck hard!
Despite the poppy feels of Different World, it didn't chart anywhere. And that's probably because a) it already sounded dated in 1991 and b) most of the time it doesn't even sound like Uriah Heep. True, Abominog was a little different for the band at the time, but basically everyone agrees that most of the songs on that record were great. This album on the other hand, is about as generic an 80's arena rock album can be - and it wasn't even recorded in the 80's! It's not the worst thing I've ever heard (a truly horrid example would be Saxon's 1988 album Destiny...) - I sat through the whole thing mostly without the urge to turn it off, so it can't be that bad, and the actual playing on this album from each of the band members is fairly decent all in all - with Bernie at least doing a good job with his vocals, especially. I feel a bit hypocritical by admitting that I do actually quite enjoy Raging Silence - which follows many similar formulas to Different World. Maybe it's just the songwriting in general that fails miserably this time around? What I mean is, the predecessor may not have sounded typically Heep-like, but at least the songs were decent whichever way you looked at them. The tracks on this follow-up however, just aren't good. And definitely less heavy.
Unless you're looking to complete a Uriah Heep collection, there's really no point in tracking down a copy of this one.
Adam's rating: 4/10
SEA OF LIGHT 1995 (SPV)
- Standouts: Take your pick...
Christ, the band had already made eighteen studio LP's before this was even released in 1995! One of heavy rock's hardest-working groups then? Probably. Of course, by '95, the roster had switched up here and there - although Lee Kerslake was still on drums and obviously Mick Box will never leave. Bernie Shaw had already been the band's vocalist for a few years by this point, and he's still here in that same position to this day.
Unlike the faceless arena rock of Different World, what I was hearing on Sea of Light was some frankly excellent melodic heavy metal with great production to top it off. I mean, opener 'Against the Odds' is an outstanding, soaring slab of heavy metal with great performances from every member of the band. The mid-tempo 'Sweet Sugar' will rock you with it's heavy, bluesy riffage while 'Time of Revelation' keeps in line with the Demons and Wizards-style 70's hard rock. 'Mistress of All Time' is a pretty cheesy ballad initially (and not really all that Heep-like either, to me), but Bernie's voice is fabulous on it. 'Fear of Falling' has an almost punk rock-like rhythm quality to it, 'Spirit of Freedom' is a solid arena rock-style kind of track and 'Love in Silence', the second ballad, features some excellent piano and organ work throughout, and is a very soulful tune. I also like the classic heavy metaller 'Fires of Hell (Your Only Son)', and closer 'Dream On' (nope, not a cover of the Aerosmith number!) ends the album on a melancholic note with some very nice acoustic work throughout. Honestly, none of the twelve tracks on here came anywhere near 'poor' for me.
Should you buy this album? Yes. That is, depending on how vintage you like your Heep, you should buy it. While Uriah Heep from the 90's onwards still sounds unmistakeably like Uriah Heep, there's still a modern sheen surrounding them. For me, that's no negative. Sea of Light is a great album on almost all levels; the only major complaint I can really think of would be the fact that the longer tracklisting here means it's more difficult to remember the songs, but there's nothing inherently 'wrong' with any of them. And even though it's difficult to really pick faults with Sea of Light, I'm still struggling to give it a 9/10. I just don't think it's worthy enough of such a score. But whatever, this is an awesomely competent slice of melodic heavy rock from a band ageing like fine wine.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
SONIC ORIGAMI 1998 (Eagle)
- Standouts: 'Between Two Worlds', 'I Hear Voices', 'Perfect Little Heart', 'Question', 'Everything in Life', 'The Golden Palace'
1998's Sonic Origami is the band's 20th studio album (!!), and it begins in typically excellent fashion with 'Between Two Worlds', a vast, classy opening number that features all the key ingredients of a great Heep tune. It's upbeat and heavy when it needs to be, but it also has moments of melodic prog that hearken back to the band's early days. And so it should, as this song is dedicated to David Byron and one of the band's key bassists of the '70s, Gary Thain. The next track, 'I Hear Voices', is really great too. It's a nice and steady rocker with plenty of groove. It has a slight modern edge going for it, but it still retains that key Uriah Heep sound we all love. 'Perfect Little Heart' is a tad lighter, fluffier ditty with a pop rock sensibility. It's drenched in Phil Lanzon's wonderful Hammond organ tones and overall it's another highlight of the album for me.
They throw in a ballad with 'Heartless Land'. It looks to have been originally released as a single, and I can only assume the version on the album is the full length piece. Anyhow, it's an acoustic-driven song and a pleasant one, with some softer vocals from Bernie Shaw. Not one of their greatest ballads, but certainly decent. 'Question' is another ballad. This one grew on me over time. It's pretty much fully-acoustic and keyboard-focused, so of course it's slow and melancholic and lacking any distorted organ sounds, but it's also very pretty. It fades out and transitions into 'Change', which is a much-needed upbeat slice of melodic rock. Not exactly heavy, but a solid number that once again recaptures some of the band's earlier sounds. It also manages to remind me of Rush a little, for some reason. And 'Everything in Life' is just excellent full-stop. Everything about it just screams classic Uriah Heep. Awesome.
'Across the Miles' feels completely out of place here, being a Survivor cover... but I actually dig it. I wasn't really familiar with the original, but either way, Heep's take on it is a finely-crafted AOR number. The longest track on this album, the 8 and a half minute 'The Golden Palace' is definitely another standout. It is played in an almost symphonic manner, and progressive-like structure. I feel it comes on too late amongst the tracklisting, but the song itself is very strong and honestly probably features one of Shaw's greatest ever vocal performances. 'Sweet Pretender' is a straightforward, old-school sounding rocker to end things on.
This album does have it's issues, sadly. 'In the Moment' may sound professional and all that jazz, but it definitely treads into filler territory. I like all of Mick's guitar chops, but the melodies are forgettable and I have a hard time remembering how this track goes right after I've heard it. I do somewhat enjoy 'Only the Young' - it's not exactly a ballad, but it does have some ballad-like qualities about it with regards to it's mellowness and dramatic chorus. I like it for the most part, but there's something rather tired-sounding about it that I can't quite put my finger on. Also, 'Shelter from the Rain' is a tad too slow and monotonous for my likes. Again, it's definitely some form of ballad, and despite making nice background music, I just feel this track drags the album out too long and wasn't needed. Meh, 'Feels Like' is mid-tempo filler too. It's listenable filler, in that it's still kinda nice to have on in the background again, but not a song that'd ever make a 'best of Uriah Heep' playlist.
I think this is a good record all in all - there are no legitimately bad songs on here in fact. The problem is there's too many of them (14... 15 if you bought the 2013 remaster, apparently), meaning the album lasts more than 70 minutes and does not flow in a way that's enjoyable from start to finish. Like I said, I can listen to any of these songs individually, but too many of them are slow-tempo ballads and the like, and the whole album just drags after an hour or so of listening. That said, some songs like 'Everything in Life', 'Between Two Worlds', 'I Hear Voices' and 'Perfect Little Heart' are brilliant, and every bit as good as anything from the Sea of Light album. It's just a shame that Sonic Origami suffers from too much content and basically just isn't as refined or polished like it's predecessor.
I think if they'd compiled this one into a double album and maybe reconfigured the order of the tracklisting, then it may have scored closer to an 8/10 for me. As it stands however, I think this is a good album with some great tracks here and there, but not one I feel like listening to from start to finish very often. Definitely worth hearing and owning for fans, but inessential for the more casual listener.
Adam's rating: 7.2/10
WAKE THE SLEEPER 2008 (Sanctuary)
- Standouts: I could probably pick any at random, so I'll just say 'Wake the Sleeper', 'Overload', 'Light of a Thousand Stars', 'What Kind of God', 'Ghost of the Ocean', 'Angels Walk with You', 'War Child'
Wake the Sleeper - the band's twenty-first studio album, and in 2008, the first in ten years - is a glorious return. Not necessarily a return to form, because they were already doing great things in the 90's, but it's still a return. Bernie sounds great throughout, in particular. The opening title track displays the band on fire! It's an extremely fast, kind of semi-instrumental track (the only words to speak of are "WAKE - THE - SPLEEPAHH!") with some incredible speed metal riffage from Mick Box. It even has those signature "aaahhh" vocal harmonies too! 'Overload' brings the tempo down a bit and see's the band rockin' once again in fine form. 'Tears of the World' is another great mid-tempo track with some almost pop rock-like hooks, but this is no bad thing - the song's catchy and memorable. I also like the melodic rock of 'Light of a Thousand Stars', and the big stadium chorus hooks of 'Heaven's Rain'. 'What Kind of God' is one of this album's centrepieces, a slow-building, powerful ballad that ends on a heavier note. Oddly, some of the more mellow guitar and bass segments of this track remind me a little of the type of proggy thing Iron Maiden have been doing since Bruce Dickinson re-joined the band at the start of the new millennium. 'Ghost of the Ocean' is one of the shorter numbers on this record, but it's a very good, 70's-sounding heavy metal number with some great wah-wah guitar leads throughout. There's another slow-building song in 'Angels Walk with You' - which is a very heavy and thumping track once it gets going. It transitions between being the heavy burner it is to a moody, mellower ballad. The album's conclusion, 'War Child' is another favourite of mine.
Like Sea of Light, there's not a whole lot of nit-picking to be done here. Maybe there's a few too many mid-tempo songs, but at least they're pretty much all more than listenable. 'Book of Lies' I guess could be described as filler, but even this song is still fairly enjoyable. Whether or not you should pick up Wake the Sleeper depends on how much of a purist you are. If it ain't retro enough for you 'cos Bernie Shaw's singing and David Byron isn't, then don't buy it. But seriously, I can't see why any self-respecting Uriah Heep fan wouldn't enjoy these later albums. They're extremely solid, competent and mature heavy rock records, and the band still put on a hell of a show in the live setting too. Like other ageing legacy acts such as Deep Purple and Saxon, Heep have been putting out some of their best material in these past couple of decades.
Adam's rating: 8.7/10
LIVING THE DREAM 2018 (Frontiers)
- Standouts: 'Grazed by Heaven', 'Living the Dream', 'Take Away My Soul', 'Knocking at My Door', 'Rocks in the Road', 'Waters Flowin'', 'It's All Been Said', 'Goodbye to Innocence'
It really is astonishing that some bands who've been in the game as long they as have, are somehow putting out some of the best material of their careers. Living the Dream truly is prime Uriah Heep!
'Grazed by Heaven' is an extremely powerful, fast and heavy opener that takes advantage of all the ingredients that made this band successful in the first place - proggy, heavy, hook-laden rock with some great guitar riffs and keyboards playing in unison. The keyboard sound on the album is very much of that classic, 70's rock Hammond organ affair that Jon Lord and Ken Hensley really helped make famous. The title song is a slower, plodding singalong number with Bernie really showing off what he can do. This song works great live, and I know from experience! 'Take Away My Soul' is one of the album's centrepieces; a fantastic and very melodic rocker with an impressive keyboard solo half-way through (not many bands pulling those off anymore!), and a killer, shredding guitar solo at the end. I love the classic 70's heavy metal sounds of 'Knocking at My Door' - also, I don't know why, but the brief, harmonic transition about three minutes into the track reminds me of the hilarious transition in Spinal Tap's 'Rock n' Roll Creation'! You know, the bit where the riffs stop and Nigel sings "I look to the stars and the answer is clear..."! This is no complaint, by the way! Some of the heavier riffs and keyboards in the eight minute plus 'Rock in the Road' sound quite similar to the first couple of albums Deep Purple were putting out with Steve Morse, and again, that's a good thing! Being a long track however, 'Rocks in the Road' obviously has it's moments of proggy greatness, with a mellow, moody transition of it's own. For the most part however, the song rocks.
'Waters Flowin'' goes a little down the folk-rock trail, but it's a very nice track, as is the ballad 'It's All Been Said'. Well, 'It's All Been Said' isn't entirely a ballad, as it does get rockin' after a couple of minutes, before reverting back to the ballady sounds it started off with. 'Goodbye to Innocence' is more of a no-nonsense, vintage metaller, but by this point on the record, something simple and straight to the point is needed anyway. I will say that the last couple of tracks, 'Falling Under Your Spell' and 'Dreams of Yesteryear' - as good as they are - are slightly weaker than the rest of the album. The former is very much you're standard Heep rocker, whereas the latter is more of a stadium rock ballad. I think if they'd been spaced out more within the record and not placed at the end, one after the other, the flow of the album would be greater. I say that because up until this point, the musicality of the album felt a bit more varied, so having 'Goodbye to Innocence' and 'Falling Under Your Spell' next to each other made them a little less memorable to me. But really, this is just a minor complaint.
Whatever this current incarnation of the Heep is doing, it works. And it works bloody well, 'cos I think Living the Dream is a brilliant album, with each band member doing a great job with their performances, plus excellent song-writing from start to finish. It felt weird giving this record a higher score than an album like ...Very 'Eavy ...Very 'Umble (which has motherfucking 'Gypsy' on it!), but the fact is I enjoy this Heep album from nearly fifty years on more so than I do the debut!
The deluxe versions of this album come packaged with a DVD, which features 'Making the Dream', a documentary of the making of the record, plus music videos for 'Grazed by Heaven' and 'Take Away My Soul'. You also get a bonus track, an alternate version of 'Take Away My Soul'. A 'standard' CD edition must exist, but every copy I've seen online was the deluxe version, so that's what I bought. I haven't watched the DVD yet... in fact, I have a stack of bonus DVD's from other records that I've still not watched. Yeah, I don't watch much TV...
Adam's rating: 9/10
CHAOS & COLOUR 2023 (Silver Lining Music)
- Standouts: 'Save Me Tonight', 'Silver Sunlight', 'Hail the Sunrise', 'Age of Changes', 'Hurricane', 'One Nation, One Sun', 'You'll Never Be Alone', 'Freedom to Be Free', 'Closer to Your Dreams'
Considering how strong this bands' other more recent albums have been, I was pretty confident Chaos & Colour would be yet another fine release from Uriah Heep. They're one of those legacy bands like Deep Purple, Magnum, Saxon and UFO that are putting out arguably some of their finest material in the later-stages of their career. I'm not saying that 2018's Living the Dream is a better record than, say, Demons and Wizards - I'm simply saying that 21st century Heep are putting out genuinely great albums that at least stack up to their golden-age stuff, even if they don't necessarily surpass them.
Anyhow, this new record opens with the fast-paced 'Save Me Tonight', which is comparable to that of other recent album openers like 'Grazed by Heaven'. Yep, it's an excellent heavy guitar and Hammond organ-drenched slice of retro metal goodness. It's followed-up by the awesomely melodic hard rock piece, 'Silver Sunlight', which features some great soaring, layered vocals from Bernie Shaw. My favourite track right now is the third one, 'Hail the Sunrise'. It's a mid-tempo cut with great lyrics about what I can only assume is prehistoric times and Stonehenge rituals. Very cool either way, and musically this track is full of heavy Mick Box riffs and big melodic, stadium rock-like choruses. This is what heavy rock is all about! There's another highly enjoyable platter to be had with 'Age of Changes'. This is another very melodic hard rock song that particularly shines in the vocal department, with it's classic harmonies and arrangements to die for from Bernie Shaw.
'Hurricane' is a tad weaker than the first four songs, but is still more than good enough to qualify a standout for me. It's one of the most metallic tracks on this album. 'One Nation, One Sun' however, overshadows it. It's a lengthy, seven-minute romp that seamlessly transitions between being a pretty piano ballad and an epic progressive rock piece. The band really do sound like the professionals they are on tracks like this one. 'Golden Light' feels like a relatively straightforward, textbook number that was added to bridge the gap between the longer 'One Nation, One Sun' and 'You'll Never Be Alone', but it's still enjoyable. Not as enjoyable as said 'You'll Never Be Alone' though, which clocks in at almost eight minutes long. Naturally, at that length it's another proggy song with plenty of surprisingly soft, warm songwriting elements as well as typically heavy, signature Heep segments. Box's solo on this track is scorching.
'Fly Like an Eagle' is the one of the shortest songs on this album, and it should satisfy your urge to hear some classic '70s rock vibes, even if it is definitely one of the weaker moments overall. Also, of the three longest tracks on the record, 'Freedom to Be Free' is maybe my least favourite of the bunch. However, that's not to say it isn't a standout - cos it most definitely is. It has a lot going for it, particularly Mr. Shaw and his vocals which are once again superb. Bernie in general really shines on this album. Plus, there's a lot of really cool solo bass work on this track around the middle of it's run-time. To top everything off, 'Closer to Your Dreams' feels like a deliberate throwback to classic songs like 'Easy Livin'' and 'Stealin'', with it's up-tempo rhythm. It's the most fun song on this record.
There's not a whole to complain about here. I like every song, even if there's a small number of tracks that are noticeably weaker than the rest ('Golden Light', 'Fly Like an Eagle'). The whole thing totals up to nearly an hour playtime, which is often a little too long for me. I'm more of an old-school, forty minute LP kind of guy - but if every song is enjoyable like they are here, then I can deal with long-length albums. Overall I think Chaos & Colour sits roughly on par with Living the Dream. Both albums are quite similar in tone, and both albums prove that Uriah Heep are still killin' it in the studio, even in 2023. If you're a Heep fan, then there's absolutely zero reason why you shouldn't be buying this album right now. Why shouldn't a band get better with age?
Adam's rating: 9/10
