CONQUEST

Oh... Great John Sloman!!! So controversial album and so different opinions about it. This is the last album with the songwriting leader - Ken Hensley. And he made great album for the last time with Uriah Heep. This is the last album by the old Uriah Heep, but I think it is not true. With the beginning of the 80s, Uriah Heep has changed dramatically. I neither think this album as the last one by old Uriah Heep, nor the first one by the new Uriah Heep. I think this album is an island in Uriah Heep's history. Yes, the first one that sounds in the spirit of modern 80s! The vocals was the sole thing that embarrassed me at the beginning of my experience with Conquest. I have realized this is great vocals work by John Sloman. The guitar works by Mick Box are wonderful again. Ken Hensley and Trevor Bolder, too! I just don't like very much the drumming style of Chris Slade. It's a blunt one. As whole this album is the third best without David Byron (after Wake the Sleeper and Firefly, but probably it's better than Firefly)! Conquest contains one of the biggest Uriah Heep's hits - Feelings, which in my opinion is one of the weakest songs on the album, because No Return, Imagination, Fools, Out on the Street and It Ain't Easy are surely better! I have said earlier, that this is an island in the history of Uriah Heep, because of the experimentations on the album and probably because of the vocals. I would like to discuss more about the vocal of John Sloman. It's a high voice, something like woman voice. Firstly I had heard it I thought it is woman. This singer use distortion to his voice and it gets very soul influenced voice. Wonderful - 4.25 stars!!!