Uriah Heep: Studio Discography (1970 - 2011) Re-up

Uriah Heep's by-the-books progressive heavy metal made the British band one of the most popular hard rock groups of the early '70s. Formed by vocalist David Byron and guitarist Mick Box in the late '60s, the group went through an astonishing number of members over the next two decades – nearly 30 different musicians passed through the band over the years. Byron and Box were members of the mid-'60s rock band called the Stalkers; once that band broke up, the duo formed another group called Spice. Spice would eventually turn into Uriah Heep in the late '60s, once Ken Hensley (guitar, keyboards, vocals) and bassist Paul Newton joined the pair. Former Spice drummer Alex Napier was the band's drummer for a brief time; he was quickly replaced by Nigel Olsson.

Uriah Heep released their debut album Very 'eavy…Very 'umble (called Uriah Heep in the U.S.) in 1970. After its release, Keith Baker became the group's drummer; he recorded Salisbury, the group's second album, before deciding he couldn't keep up with the band's extensive touring and was replaced by Ian Clarke. Salisbury, featuring a 16-minute title track recorded with a 26-piece orchestra, showcased the band's more progressive tendencies. Later that year, Ian Clarke was replaced by Lee Kerslake and Mark Clarke replaced Newton; Mark Clarke quickly left the band and Gary Thain became the group's bassist. This lineup of Uriah Heep was its most stable and popular; beginning with 1972's Demons and Wizards, they released five albums between 1972 and 1975.

After 1975, the band's popularity began to slip. Byron left the band in 1977 and was replaced by John Lawton, yet the group's fortunes kept declining right into the early '80s. However, Uriah Heep soldiered on, continuing to release albums into the '90s and 2000s. The album roster included Different World (1994), Sea of Light (1995), Sonic Origami (1998), and Spellbinder (1999).

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG

This album was the debut of Uriah Heep, an English band that would become one of the Titans of the '70s heavy metal sound. Despite their eventual hard-rocking reputation, Very 'Eavy…Very 'Umble finds the band trying on different stylistic hats as they work towards finding their own sound. At this juncture, their music falls halfway between the crunch of heavy metal and the dramatic arrangements of prog rock. When this style jells, the results are quite powerful: "Dreammare" blends psychedelic lyrics and a complex vocal arrangement with a stomping beat from the rhythm section to create an effective slice of prog metal fusion while "I'll Keep on Trying" presents a head-spinning, complex tune with enough riffs, hooks, and tempo changes to fill three or four songs. However, the album's finest achievement is "Gypsy": this heavy metal gem nails the blend of swirling organ riffs, power chords, and leather-lunged vocal harmonies that would define the group's classic tunes and remains a staple of the band's live performances today. Unfortunately, the focus of the album is diluted by some unsuccessful experiments: "Lucy Blues" is a dull, unmemorable stab at a Led Zeppelin-style heavy blues tune and "Come Away Melinda" is an overproduced, melodramatic cover that tries to marry the band's full-throttle musical style to a message song. Despite these occasional moments of stylistic schizophrenia, Very 'Eavy…Very 'Umble is a likable album that shows the promise that Uriah Heep would soon realize. Those unfamiliar with Uriah Heep may want to try out Demons and Wizards or a compilation first, but anyone with a serious interest in Uriah Heep or the roots of heavy metal will find plenty to like on Very 'Eavy…Very 'Umble. The American edition of this album was retitled Uriah Heep and omits "Lucy Blues" in favor of the track "Bird of Prey" from Salisbury.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Gypsy
02. Walking In Your Shadow
03. Come Away Melinda
04. Lucy Blues
05. Dreammare
06. Real Turned On
07. I'll Keep On Trying
08. Wake Up (Set Your Sights)

On their second album, Uriah Heep jettisons the experiments that weighed down Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble and works toward perfecting their blend of heavy metal power and prog rock complexity. Salisbury tips the band's style in the prog direction, containing one side of songs and one side dominated by a lengthy and ornate epic-length composition. Highlights on the song-oriented side include "Bird of Prey," a soaring rocker that blends furious, power chord-fuelled verses with spacy, keyboard-drenched instrumental breaks, and "Lady in Black," a stylishly arranged tune that builds from a folk-styled acoustic tune into a throbbing rocker full of ghostly harmonies and crunching guitar riffs. The big surprise on this side is "The Park," a ballad-style song built on a light blend of acoustic guitars and ethereal keyboards. It has a gentle, appealingly psychedelic feel that is topped off by David Byron's falsetto vocal and some soaring harmonies from Byron and Ken Hensley. However, Salisbury is undone by its title track, the 16-minute track that dominates the album's entire second side: it feels more like a lengthy jam session instead of a prog epic with distinctive and carefully crafted sections. Another problem is that the overly busy brass and woodwind arrangements that have been grafted onto it intrude on the group's sound instead of fleshing it out. All in all, Salisbury is too unfocused for the casual listener but offers enough solid songs for the Uriah Heep completist. Collector's note: The American version of this album had different cover art (the tank on the British edition was replaced by a gruesome image of man tearing out of his own skin) and replaced "Bird of Prey" with a bluesy B-side entitled "Simon the Bullet Freak."

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Bird of prey
02. The park
03. Time to live
04. Lady in black
05. High priestess
06. Salisbury

The third time proved to be the charm for Uriah Heep: on Look at Yourself, the group perfects its fusion of heavy metal power and prog rock majesty, and the result is one of the best albums in the Heep catalog. The gauntlet is thrown down on the title track, a powerful rocker that layers its relentless hard rock attack with ornate vocal harmonies and quicksilver organ runs before climaxing with a tribal-sounding drum jam. The remainder of Look at Yourself presents an effective blend of gutsy guitar rock and organ-fueled prog excursions. In the rock arena, the gems are "Tears in My Eyes," a powerful rocker driven by an almost rockabilly-style riff that stops midway for a surprising vocal harmony break supported by smooth wah-wah guitar, and "Love Machine," a short, punchy slice of hard rock built on an infectious, stomping rhythm. However, the best track on the album is one of the more prog-oriented ones: "July Morning" starts with a pastoral organ riff, then builds into a heavy yet symphonic rock tune that divides its time between gentle acoustic verses and emotional, organ-fueled choruses before climaxing in a monstrous jam dominated by a swirling Moog synthesizer lead. Special note should also be taken of David Byron's vocal performance; his multi-octave, operatic style was no doubt an influence on later metal vocalists like Rob Halford. All in all, Look at Yourself is both one of Uriah Heep's finest, most cohesive albums and a high point of 1970s heavy metal.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01.Look at yourself
02.I wanna be free
03.July morning
04.Tears in my eyes
05.Shadows of Grief
06.What should be done
07.Love machine

This is the album that solidified Uriah Heep's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected heavy metal. From short, sharp rock songs to lengthy, musically dense epics, Demons and Wizards finds Uriah Heep covering all the bases with style and power. The album's approach is set with its lead-off track, "The Wizard": it starts as a simple acoustic tune but soon builds into a stately rocker that surges forth on a Wall of Sound built from thick guitar riffs, churchy organ, and operatic vocal harmonies. Other highlights include "Traveller in Time," a fantasy-themed rocker built on thick wah-wah guitar riffs, and "Circle of Hands," a stately power ballad with a gospel-meets-heavy metal feel to it. Demons and Wizards also produced a notable radio hit for the band in "Easy Livin'," a punchy little rocker whose raging blend of fuzz guitar and swirling organ made it feel like a '70s update of classic '60s garage rockers like the Electric Prunes or Paul Revere & the Raiders. However, the top highlight of the album is the closing medley of "Paradise" and "The Spell": the first part of the medley starts in an acoustic folk mode and slowly adds layers of organ and electric guitar until it becomes a forceful, slow-tempo rocker, while the second half is a punchy, organ-led rocker that includes an instrumental midsection where choral-style harmonies fortify a killer, Pink Floyd-style guitar solo from Ken Hensley. All in all, Demons and Wizards works both as a showcase for Uriah Heep's instrumental firepower and an excellent display of their songwriting skills in a variety of hard rock styles. As a result, it is considered by many fans to be their finest hour and is definitely worth a spin for anyone with an interest in 1970s heavy metal.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Wizard
02. Traveller In Time
03. Easy Livin'
04. Poet's Justice
05. Circle Of Hands
06. Rainbow Demon
07. All My Life
08. Paradise (A)
09. The Spell (B)

After reaching an international level of success with Demons and Wizards, Uriah Heep continued to build their fan base by knocking out another album of prog-like metal before the year's end. The end result, The Magician's Birthday, is not as consistent or cohesive as Demons and Wizards but still offers plenty of highlights. It starts dramatically with "Sunrise," a spooky power ballad that alternates quiet organ-led verses with an emotional chorus and guitar-fuelled instrumental breaks topped off by David Byron's operatic wail. The remainder of the album divides its time between punchy rockers and spacy balladry before climaxing with another prog-inflected epic. Highlights in the rock arena include "Blind Eye," an acoustic-flavored rocker whose galloping pace is firmly anchored by Gary Thain's melodic bassline, and "Sweet Lorraine," a stomping good-time rocker that adds extra texture to its guitar-driven sound with some spacy synthesizer lines. As for the quieter moments, "Rain" is a lovely piano ballad that makes surprising and impressive use of a xylophone in its sound and "Echoes in the Dark" is an eerie mid-tempo song that alternates stark piano-led verses with an emotional chorus cemented by Mick Box's searing guitar leads. There is also another multi-part epic in the title track, a prog-ish piece with fantasy themes. It lacks a strong structure (it feels more like three songs grafted together than a true multi-part composition) and succumbs to a bit of aimless jamming in the middle, but it is redeemed by strong hooks in the opening and a spirited performance from the band on its space rock finale. All in all, The Magician's Birthday never quite hits the consistent heights of Look at Yourself or Demons and Wizards but remains a solid listen for Uriah Heep fans.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Sunrise
02. Spider Woman
03. Blind Eye
04. Echoes in the Dark
05. Rain
06. Sweet Lorraine
07. Tales
08. The Magician's Birthday

By 1973, Uriah Heep had progressed from an English heavy metal band to a worldwide success. They moved on to a new label (Warner Bros.) and began to explore new styles to flesh out their combination of prog complexity and heavy metal muscle. The band's desire to break new ground is established with the lead-off track, "Dreamer": while it riffs as hard as the band's past rockers, it adds a surprising element of funkiness into the band's sound. The gentle, acoustic guitar-dominated "Circus" is another change of pace that pushes the group's sound in a meditative, folky direction. The group also explores new avenues in the lyrical arena. Instead of the mystical tales that dominated albums like Demons and Wizards, Sweet Freedom offers lyrics designed to appeal to the listener on a personal level: The most stirring example is "Stealin'," a song about the regrets that come with living a self-obsessed life. These sentiments were combined with a stirring, soulful melody that helped make the song a radio favorite. Another highlight in this vein is the title track, a song that combines lyrics about the price of being free with an organ-fuelled, hymn-like melody. Despite these successful experiments, there are a few tracks that weigh the proceedings down: "Seven Stars" takes an exciting riff and runs it into the ground with a repetitive arrangement and "Pilgrim" is an over-the-top stab at an adventure tale that pushes the group's excesses to the level of self-parody. However, Sweet Freedom is likable enough to triumph over these missteps. While it isn't the group's finest record, it remains a solid listen for Uriah Heep fans.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Dreamer
02. Stealin'
03. One Day
04. Sweet Freedom
05. If I Had The Time
06. Seven Stars
07. Circus
08. Pilgrim

Wonderworld continues in the vein of Sweet Freedom, trying to bring Uriah Heep's appeal to a wider level while still retaining the grandiose trademark elements (the organ-guitar attack, David Byron's operatic shriek) that got them noticed. The result is an album that is solid but not as inspired as Look at Yourself or Demons and Wizards. The hard rock quotient is a little stronger on this album than it was on Sweet Freedom: "Something or Nothing" is a galloping stomp-rocker in the vein of past classics like "Love Machine" and "Suicidal Man" is an organ-fortified speed-rocker that is one of the band's finest hard rock tunes. On other tracks, the group continues in the experimental vein of Sweet Freedom: "The Shadows and the Wind" tacks a Queen-style round of a cappella harmonies onto its tag and "We Got We" marries one of the band's gothic melodies to a funky rhythm track that features some tasty clavinet jamming from Ken Hensley. However, the most successful experiment is "The Easy Road," an orchestrated romantic ballad that features a lovely, understated vocal performance from David Byron. Despite these highlights, the remainder of Wonderworld has trouble sustaining a similar level of inspiration: The title track is powerfully performed but feels like the band is going through the motions and "Dreams" lacks the strong melody necessary to prop up the song's interesting riffs. Ultimately, Wonderworld lacks the consistency and the high number of standout tunes that would help it win over new listeners but contains enough highlights to please the Uriah Heep fan base.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Wonderworld
02. Suicidal Man
03. The Shadow And The Wind
04. So Tired
05. The Easy Road
06. Something Or Nothing
07. I Won't Mind
08. We Got We
09. Dreams

After two albums that downplayed their penchant for gothic sounds and mystical lyrics, Uriah Heep brought these elements back to the fore on 1975's Return to Fantasy. The resulting album retains the musical experimentation that marked Sweet Freedom and Wonderworld but has an overall harder-rocking feel that makes it more consistent than either one of those albums. Return to Fantasy throws down the gauntlet with the title track, which builds from a tapestry of spooky synthesizer and organ riffs into a thunderous rock tune where the guitar and organ duel over a galloping backbeat laid down by Lee Kerslake. It's bracing stuff and one of the finest rockers in the Uriah Heep canon. The rest of the first side continues in a similarly strong hard rock vein and its other key highlight is "Beautiful Dream," a song that marries stomping hard rock verses to a spooky, ethereal chorus that sounds like it could have been plucked from a mid-'70s Pink Floyd album. On the second side, Uriah Heep gives themselves over to experiments that, while listenable, cause the album to lose focus. For instance, "Prima Donna" is a sardonic commentary on the rock & roll world that features a prominent brass section and prominently overdubbed Beach Boys-style harmonies, while "Your Turn to Remember" is the kind of bluesy AOR ballad that would later be specialized in by groups like Journey. Both songs are fun listening but stray too far from the group's traditional sound and are too dissimilar to make Return to Fantasy a cohesive experience. Despite these problems, the group never turns in a less-than-engaging instrumental performance and the consistent quality of their work keeps the album from getting carried away by all the genre-hopping. In the end, Return to Fantasy lacks the coherence of a top-shelf Uriah Heep classic like Demons and Wizards but remains a strong and likable album that is guaranteed to please the group's fans.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Return to Fantasy
02. Shady Lady
03. Devil's Daughter
04. Beautiful Dream
05. Prima Donna
06. Your Turn to Remember
07. Show Down
08. Why Did You Go?
09. A Year or a Day

By 1976, Uriah Heep was on shaky ground. Although they had scored a big success with Return to Fantasy, the group was suffering from personality conflicts (vocalist David Byron left after this album) and division over their musical direction. This tension is visibly apparent on High and Mighty, an album that shows flashes of the group's old firepower, but is ultimately sunk by a combination of unfocused experimentation and uneven songwriting. It starts promisingly with a solid first side: "One Way or Another" is a surging, dramatic hard rocker that features Ken Hensley trading verses with bassist John Wetton, and "Misty Eyes" is an engaging up-tempo tune that trades the group's hard rock thunder for a sound built on some tasty acoustic guitar riffs. It also contains one of the group's finest songs in "Midnight," a meditation on the price of success that neatly balances Mick Box's soaring guitar leads with an array of lush keyboard textures from Ken Hensley. This song is also notable for the dramatic, heart-wrenching vocal it is given by David Byron. However, High and Mighty fails to maintain this standard of quality on its second side. Several of the songs find the band flirting with pop elements in a way that doesn't complement their hard rocking style: "Can't Stop Singing" starts curiously with "Monty Python"-style mock tribal chants before devolving into a silly keyboard pop tune, and the hard rock energy of "Woman of the World" is sunk by the ridiculously bouncy beat and English music hall-style piano it is saddled with. The second side also sports a surprisingly lame and derivative rocker in "Make a Little Love," a throwaway that sounds like an uninspired attempt to duplicate the sound of Bad Company. All in all, High and Mighty is far too uneven to win Uriah Heep any new fans, but it contains enough solid rockers to make it worth a listen for the group's devoted ones.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. One Way Or Another
02. Weep In Silence
03. Misty Eyes
04. Midnight
05. Can't Keep A Good Band Down
06. Woman Of The World
07. Footprints In The Snow
08. Can't Stop Singing
09. Make A Little Love
10. Confession

After losing founding vocalist David Byron in 1976, many hard rock fans thought Uriah Heep had reached the end of the line. However, the group bounced back in 1977 with Firefly, an album that pursued a stripped-down sound harking back to the group's early-'70s successes. They also boasted a new singer in John Lawton, a vocalist who had made his fame working with artsy German hard rockers Lucifer's Friend. Although he lacked the multi-octave range of David Byron, Lawton boasted an impressive and emotionally rich hard rock voice that instantly jelled with the Uriah Heep sound. An ideal example of this new synergy was provided by the opening track, "The Hanging Tree," which featured Lawton dramatically delivering a narrative about an outlaw on the run over a spooky musical track that blended echo-drenched synthesizers with some typically gutsy guitar riffs from Mick Box. Other memorable tracks on Firefly include "Who Needs Me," a spirited slice of boogie rock with a rousing singalong chorus, and the title track, a miniature prog epic that deftly blends balladry, hard rock, and acoustic-styled folk into one cohesive outing. Nothing on Firefly hits the epic heights of "Gypsy" or "July Morning," but it contains none of the failed experiments that weighed down High and Mighty and it further benefits from a nice sense of consistency that is built on tight songwriting and inspired performances. In the end, Firefly remains one of the most cohesive albums from Uriah Heep's mid- to late-'70s period and is guaranteed to bring a smile to the faces of the group's fan base.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. The Hanging Tree
02. Been Away Too Long
03. Who Needs Me
04. Wise Man
05. Do You Know
06. Rollin' On
07. Sympathy
08. Firefly

After breaking in new vocalist John Lawton on the back-to-basics outing Firefly, Uriah Heep once again found themselves feeling the need to experiment a bit on Innocent Victim. The resulting album doesn't cohere as neatly as Firefly did, but manages to keep the listener engaged thanks to a combination of slick performances from the band and a handful of truly great Uriah Heep songs. Overall, Innocent Victim's blend of sharp, short rockers and pop-friendly ballads feels like an attempt to court the American AOR market. The rockers are all pretty strong stuff: "Free 'n' Easy" is a fast-moving tune built on an ear-scorching guitar riff that feels like boogie rock in overdrive, while "Roller" is a stylish midtempo track that blends funky, languid verses with a faster, bass-driven chorus that ups the song's rock quotient. The band also weaves in some experimental tracks that hit the bull's eye: "Illusion" is a spacy tale about dreaming that creates a rich atmosphere through an arrangement built on strong keyboard and vocal textures, while "The Dance" successfully marries a reggae beat to its prog-like melody. Meanwhile, the album's ballad leanings brought Uriah Heep one of their biggest international hits in the form of "Free Me," a tune whose acoustic style and accent on harmonies brought the group dangerously close to Eagles territory. The downside of Innocent Victim is that it works a little too hard at being radio-friendly: despite their high level of energy, songs like "Keep on Ridin'" and "Flyin' High" are too contrived and self-consciously poppy to sit comfortably alongside gutsy rockers like "Free 'n' Easy." Despite this unevenness in tone, Innocent Victim remains a likable album with enough strong material to satisfy Uriah Heep's admirers.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Keep On Ridin'
02. Flyin' High
03. Roller
04. Free 'N' Easy
05. Illusion
06. Free Me
07. Cheat 'N' Lie
08. The Dance
09. Choices

On Fallen Angel, Uriah Heep continued the push toward an AOR-friendly style that began with Innocent Victim. The resulting album is too poppy to please hardcore metal fans and too eccentric to fit the bill of an AOR record, but it still manages to be a surprisingly enjoyable listen. Fallen Angel focuses squarely on crafting driving rock tunes leavened with a series of pop hooks: "Woman of the Night" pairs guitar-bolstered verses with a harmony-drenched chorus reminiscent of Queen while "One More Night" cleverly conforms the sloppy good cheer of boogie rock to a pop song format. Other tracks find the band stretching their heavy-AOR ambitions into other genres: the burbling synthesizers and stuttering bassline of "Whad'ya Say" lend that song a disco feel while the insistent, naggingly catchy "la la la" chorus of "Love or Nothing" suggests the group had spent some time listening to old bubblegum pop singles. This surprising diversity points out the problems with Fallen Angel: it goes in so many different directions that it never coheres the way a really good album should, and it strays too far from the group's original sound to really fit in with the rest of their catalog. Nonetheless, it is simply too energetic and well-crafted to be rejected as a bad album. Patient Uriah Heep fans will also be rewarded with some stunning tracks that hark back to the group's gothic metal style: "I'm Alive" is a barnstorming anthem of self-affirmation that layers Mick Box's soaring yet mournful slide guitar leads over a furious, double-time backbeat from Lee Kerslake and the title track is a gothic-tinged ballad about a lost romance that is built on a haunting chorus and an atmospheric backing of acoustic guitar and synthesizer. All in all, Fallen Angel may not please Uriah Heep fans who favor the group's Demons and Wizards-era style, but it offers enough slickly crafted music to please any fan of '70s AOR sounds.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Woman Of The Night
02. Falling In Love
03. One More Night (Last Farewell)
04. Put Your Lovin' On Me
05. Come Back To Me
06. Whad' Ya Say
07. Save It
08. Love Or Nothing
09. I'm Alive
10. Fallen Angel

Uriah Heep's first new album in almost two years, and their first, too, since the departure of vocalist John Lawton, was all but overlooked at the time of its release, and that despite Heep being very much in the forefront of the bands lionized by the then-prevalent New Wave or British Heavy Metal. Certainly, new vocalist John Sloman was cut in that mold, and if bandmates Mick Box, Chris Slade, Trevor Bolder, and Ken Hensley do sometimes seem a little uncertain about the newcomer's talents, it should also be noted that this is the freshest-sounding Heep album since the mid-'70s. No longer attempting to trade off former glories, the band is hard and sharp throughout, with the eight tracks averaging out around the five-minute mark, and all being designed according to what they could bring to the live show – which, at this time, was seething. The one-two punch of the opening "No Return" and "Imagination" certainly take no prisoners and, while Conquest would ultimately prove a false dawn (a very different lineup recorded Heep's next album, Abominog), at the time, fans could scarcely have asked for anything more.

by Dave Thompson, AMG

Tracklist:

01. No Return
02. Imagination
03. Feelings
04. Fools
05. Carry On
06. Won't Have To Wait Too Long
07. Out On The Street
08. It Ain't Easy

By the dawn of the 1980s, Uriah Heep was considered a relic in the heavy metal world and no one was surprised when they disbanded shortly after 1980s half-hearted Conquest album. However, everyone listening received an unexpected surprise when the band returned with a new lineup and a sleek, revamped sound on 1982's Abominog. If one can get past the Spinal Tap-like title and the gruesome cover art, this outing quickly reveals itself to be one of the most consistent and engaging albums in the group's lengthy catalog. The new Uriah Heep that debuted on this outing was a different animal from the gothic metal ensemble that barnstormed its way through albums like Look at Yourself and Return to Fantasy: echoes of the group's old style could be heard in the drama and instrumental firepower of the new songs, but the overall sound owed a greater debt to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and harder-rocking AOR groups of the time. The tone is set by opening track "Too Scared to Run," a dynamic rocker that contrasts its furious guitar-laden verses with a harmony-drenched chorus worthy of Queen. Other sharp rockers in this vein include "Running All Night (With the Lion)," a punchy rocker that pairs an ascending guitar riff with a singalong chorus, and "Hot Persuasion," a lusty metal opus that sounds like Foreigner gone metal crazy. Elsewhere, the band balances the hard rock with mid-tempo tunes that marry their energy to sweet AOR melodies: "Chasing Shadows" allows John Sinclair's keyboards to take the lead on a tune that marries power chords to synth pop hooks, while "That's the Way That It Is" became a hit single thanks to its combination of slick harmonies and an insidiously catchy melody. It's a diverse bill of fare but it manages to cohere nicely thanks to a tight, unified attack from the band that is built on the synthesis between Mick Box's thick guitar riffs and John Sinclair's symphonically layered keyboards. Special note should also be taken of the group's new vocalist, Peter Goalby: His emphatic vocal style suggests a cross between Ronnie James Dio and Lou Gramm. It fits the music's powerful-yet-slick style like a glove and provides the emotional intensity necessary to put the songs over the top. In the end, "Abominog" rocks hard enough to please heavy metal addicts but is slick enough to win over AOR fanatics and this combination makes it one Uriah Heep's most enduring achievements in the album format.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Too Scared To Run
02. Chasing Shadows
03. On The Rebound
04. Hot Night In A Cold Town
05. Running All Night (With The Lion)
06. That's The Way It Is
07. Prisoner
08. Hot Persuasion
09. Sell Your Soul
10. Think It Over

After rising from the ashes with 1982's impressive Abominog, Uriah Heep continued to pursue a similar combination of heavy metal firepower and AOR sleekness on Head First. This album lacks the consistently strong tunes and unified feel of its predecessor, but it still offers enough highlights to make it worth a listen. Head First does best when it concentrates on songs that evenly balance power chords and pop hooks: "The Other Side of Midnight" cleverly balances a boisterous pop-tinged melody built on a pulsating bassline with plenty of powerful guitar riffing while "Weekend Warriors" layers its shout-along chorus over a slick rock backing that fuses programmed synthesizer lines with high-flying guitar work and relentless double-time drumming from the ever-reliable Lee Kerslake. However, Head First occasionally loses the plot when it strays from this balancing act: "Love Is Blind" works too hard to ape AOR conventions and comes off sounding faceless as a result, while "Roll-Overture" is an ornate prog instrumental that doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album due to its lack of hooks and guitar riffs. The album also runs into problems in the lyrical department due to its overt AOR-styled reliance on the travails of love as its main subject matter (see "Sweet Talk" and "Love Is Blind"). Despite these occasional shortcomings, Head First manages to work, thanks to its consistent high level of energy. Even at its poppiest, the album throbs with guitar-fuelled energy: for a good example look no further than the band's cover of Bryan Adams' "Lonely Nights," where the poppish quality of the melody is boosted into the hard rock stratosphere by a lengthy succession of guitar riffs and a relentless backbeat. In the end, Head First's adherence to AOR stylings may turn off some hard rock fans but there is enough energetic, well-crafted music here to please anyone who liked Abominog.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. The Other Side Of Midnight
02. Stay On Top
03. Lonely Nights
04. Sweet Talk
05. Love Is Blind
06. Roll-Overture
07. Red Lights
08. Rollin' The Rock
09. Straight Through The Heart
10. Weekend Warriors

Uriah Heep were perhaps a little traumatized back in 1985. They had endured the commercial disappointment of Head First and the subsequent loss of their recording contract. Fortunately, CBS imprint Portrait Records offered the free agents another chance that was sadly squandered with the release of Equator. The Def Leppard knockoff "Rockarama" is a desperate opener that sets a contrived tone for what's to follow on this pop-metal mistake. Some formulaic lyrics ("Bad Blood") and inane power balladry ("Lost One Love") follow, essentially choking the life out of Equator before the fourth track even begins. Listeners brave enough to venture more deeply into this set are not rewarded for their effort, as numbers like "Skool's Burnin'" and "Party Time" do nothing to lower this record's high-schmaltz rating. Another lackluster '80s outing from Uriah Heep, Equator tightly circles the commercial rock format of its day: a treacherous territory that the band had no chance to successfully navigate.

by Jason Anderson, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Rockarama
02. Bad Blood
03. Lost One Love
04. Angel
05. Holding On
06. Party Time
07. Poor Little Rich Girl
08. Skools Burnin'
09. Heartache City
10. Night of the Wolf

Uriah Heep is one of the few heavy metal/hard rock outfits that can rival Deep Purple when it comes to an abundance of personnel changes; you could write a book about the many different Uriah Heep lineups that existed in the 1970s and 1980s. Because it was such a revolving door, its work became increasingly erratic as time passed – many headbangers gave up on the band in the late '70s. Recorded in 1988 and 1989 and released in April 1989, Raging Silence is the work of a band that was long past its prime. On this CD, the five-man lineup includes founder/guitarist Mick Box as well as lead singer Bernie Shaw, bassist Trevor Bolder, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, and drummer Lee Kerslake. The material is generic arena rock – try as it might, Uriah Heep is unable to recapture the magic and creativity of its early years. Corporate rock items like "Cry Freedom" and "Blood Red Roses" are mildly catchy, and a cover of Argent's "Hold Your Head Up" is pleasant enough. But even so, Raging Silence pales in comparison to classics like 1971's Look at Yourself and 1972's Demons and Wizards. Not a disaster but certainly unremarkable, this CD is strictly for completists.

by Alex Henderson, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Hold Your Head Up
02. Blood Red Roses
03. Voice On My TV
04. Rich Kid
05. Cry Freedom
06. Bad Bad Man
07. More Fool You
08. When The War Is Over
09. Lifeline
10. Rough Justice

Continuing an early-'90s decent into faceless mediocrity, Different World is yet another technically sound but artistically bland recording from Uriah Heep. Originally released in 1991, the more common Castle Records reissue (featuring three bonus tracks) hit stores in 1994. Joined by Trevor Bolder on bass, Lee Kerslake on drums, keyboard player Phil Lanzon, and vocalist Bernie Shaw, founding member Mick Box does nothing to enhance the reputation of his over-ripe project. After some decrepit Def Leppard and Journey knockoffs open Different World, things deteriorate as the album descends into Bryan Adams oblivion. Barely a shell of their former selves, there's not even a hint of the group's classic British metal. While a few extra-large choruses might remind die-hard fans of the band's glory days, casual listeners will find it difficult to tolerate the squishy soft rock sound: an approach safe enough to make Bad English sound like early Metallica. As with a majority of Uriah Heep's post-Abominog attempts at relevancy, Different World is for Uriah Heep completists only.

by Jason Anderson, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Blood on Stone
02. Which Way Will the Wind Blow
03. All God's Children
04. All for One
05. Different World
06. Step by Step
07. Seven Days
08. First Touch
09. One on One
10. Cross that Line
11. Stand Back

Although they had continued to record steadily after making a comeback with 1982's Abominog, Uriah Heep had slipped off the heavy metal world's radar by the mid-1990s. Just the same, they manage to notch up an impressive and well-received album in 1995 with Sea of Light. The key to this album's success is that it forsook the ill-judged pop metal stylings of albums like Equator for a return to the gothic-tinged old-school metal style that highlighted classic Uriah Heep albums like Look at Yourself. A great example is "A Time of Revelation," a gutsy rock tune that glides forwards on a one-two-three punch of thick guitar work, rousing organ riffs, and several layers of operatic vocal harmonies. Meanwhile, "Against the Odds" resurrects the operatic feel of the group's early work, and "Sweet Sugar" is a gritty rocker that could have easily fit in on Return to Fantasy. However, the classic rock punch of Sea of Light is tempered with a mature lyrical outlook that forsakes the Dungeons and Dragons themes of their 1970s output and the AOR-styled love lyrics of their 1980s albums for a world-conscious outlook. Sometimes they get a bit carried away when they try for the message song ("Universal Wheels" lays it on a little too thick, especially when it starts working in faux news report sound bites about the world's problems), but the positivism expressed in tunes like "Spirit of Freedom" and "Logical Progression" is appealing, and these lyrics effectively complement the generally anthemic tone of the music. In the end, Sea of Light may be a little too old-fashioned for rockers accustomed to Metallica and Megadeth, but those who enjoy the heavier side of classic rock will find plenty of old-school pleasures on this disc.

by Donald A. Guarisco, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Against The Odds
02. Sweet Sugar
03. Time Of Revelation
04. Mistress Of All Time
05. Universal Wheels
06. Fear Of Falling
07. Spirit Of Freedom
08. Logical Progression
09. Love In Silence
10. Words In The Distance
11. Fires Of Hell
12. Dream On

Originally issued in Japan in 1998, Sonic Origami was released in the U.S. a year later with the bonus track intact. The album has a grand, epic tone throughout that doesn't always match Uriah Heep's journeyman-sounding prog-tinged hard rock, and some songs' lyrics sink under the weight of their pretension or sentimentality. But for diehard Heep fans those are minor quibbles; while the group's sound may not be devastatingly original anymore, they are definitely quite committed to their performances, and the occasional overreaching is part and parcel with this sort of classic AOR pomp-rock (and, in fact, constitutes a not insignificant part of its appeal). So ultimately, it's difficult to criticize Sonic Origami too harshly, because it is a solid entry in its chosen genre. And – especially given that Uriah Heep has put out more than their fair share of lifeless crap over the years – it's actually pretty admirable that the band is continuing to release respectable records this far into their career. Classic rock fans will probably enjoy this without reservation.

by Steve Huey, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Between Two Worlds
02. I Hear Voices
03. Perfect Little Heart
04. Heartless Land
05. Only The Young
06. In The Moment
07. Question
08. Change
09. Shelter From The Rain
10. Everything In Life
11. Across The Miles
12. Feels Like
13. The Golden Palace
14. Sweet Pretender

Although Uriah Heep is known for its extensive personnel changes, its lineup has been stable since the mid-'80s; unfortunately, that stability coincided with the band's commercial decline (its last album to chart in the U.S. came in 1983, its last in its native U.K., 1985). So, no one outside the group's fan base noticed that the quintet of founding member and guitarist Mick Box, drummer Lee Kerslake (1971-1978, 1982-2007), bassist Trevor Bolder (who joined in 1977, left during the band's hiatus in the early '80s, and returned a couple of years after its re-formation), singer Bernie Shaw, and keyboard player Phil Lanzon (both of whom joined in the mid-'80s) remained in place through numerous world tours and the studio albums Raging Silence (1989), Different World (1991), Sea of Light (1995), and Sonic Origami (1998). Since then, a series of live albums have testified to Uriah Heep's continued existence. In January 2007, Kerslake bowed out due to health problems and was replaced by the capable Russell Gilbrook. Wake the Sleeper, Uriah Heep's first studio album in ten years and 21st overall, finds the group attempting to reclaim its original glory. It has had time to gather some quality material and to assess its long-term musical approach, and the album is both consistent with its sound over the years and a statement of purpose for the present and the future. As if to blow away the cobwebs, the album begins with three consecutive quick-tempo rockers, the title song (which has no lyrics except for that title), "Overload," and the socially conscious "Tears of the World" ("The tears of the world keep falling until we stand together.") Things slow down only slightly with "Light of a Thousand Stars," which, like much of the rest of the album, sounds like it could have been made in 1978 instead of 2008. The guitar/organ/bass/drums instrumental lineup often recalls Deep Purple, and Shaw's clear tenor is reminiscent of Journey's Steve Perry and Boston's Brad Delp. This, of course, is one of the problems with Uriah Heep. Thirty-eight years into an artist's career, critics should not be falling back on the "sounds like" game to describe the music. And yet those comparisons are hard to avoid; one hears a little Led Zeppelin here ("Book of Lies"), a little Deep Purple there ("Angels Walk with You"), and sometimes just a generic '70s prog rock style ("Heavens Rain," "What Kind of God"). But maybe that's just to say that Wake the Sleeper isn't going to change anyone's mind about Uriah Heep. The album is true to the band's legacy, and the songs should please longtime fans who come out to the shows, juxtaposed with more familiar old songs in the set list.

by William Ruhlmann, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Wake The Sleeper
02. Overload
03. Tears Of The World
04. Light Of A Thousand Stars
05. Heavens Rain
06. Book Of Lies
07. What Kind Of God
08. Ghost Of The Ocean
09. Angels Walk With You
10. Shadow
11. War Child

Creatively, Uriah Heep have had plenty of ups and downs over the years. Many fans of their early- to mid-'70s output gave up on them in the late '70s, but even though Uriah Heep had more than their share of uneven albums in the '80s and '90s, you can never really count these guys out. Even if they record a weak or forgettable album, the next album might turn out to be pretty good. Celebration, it turns out, is a respectable addition to their sizable catalog. This release finds Uriah Heep's 2009 lineup – lead singer Bernie Shaw, guitarist Mick Box, bassist Trevor Bolder, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, and drummer Russell Gilbrook – revisiting a lot of songs from the band's early- to mid-'70s heyday. "Corridors of Madness" and "Only Human" are new songs, and "Between Two Worlds" was originally recorded for 1998's Sonic Origami. But most of the songs that Uriah Heep revisit are from the David Byron era, including "Gypsy" from 1970's Very 'Eavy Very 'Umble, "July Morning" from 1971's Look at Yourself, and "The Wizard" and "Easy Livin'" from 1972's Demons and Wizards. And if Shaw sounds perfectly comfortable belting out gems that the late Byron originally sang lead on, it's no coincidence; Shaw has performed classics like "Gypsy" and "The Wizard" countless times with Uriah Heep on-stage since joining the band in 1986. None of these remakes are radically different from the original versions; Celebration, is, for the most part, a tribute to Uriah Heep's glory years. The results fall short of essential – novices would be better off starting out with a collection of actual Byron-era recordings – but even so, Celebration is still an enjoyable listen for die-hard fans of these prog-influenced metal/hard rock survivors.

by Alex Henderson, AMG

Tracklist:

01 - Only Human
02 - Bird Of Prey
03 - Sunrise
04 - Stealin'
05 - Corridors Of Madness
06 - Between Two Worlds
07 - The Wizard
08 - Free Me
09 - Free And Easy
10 - Gypsy
11 - Look At Yourself
12 - July Morning
13 - Easy Living
14 - Lady In Black

Uriah Heep play to their strengths on Into the Wild, the band's 22nd studio album in 41 years. Despite the group's reputation for personnel changes, its current members have mostly been in place for decades (drummer Russell Gilbrook joined in 2007), and they play like musicians who have been reading each other's minds on-stage during hundreds of shows a year for many years; the disc is full of cohesive musical teamwork, creating a unified sound. Like many long-lived outfits, Uriah Heep created a classic sound (the goth/prog style of the early ‘70s), then spent an extended period (mostly the ‘80s) modifying that sound to try to conform to contemporary styles, after which (starting with 1995's Sea of Light), they fell back on trying to re-create their golden era. The group is, in a sense, a tribute band to itself, and while it has worked steadily, it has recorded less frequently; Into the Wild's predecessor, Wake the Sleeper (2008), was the first new Uriah Heep studio album in nine years. Like Wake the Sleeper, Into the Wild sounds like an album that could have been made in the 1970s. From the outset with "Nail on the Head," the hard rock style is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and, particularly, Bad Company, with singer Bernie Shaw often recalling Paul Rodgers. On songs like "Money Talk," which prominently feature Phil Lanzon's organ, Deep Purple is heavily suggested. The songs, mostly written by Lanzon with sole original member and guitarist Mick Box, have sturdy structures all the better for filling with soaring guitar solos and lyrics that, notably on the power ballad "Trail of Diamonds," can lean toward the mystical. There may be no new Uriah Heep classics here, but there are songs that can be slotted in the set list among the group's classics without sending fans rushing to the concession stands. Uriah Heep don't really need to make new albums anymore, but it's understandable that, as an ongoing outfit, they want to, and Into the Wild is a respectable addition to their catalog.

by William Ruhlmann, AMG

Tracklist:

01. Nail on the Head
02. I Can See You
03. Into the Wild
04. Money Talk
05. I'm Ready
06. Trail of Diamonds
07. Southern Star
08. Believe
09. Lost
10. T-Bird Angel
11. Kiss of Freedom



All thanks go to alonzo