Uriah Heep - Into The Wild
In my opinion, the 1970s gave us the birth of rock music. Bands that laid down the footprint were innovative and ended up becoming legends in their own right. There were a handful who took the genre to new heights and amongst these was Uriah Heep. The other bands of note were Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath. Out all of these, only Uriah Heep have continued to consistently release albums and tour; a remarkable achievement to do so over such a long period.
Following on from their 2008 release "Wake The Sleeper", 'Heep have again hit the spot with "Into The Wild". Bernie Shaw's vocals are immense and the band sound as fresh as ever. The Hammond organ features more prominently (as it did originally with Ken Hensley on the earlier albums) and this coupled with the irrepressible guitar of Mick Box gives a more rounded and fuller sound. Having seen the late, great David Byron perform with the band and having heard all of their albums, the return of the heavy keyboards and the layered harmonies gives "Into The Wild" a 'classic' feel. Not since the likes of 'Magicians Birthday' and 'Demons And Wizards' have I taken to a 'Heep album as quickly as I have done here; this is a future classic. After over 40 years and with over 30 million album sales, this is the band's 23rd studio album.
Though this is not the original band lineup, the song writing and musicality on this album can't be faulted. 'Nail On the Head' gets the album off to a relatively mild start; reminiscent of the slightly more commercial tracks that the band released in the late 1970s. This introduces the listener to the gentler side of Heep and sets them up for some heavier melodic tracks later on. The heavier 'I Can See You' and the title track 'Into the Wild' are much heavier with some nice chunky rhythm and heavy metal feel.
The tracks from here are varied. The Hammond-heavy 'Money Talks' features Phil Lanzon and takes you back to the earlier 'Heep albums whilst the like of 'Trail Of Diamonds' has a more prog-rock feel. The harmonies on 'Believe' are worth a mention and so are the many good moments from Mick Box, especially on 'Southern Star' and 'Lost'. The rhythm section of Trevor Bolder on bass and Russell Gilbrook on drums is solid throughout.
This album fits in nicely with what's gone before and I can't wait for them to take it on the road.