Band:
Mick Box : Guitars, Vocals
Trevor Bolder: Bass, Vocals
Russell Gilbrook: Drums Vocals
Phil Lanzon: Keyboards, Vocals
Bernie Shaw: Lead Vocals
Discography:
1970 Very 'eavy... Very 'umble
1971 Salisbury
1971 Look at Yourself
1972 Demons and Wizards
1972 The Magician's Birthday
1973 Sweet Freedom
1974 Wonderworld
1975 Return to Fantasy
1976 High and Mighty
1977 Firefly
1977 Innocent Victim
1978 Fallen Angel
1980 Conquest
1982 Abominog
1983 Head First
1985 Equator
1989 Raging Silence
1991 Different World
1995 Sea of Light
1998 Sonic Origami
2008 Wake the Sleeper
2009 Celebration
Guests:
Info
Producer Mike Paxman
Released 15/4-2011
Reviewed 22/3-2011
Links:
uriah-heep.com
myspace
frontiers
It is also a band that I grew up with, not one of the favourites but I remember some of the albums and some of the music as well and I can say that I later have gotten to know all of it, I have actually heard all the 23 studio albums the band has released to date. That would qualify me somewhat to know a little I think. But for you who have no knowledge whatsoever, the band was formed back in the day when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, the first Uriah Heep objects found have been dated back to 1969 when David Byron – vocals, Mick Box – guitar, Ken Hensley – keyboards, Paul Newton – bass guitar and Alex Napier – drums were the band, nowadays only Box is left of those and he has a new band of course, not so new though as they have been playing together for quite some time. The band’s debut album has been carbon dated back to 1970 and was called Very ‘eavy, Very ‘umble, which is considered one of the milestones in the history of rock music.
Uriah Heep is considered to be a progressive rock/metal band according to info I can find and maybe a little of such, there is a lot of prominent organs in their music, probably a remnant from the time when Ken Hensley was the main creative force in the band. Their sound is rock/metal with some progressive elements and very prominent sound of the Hammond organ, they also have in Bernie Shaw a very powerful classic rock voice that carries the music with his voice. For you who know the band from earlier I can state that this album is a bit back to the early seventies in style and song structures and also sound, besides the more fresh and polished sound that more modern production methods allow for. Maybe a more modern but still in touch with their roots Uriah Heep is what we have when we analyse Into the Wild.
It all starts with a song called Nail on the Head which is to be the video song and single if the information I have found is correct. It is a great song with great feel and chorus, it hits the nail on the head so to speak. Some would probably argue that it is a repetitive track but it is not more repetitive than Radio GaGa and if you think that song is repetitive or simple then you should probably not be considering bands like Uriah Heep, it is a clever song and a very good song that opens the record perfectly.
The main niggle I have with this album is that it is just short of 53 minutes which is just a bit too long, even though the tracks are really great and everything, it becomes a bit too much and everything. Still I understand the band’s dilemma since they would be hard pressed to find a track that you come to think of immediately for leaving out, the title track would probably be my choice for this but it would not be an easy choice.
The songs on this album are all really good and what is even better is that they are quite varied and no track really sound like any of the other which makes it simple to know which track I am listening to and so on. But it is not so that the tracks are incoherent and go off in all uncontrolled directions, they do have a connection and feel like part of a whole which makes this album varied and interesting all the way through despite the long playing time.
Other tracks worth mentioning is the tenth called T-Bird Angel which is a great rockin’ track with lots of energy and feel to it. I think that track would be a great second single with its great energy and power it probably would win some new fans for the band. The ending track Kiss of Freedom is another track that is really well worth listening to a little bit more, these three mentioned tracks are the standouts in a great collection of songs. This Kiss of Freedom track has a very classical Uriah Heep feel to it and is really great.
I would think that they with this album has managed to make an album that will gain them new and younger fans at the same time as the old ones will remain as it sounds of classical Uriah Heep. It has that same feel as the albums from the early seventies but it sound so much more fresh and modern, so they are the same old, but at the same time they are fresh and modern which is a brilliant combination.
I think they with Into the Wild really hit the nail on the head, over and over again. It is a brilliant album in most respects, had it not been that long I probably would have added one more point since it would probably loose that reservation I feel every time. That is nothing that has to do with the songs which are really great and if the world was sane some of them would even challenge the more iconic songs like Easy Livin’ , Lady in Black and so on and so forth, they are that good. I would say that it is one of the best from the giant catalogue.
So with risk of repeating myself, this album really hits the nail on the head, it is brilliant, modern yet classical, amazing Uriah Heep!
HHHHHHH
