SEA OF LIGHT

Well! If it is a ressurection in the Rock scene, so This is one! This album is absolutely KILLER and it Rocks from the beggining to the very beautiful end (Ballad Dream on). Shaw´s voice is interesting here, personal and at same time evoking many other great singers.. Bolder´s bass emerges here as a solid rock bass, undoubtely his best studio work. Box´s guitar is flawless. Lanzon´s keyboards was fresh and worked very well in the mixdown, and I don´t want to forget the Bear (Kerslake) bashing the drums with power and technique as never he did before. Roger dean´s cover was the perfect envelope for this strong release. Melodies are catchy and truly beautiful (even in the heaviest numbers)! The opener track is one of the best warm up songs i´ve ever heard - PERFECT. A great album from a great band, that did lots of really progressive albums during all career and it was a little bit underated by many Prog fans that really didn´t got the real cohesion and unity of Heep´s music. I will be one happy spectator of the show they will perform in my homecountry next month. Long live Heep! Like the wines, better with ageing...

Seeing the extatic reviews this album got I am, to say the least, a bit surprised. OK, it's better than I did expect, but not that much better. There are no oustanding songs here although there are not any bad songs either, but to compare this with the bands best work does simply not sound right to me. This is not the Uriah Heep record that everyone needs in their collection.

"The innocent join in fighting so easily, who knows what they're fighting for?"

A sudden and welcome return to something approaching form for the band. With the line up now fully stabilised as the one which would become the longest serving to date (and indeed which is still in place at time of writing), the band wisely decided to move back towards the style and sound which had produced such classics as "Demons and wizards" and "The magician's birthday". With only Box and Kerslake still present from the line up which recorded those albums, and the main song writer of that time (Ken Hensley) long since moved on, it could be suggested that "Sea of light" is, as Roger Waters said of "A momentary lapse of reason", a pretty fair forgery. While such a suggestion has some validity, and it is fair to say that the current line up has become something of a tribute band to the early line ups, there is still much to enjoy and plenty of originality contained on the album.

The delay between the previous album "Different World" and "Sea of Light" was a lengthy one, mainly due to the band's desire to only enter into a new recording contract once they were sure the record company would be fully committed to them. They had however recorded a number of tracks in the interim period to present to prospective labels.

The vibes are good from the outset, with the sleeve bearing one of Roger Dean's classic paintings. "Against the odds" opens the album with echoes of "Bird of prey" from "Salisbury", while "Time of revelation" borrows slightly from "Easy livin'" Both are in the classic Heep mode, complete with ah-ah's, and a trademark Mick Box guitar solos.

The highlight tracks are "Mistress of all time", and "Love in silence". "Mistress..." is an acoustically based piece, with flute like keyboards by writer Phil Lanzon, and a highly infectious closing hook. At first the track sounds deceptively simple, but after a few listens it weaves its magic. "Love in silence" is effectively the title track, in fact "Sea of light" would have made a better title for the track than the rather mushy one it bears. It's one of the best tracks Heep have recorded for years, and also one of their most progressive. There's a symphonic feel to the track, which rises and falls through orchestrated instrumentals and highly melodic vocal passages. If I have a criticism of the track, and I hate to say it, but Mick Box's contribution on acoustic guitar sounds out of place, and slightly irritating. This is one track where co-writer Lanzon would have been better left to demonstrate his keyboards talents alone.

"Fear of falling" is something of an oddity, as writer Trevor Boulder takes lead vocals. The difference is all too clear, but in truth, he would have been better allowing vocalist Bernie Shaw to fulfil his role. Boulder redeems himself with the closing track, "Dream on" on which Shaw sings. It's another softer track, with lush harmonies.

Many of the remaining tracks are fairly run of the mill rock tracks. Ken Hensley said after the first "Magician's birthday party" that the current line up's weakness was in their song writing, and some of the tracks here lend support to that view. They are impeccably performed, but the shortcomings of the compositions, aside from the tracks I have highlighted, do tend to detract from an otherwise good album. Overall though, the good far outweighs the average.

Uriah Heep took another giant leap back to form with "Sea of light". It includes some of their best works since their halcyon days.

This is the best of the post-70's URIAH HEEP album that I have heard. The opener "Against The Odds" is a very powerful song, and it has great vocal chorus parts resembling their older heydays. There are also other good songs here, but also dull fillers like the basic rocker "Sweet Sugar" which lower the overall status of this CD. Wonderful Roger Dean covers have to be separately mentioned! Recommended to the fans of this band.

Uriah Heep is one of my favourite band of all time. I'm in love with their music from the very very 'eavy and 'umble beginning. But after their "Different World" album, I thought it was over and the all magic was gone. Thanks God I wasn't right. After few years they released "Sea of Light" and it's still one of the best rock album of the last decade (along with "Sonic Origami" of course). To be absolutely honest - there are no weak points here. Bernie Shaw finally proves he's a great singer. Cover artwork reminds Yes albums, but It's obvious when you raqlise it was made by Roger Dean. Gret music, great musicians. Highly recommended!

There has been an intense discussion in one of mailing lists that I've participated as member since five years ago, m-claro, about "Time of Revelation", the third track of this album. Basically we discussed about how rocking this track is and how the band delivers heavier music - i.e more metal - even when the members of the band are no longer young. Yeah, this album represented the band's 25th anniversary in rock music business as it's penned clearly at its CD sleeve. For me, I purchased the CD when it was released due to the cover: it reminded me to the band's Magician's Birthday album in the seventies where the design was done by Roger Dean. As the sleeve puts it: Design by Martyn Dean; Painting and Logo by Roger Dean 1995. So I was expecting the music would be alike. In fact, I never regret having this album on my CD shelf. It's not truly prog but it's an excellent album. Overall, this album consists of good and excellent tracks which some of them I give my views as follows:

Against the Odds (6:12) kicks off the album in a very uplifting mood and fast tempo style as demonstrated by a rocking guitar work by Mick Box at the opening of the track. Lee Kerslake who looks after drums set enters his dynamic drumming to provide solid beats, overlaid by guitar solo but still maintaining the opening guitar work through rocking repeated chords. Bernie Shaw's clean voice enters the scene energetically and brings the music in an upbeat tempo with hard driving rhythm section. The keyboard part by Lanzon provides his role at rhythm section filling the gaps accompanied by floating bass lines. Structure-wise it's a straight forward rock music. However, there are many interludes the band has created that makes this track is wonderful. This is the kind of music you want to play very early in the morning to fire you up. The guitar solos are really stunning man .Rock on!

Time Of Revelation (4:02) is another rocking tune with a beautifully crafted composition. It reminds me to the band's previous creation "Return To Fantasy". Yes, it has some similarities in melody, even though they are not the same. It opens with great guitar solo on top of drums and bass lines in relatively fast tempo. Again, Mick Box demonstrates his virtuosity in filling guitar sounds through nice solo in between segments. Bernie Shaw's vocal quality reminds me to David Byron; he has a very good vocal quality that matches Uriah Heep's sound. The interlude part is filled with great guitar solo. Excellent!

Mistress Of All Time (5:33) is basically a ballad rock tune that I found it very interesting when the band played it live in one of the band's live DVDs in 2000. It starts with ambient soft keyboard sound by Lanzon. Bernie Shaw brings his voice at this quiet passage wonderfully. As the music moves with bass lines and drums, the rhythm section is taken over by acoustic guitar with keyboard filling some melodies during transition pieces. The interlude part is filled with nice piano sound.

Universal Wheels (5:39) opens with bass guitar solo in spacey keyboard sound followed with fast tempo music to feature voice line. It's basically a straight hard rock music in upbeat tempo with sort of symphonic keyboard work that gives a rich texture in the song's composition. It's a very nice part when there is people's dialogue in distant voice with short keyboard solo. It's an enjoyable song.

Spirit Of Freedom (4:14) is a nice track performed in medium tempo reminiscent of the band's traditional style. Through this track, Trevor Bolder's bass lines are obvious, augmented with keyboard and short guitar solo. Melody-wise, this is not the kind of song that produces catchy segments.

Logical Progression (6:12) is definitely a thought-provoking title. It opens with a good combination of guitar fills at background and soft keyboard solo at front, followed with medium tempo music. Bolder's bass lines provide the main rhythm section combined with guitar and keyboard work. The chorus is filled with nice bass solo followed with vocal part.

Love In Silence (6:48) brings the music back to ballad style opened with a segment where bass guitar demonstrates its dominance with piano and acoustic guitar at the back. Yes, through this track the band seems to give a chance to Bolder in forming the basic rhythm section. The music flows smoothly in medium tempo with Shaw's voice line. There is some light orchestra involved in this track. The interlude part demonstrating bass lines, orchestration and keyboard work is excellent. You may consider that this album has some prog elements.

Dream On (4:26) is a very nice acoustic-based track with excellent voice lines and guitar work. It's a ballad track, so it would favor a wider audience as the music is nice and accessible to many ears.

Overall, this album has an excellent composition. For those who like the band since its inception would find that this album still offers the Uriah Heep's sound with its unique multi-vocals singing line especially with the segment that sings "Aaaaa .. Aaaa . aaaa .aaa" (well, you know what I mean). Even some tracks remind me to the tagline melody / textures of old Uriah Heep. It's really a good album to have. Rating 3 ½ out of 5 stars.

Progressively yours,

GW

A very nice album, probable the best Heep produced since the 70's, and certainly more progressive than what they did between the 70's and this album. The vocals and music reminds me very much of the better albums of Queensrhÿche (especially the vocals remind me of Geoff Tate's).

A good album, with some very good keyboard orchestrations, heavy guitars, and a solid bass and drum rhythm section. Uriah Heep still excicst, and albums like this one gives them a reason to ontinue, for they may not be as good as their early years, but they still have a place in the music industry.

If they didn't have a back-catalogue filled with wonderfull and great albums I might be considering giving the album 4 stars, but three will suffice, and Heep fans, and fans of Queensrhÿche type of progressive rock will probably enjoy this.

Listen yourself. worth a spin for sure.

Same line-up for the fourth album in a row. It is almost a record ! I hope that this album will be somewhat more intersting than the two previous one. There shouldn't be a lot of reason for that but who knows ?

Even if the opener "Against The Odds" is 100% hard-rock oriented, I think it is the best number since "Night of the Wolf" from "Equator". A very strong composition with a band playing at unison. Vocals are great and Mick is just wild on the guitar. Shall I be pleasantly surprised ? Unfortunately, my joy won't last for long since "Sweet Sugar" has nothing sweet to propose. Uninspired hard-rock again. The demons of their previous two albums come back. I only had hoped that other demons (and wizzards) would appear...

The band intelligently rebounds with "Time of Revelation" : an incredible and great number. Hard-rocking like hell. What a difference between those two last numbers : from boring to brilliant ! How comes ? A mystery for me. The Heep keeps on with good material with "Mistress Of All Time". A very nice rock ballad in which for the very first time since he joined, one can appreciate the subtle piano play from Lanzon.

Back again to the heavy numbers with "Universal Wheels". Still, the rhythm is very strong and the vocal part is rather good (except the narration with reminds me Jeff Wayne in "The War Of The Worlds". Again, Lanzon's work is very good here : he is pumping his keys almost like Hensley in the good old days ! I must be dreaming !

The Heep keeps on rocking with "Fear Of Failing". Well, if they keep on like this, there won't be any failure, but pleasantly a very good album. Great Box on the guitar. The bass and drumming are very powerful. Like the Heep ought to be. Long ago. It is a pleasure to listen to such tracks. A rebirth.

The introduction of "Spirit of Freedom" is very catchy, with another great (alas too short) guitar solo performed here. But the song turns out to be a bit too pop-rock oriented. Still, I prefer to listen to such songs than what the Heep has released before with the same line-up. It took them four years to release this album but it was well worth to wait.

This album also features longer songs. Five of them clock at almost six minutes which allow to investigate a bit more and deivate from the simple verse-chorus structure.

"Logical Progression" is another very good rock song. The mood of some numbers from "Conquest" (which I reasonably liked) is present here. Rock music like I was to desperate to hear on their two previous albums. "Love In Silence" is the longest song of this album. Although one could have anticipated another strong number, this one is rather weak in comparison with most of the songs during its initial section. After 2'30", it evolves into a good instrumental part (almost prog).

The first AOR song (but it is the tenth track) and not so interesting one is "Words in the Distance" and "Fires of Hell" sounds similar to what the band has achieved previously, which means a bit boring. The album closes with the acoustic ballad "Dream On". Somewhat syrupy to my taste. The last four number are a bit weak in comparison with the first part of the album. Even if the band took four years to release this album, it seems that it was difficult for them to hold the same good quality throughout this long album. Maybe a bit too long...

If you except their first five studio albums, this one might well be the best one the Heep has produced. I would have liked to rate it seven out of ten. Upgrading it to four stars seems a bit too high since several numbers are no real highlight. So, three stars for this good effort.

There won't be much more studio albums to come. Most will be live ones. Since this line- up performed quite well in this genre (I am referring to "Live In Moscow"), I guess that we'll still have good musical moments.

A real nice surprise! although I knew Heep´s line up with Bernie Shaw was their best since the Byron years, they were basicly a live band and their two previous studio offerings (Raging Silence and Different World) were very disappointing (like almost all of Heep´s 80´s output, in fact). So I was not willing to hear this release until I read some reviews in PA. Based on that, I decided to give them a shot. Boy, am I glad I did it.

Sea Of Light is their best studio work in a long, long time. Of course it´s not a classic like Demons and Wizzards, but I was not expecting anything like that either. In this CD UH seems to finally decided to do a good Heep album, and they did it very well. All the trademark UH sounds are here: heavy guitar riffs, great bass lines, soaring hammonds, good backing vocals and so on. At the same time it´s not a nostalgia CD. they mixed very well the old with the new. The resulting is an album that sounds like UH and still bears all the modern traits of a new band. The songs are all between good and very good. The arrangements are great and Bernie Shaw again shows that he was the right choice for the group: His vocals are the closest you can get from David Byron and still sound his own. Well done!

On the whole, a new and refreshing Uriah Heep, sounding convincing and powerful like they haven´t done for a long time. I was having trouble to rate this album, somewhere between 3,5 and 4 stars. But I´ll round it 4, because although not as strong as their classic period, this CD represents a fine comeback from a band that I thought had nothing more to say. I´m glad I was wrong and looking forward to hear Sea Of Light follow ups. With a right production, no fillers and a lot of energy, this is a pleasant surprise for all UH fans. So happy to see you back in form.

Excellent addition to my prog music collection

One of the best Uriah Heep's albums, no doubt. Much better than last 4-5 albums, with more consitent pieces and i might say a well return to the glory days. Now the band is in good shape delivering some outstanding tracks like: Mistress Of All Time, Universal Wheels and Logical Progression , the rest are also good. The band sounds so strong maybe because is the same line-up like on the previous 2 studio records, and now they are more confident on their abilities as a whole band. Here the music is a combination of hard rock with some pregressive leanings but very well done and performed. I can give to Sea of light 4 stars without hesitation, because is among the best albums they ever done so far. This album rocks from A to Z and is recommanded not only for UH fans but to those who are open minded and don't consider UH just another band these days.

A great band has always came back! And Uriah Heep proves it in smashing way! Sea of Light returns us to the time, when Uriah Heep had been in its element. This album is very good one, without imitating the classic sound of the band during the 70s. It comprises its own sound, typical of the middle of the 90s - a period with a couple of very good albums made by classic rock bands (the other being Rainbow - Stranger in Us All and Deep Purple - Perpendicular).

In my opinion, Sea of Light is memorable work, mainly, because of its variety. When you listen to this album three of four times you already know the half of the songs. Almost all of the songs are quite much memorable. Interesting for me is the fact, that the album is divided on two different ideological parts in terms of the mood they carries. The first one is situated between first and sixth song. The second part - between seventh and twelfth. The first one brings smashing feelings. The second one is more... questionable! It contains slower songs with philosophical nuance. It's very often, when I want to listen to some song from the first half; next time, contrariwise. But for sure, all of them are memorable. This reveals the high-class quality of the album.

Against the Odds, Time of Revelation and Universal Wheels are hard-rocking and progressive pieces with great musicianship and songwriting. Sweet Sugar is soft rock/rock & roll song. Mistress of All Time - power ballad with interesting parts. Fear of Falling - very interesting song with lead vocals by Trevor Bolder. This song is the first alternative rock approach for the band. Now, let begin with the second part... But the truth is - all songs here are philosophcal, except Fires of Hell which reminds me Sweet Sugar in terms of genre.

Overall, very good work with memorable songs and two different parts. One of the best post-70s' albums for the band (along with Wake the Sleeper and Conquest) with deserving 4 stars mark.

It is a bit of a challenge to rate this album since it includes some of Uriah Heep's very best songs ever, but also a couple of quite average ones. Notably, the two worst ones are written by bassist Trevor Bolder who gets to include as much as four cuts on this album. Still, it is worth pointing out immediately that this 1995 album, despite its few weak moments, easily was Uriah Heep's best album since the 70's.

The line-up involved here consists of Bernie Shaw on vocals, Mick Box on guitars, Phil Lanzon on keyboards, Trevor Bolder on bass and Lee Kerslake on drums. This particular band had been together since 1986 (and remained unchanged until recently when Lee Kerslake was replaced, but the others are still going strong today!). This is by far the longest standing Uriah Heep line-up, but also, in my opinion, the best! The voice of Bernie Shaw is distinctive and emotional and gives this band an identity and self- confidence that they rarely had before in their long history. The band is in top form here with guitars, keyboards, bass guitar and drums all being played very well. And not to forget - the vocal harmonies! The two previous albums by this line-up, Raging Silence and Different World, had been very weak and the expectations for this follow-up were not very large, to say the least. In that perspective 1995 really was a time of revelation (to paraphrase one of the song titles), since Sea Of Light showed a strongly re- energized Uriah Heep.

Against All Odds opens the album and it immediately becomes clear that the band is back in business again. But we are a bit let down already by the second track, the Bolder-penned, generic rocker Sweet Sugar. Time Of Revelation picks up the pace and is the first great track of the album with a strong melody and great harmony vocals. Mistress Of All Time follows and this is the only number written by Lanzon on his own, with all other tracks (apart from the four Bolder compositions) being co-written by Lanzon and Box. It is surprising that such a poignant composition could be found on a Uriah Heep album. Mistress Of All Time instantly feels like a classic song. It could have been even better with genuine flute instead of keyboards sounding like flutes, but this is minor criticism.

Universal Wheels is another powerful hard rock song, good but not great. Fear Of Falling is the second Bolder composition and this time the lead vocals are not handled by Bernie Shaw. I suspect that it is Bolder himself singing, the album credits don't say. There is nothing wrong with his vocals, but the song feels a bit out of place here.

Spirit Of Freedom brings the album back on track yet again. This is another piece that somehow feels like a classic already the first time you hear it. Logical Progression has a title that makes you believe that it is a progressive track, which is quite right. It has some nice keyboards, some very good bass guitar and a strong chorus line. But the best is yet to come; Love In Silence is one of my favourite Uriah Heep songs ever. July Morning seems uninspiring compared to this excellent composition. But I must point out that I strongly prefer the more powerful live version on the Magic Night DVD where Heather Finlay of the band Mostly Autumn sings this as a duet with Bernie - what a powerful moment on that great concert! This DVD is highly recommended, by the way. Again, Love In Silence has great bass guitar and very strong vocals.

Words In The Distance is yet another good rock song, albeit with very simplistic lyrics. The album ends with the remaining two Bolder compositions and luckily these are far better than his first two. Fires Of Hell (Your Only Son) being a fierce hard rock song and Dream On an acoustic ballad with some very nice guitar play and harmony vocals. Bolder is not at all a bad song writer after all!

Overall, this leaves Sea Of Light as a bit uneven, with some great moments and some not so great moments. Not until we had the follow-up Sonic Origami could we finally say that this line-up had made their triumph in the studio. But, Sea Of Light is still very good. Indeed, together with Sonic Origami this is one of the best ever Uriah Heep albums. And it has a very nice cover art too by none other than Roger Dean.

Wow, I didn't know that Uriah Heep could pull such and aewsome stunt right after the absolutly terrible Different Worlds. There were some signs in about two of the songs on the previous album, but this one is just full blown heavy progressive rock that will really blow your mind. The sound quality throughout out is excellent as well, they sound great and everything is much more in the mix. I felt that the last album felt like a cheap Aerosmith release, but this is some good material with great Roger Dean artwork.

"Against the Odds" is already much better from the start. The intro is very different from some of the other songs, seems like slowly played precussive instruments, then turns into a very hard rocker. The guitar solo at the beginning is just a slight showcase of Mick Box's talent on this album. The organ is played so intensly on this one, and it's just really fitting on this album. The vocals are loud and the lyrics are fresh. Top cut of the album. "Sweet Sugar" is one of my least favorite on my album because it just sounds a little too much of the same old stuff we already heard before. The organ is nice and loud though. The lyrics are really bad, but the music is good. "Time of Revalation" is really nice, and fast-paced for those wondering. The lyrics are pretty good, considering the last song. The organ is well played, again, and is fairly loud. Bassline is nice and loud with the drums. "Minstrell of all Time" is a very proggy track, and one of the best on the album. It starts with a sort of tangerine dream type of keyboards, and then the vocals are nice crisp and loud. The lyrics are describing a woman much more clearly than an average rock song. "Universal Wheels" has a very odd and futuristic intro, but is then followed by a cool little riff in the beginning. The song really doesn't go anywhere with me, and that's why I always switch it. "Fear of Falling" is very alternative and different sounding, and I like it. The guitar riff at the beginning, with the repetative solo really work well with the loud and hard bassline. The vocals are excellent, but not by Bernie Shaw, he is singing backup. The drums are nice and loud. "Spirit of Freedom" reminds me alot of the stuff on Look at Yourself, the 1971 album, because of how loud and powerful the guitar solo part is in the beginning. The vocals are great, and the lyrics are pretty good considering the album. "Logical Progression" is a different track, with an organ and guitar fading in intro, but it dosen't really grab my attention. The organ is well played though, but it gets rather tedious the way he plays it. The song has a strong beat, and thats about it. Lyrics are rather simple. "Love in Silence" is good, though not the best. The piano and acoustic guitar work well with the loud and powerful bassline and drums. The vocals are nice, and the lyrics are fairly good for this album, much better than some of the tracks on this album. Bernie is really showing his talent on this track. "Words in the Distance" is a more or so AC/DC kind of track, and I really don't like it that much. But, thank god, that's only the intro. The lyrics aren't great, and the vocals are just bad when they are soft, I don't like it when Bernie sings softly, but the beat is really hard and straightforward. "Fires of Hell" has a nice drum intro, and it sounds very nice. The riff is nice and loud, played with the organ, guitar, and bass. The lyrics are excellent, and the vocals are strong and straightforward. This song is one of my favorites, and shows that Uriah Heep had traveled a long distance since the last album. "Dream On" is really an excellent showcase of how well Mick Box can play the acoustic guitar. The vocals are nice, not too soft, thats when he sounds bad, and not too heavy and screechy for this song. The vocal harmonies that appear are very nice.

Though this album has some moments of their last album's weakness, this album has some amazing parts, and I have to give it a 5 stars because it's alot better than some of their stuff back in the day, and Bernie is a great new vocalist for the band.

When I bought Sea of Light by Uriah Heep I must have been 18 years old. I was already a great fan of their seventies work, I even loved their John Lawton-lps

I was a fan of progrock and hardrock simultaneously, so Uriah Heep was right up my lane.

Sea of Light is one of those hardrock albums wich is both redneck/tough barrock (same label and producer as Molly Hatchet and Saxon; Kalle Trapp and Piet Sielck) and light-prog. Uriah Heep may be one of those classic rockbands that keeps amaze fans and critics. Mick Box and Lee Kerslake never seem to get tired and keep the tempo up.

This album has some generic rockers: Sweet Sugar, Fires of Hell, Words in the Distance, Spirit of Freedom, some ballads: Dream On, Mistress of All Time, some progrockers: Logical Progression, Love in Silence, Universal Wheels and uptempo heavy rock: Against the Odds, Fear of Falling, Time of Revelation.

All in all, a very good effort. I only rate Sonic Origami higher because it sounds more mature. But Sea of Light sounds hungry , really hungry, like Wake the Sleeper and Return to Fantasy did. Sometimes Heep needs to stir things up and shake up the world. Sometimes they have to show the world that they are still relevant.

Too bad, they never had a decent label to support the music. I believe this was their only album for SPV/Steamhammer, as the band moved on towards Castle Records next.

I was sitting in a small deli in Copenhagen, having lunch with a much older cousin I hadn't seen for 19 years, and we discovered that we both liked Uriah Heep. I told him I loved their first five albums but even though I had several of their albums from the late seventies and early eighties, the music just wasn't as exciting. It was then he asked me if I had heard their latest releases "Sea of Light" and "Sonic Origami". I had not, I replied. He recommended both albums, saying they were very good. I filed that away in my brain.

Thirteen years later, I had become a new member of the Prog Archives and I was checking out Uriah Heep albums and their reviews and ratings and I read many words of praise for "Sea of Light". With its captivating Roger Dean cover, I decided the time had at last come to get this album home. I ordered it and loaded it into my music library and onto my iPhone and was set to prog and roll as I headed out the door to work one morning. The first song was a blast. The rest of the album disappointed me terribly.

I tried to get into it. I listened to it again and tried to give many songs a special listen. Nope. This was a rock album. A hard rock album. I could have named a couple of Whitesnake albums that feature as much prog.

I put off reviewing the album for almost two years because I really didn't want to waste my time listening to it from start to finish again, seeking out the missed highlight. But at last I gave in, let it run through its songs while I checked Facebook and thought about what I needed to do at work. Nothing. Two stars for this.

I went back to read the reviews. "The best album outside of the seventies!" "Slightly less good than 'Demons and Wizards'!" "Uriah Heep is back!" What was I missing? I read what people had to say about the songs. I went back and listened to parts of many of the songs again. Hmm. Perhaps there was something worthy of further inspection. I selected the songs most often praised and listened to them while on the commute home. And at last I felt the album was not quite so bad, even rather good at times, with a few (albeit insufficient) moments that could be associated with progressive rock.

My first impression had been that this was nothing more than a straightforward hard rock album. After the fist- pumping "Against the Odds", I felt most of the album was just cliché after cliché of hard rock. "Mistress of All Time" revolted me with all the overused phrases and descriptions, lyrically a cut and paste song with a beer hall vocalist attempting to sound passionate: "Dances across the o-SHUN!" Pul-leeeze! I totally missed the pretty synthesizer piano solo and fluty keyboards. And hard rock, yes, but actually with a lot of very exciting guitar riffs and some sweet solos courtesy of Mr. Box. Rousing vocal choruses that almost reminded me of mid to late eighties Bon Jovi until I found myself singing along to "Spirit of Freedom". And how about the very eighties- sounding "Logical Progression"? Actually not bad, but not nearly a good as the music in "Love in Silence". Ahoy! We have arrived in prog country!

Well, truth be told, the prog factor is still pretty low to my ears. I have awarded 2 stars to albums I love just because the prog detector needle failed to raise up very high. I try to consider what the experts are looking for. But the number of cliché or uninspiring rock songs is actually few. As it turns out, the rockers are rather enjoyable. Listening to the album became a pleasure as opposed to a chore. As a rock album, I would consider giving it nearly four and a half stars. However, as a prog album and an album by the band who gave us "Salisbury", "July Morning", and "The Spell" I can resolutely say that there is very little trace of that kind of music composition on "Sea of Light". So, having moved past my initial disappointment, I give this album three stars and recommend it to fans of the band and anyone who can enjoy a great hard rock album without too much in the way of adventurous music.

With the exception of the loyal Heepster fans, Uriah Heep had been dismissed a long time ago as far back as the year 1976 for some. But after the word of mouth about their resurgence it appeared that revisiting an old favorite was worth the risk courtesy of their 1995 release Sea Of Light. One listen and you will be hooked as this album began the revival of Heep who found the uncanny ability to blend the old with the new, pleasing both the old Heepsters and the newer fans without dismissing them as a nostalgic trip.

Clearly the albums from Look At Yourself thru Sweet Freedom in the early seventies were their highly productive days. Their success stemmed from the ability to play heavy and loud yet melodic and diverse. By the 1980's they had become a product of FM radio, attempting a poor man's version of Foreigner via their minor hit 'That's The Way That It Is.' The later selections on their retrospective 3-CD box set Two Decades In Rock supported this theory. Pleasant but not inspiring but it appeared that Heep had become a heap of something to dispose of, but Sea Of Light prevented such a tragedy and represents Heep back in fine form effectively pleasing both Heep camps combining the best of both worlds and molding it together to present something for everyone.

The disc opens in overdrive with 'Against The Odds' and shows Mick Box in fine form on guitar. Frankly his guitar work with the exception of his wah-wah pedal was never the main attraction to Heep. Clearly the years have brought greater depth both to his playing and songwriting ability as he teams up very effectively with keyboard player Phil Lanzon. In fact, Lanzon's keyboards are innovative and fresh on track two 'Sweet Sugar' as well as throughout the CD. This track is written by bass player Trevor Bolder and just chugs along in grand Heep style. And it does not stop there as we roll right into 'Time Of Revelation' featuring again the songwriting skills of Box and Lanzon who are clearly two peas in a pod with their composition skills.

It is not until we get to track 4 that the group slows things down courtesy of 'Mistress Of All Time'. Written by Lanzon, his keyboards are delicate and bounce softly over your ears. Assisted by Box's wonderful acoustic guitar touches, it takes you back to the days of Demons & Wizards. We then return to some wonderful grand piano work by Lanzon while the vocals and harmonies of Bernie Shaw brings the mid-tempo ballad all together. 'Universal Wheels' opens with some spacey keyboards and proceeds to put us back into rocking mode. Assisted with some narrative bits and pieces from the media, the lyrics discuss the adverse effects of man on earth. A simple Hammond organ solo from Lanzon is contrasted effectively with some great Box wah-wah effects on the guitar. A siren closes the song jumping right into the aggressive track 'Fear Of Falling' penned by Bolder. Is that Bolder on vocals because it does not sound like Shaw?

We are then brought to the absolutely outstanding 'Spirit Of Freedom' which is as good as anything Heep has done to date. Box is in top notch form and Shaw's lead vocals along with the band's harmonies are upfront and really catchy. You will be singing this song on its first listen courtesy of the uplifting chorus and lyrics. Unfortunately 'Logical Progressions' pales in comparison but not a bad mid-tempo rocker to introduce us to the moody and pensive ballad 'Love In Silence'. This again features some hauntingly beautiful ivory work from Lanzon, ornamented by some mighty string arrangements from Peter Becket, making it grand and epic in size. The mood alters and we rock thanks to 'Words In The Distance' with some fine frying fret work from Box, although too brief. This tone is continued via 'Fires Of Hell' with Box's continued frenzy fret work along with Lee Kerslake's rolling rock steady drum work, borrowing a little from Bonham. Heep gives us room to breathe and closes the disc with the very reflective acoustic ballad 'Dream On'. It leaves us wanting more, and its follow-up disc Sonic Origami fulfills that appetite too.

While Uriah Heep are not as prolific as they once were and have only released three studio efforts in over fifteen years, including the impressive 2008 Wake The Sleeper, Heep continue their striking return to form that began with the outstanding Sea Of Light. Clearly the tides have turned making Sea Of Light not just a flash in the pan but a pivotal album that has once again made Uriah Heep relevant, credible and even inspiring. With their latest release Into The Wild about to hit the stores, early reports are that the healthy trend that began with Sea Of Light continues to make this album not only an ageless favorite but a cornerstone addition to one of many epic albums that Heep have managed to create.

In 1995, Uriah Heep was feeling pretty comfortable with one of their periods in time when they were experiencing a stable line up that would last from 1986 to 2007. Though it wasn't exactly the best years of the band, like the glory years of the early 70s, eventually, the band had to meld somewhere along the way, and they finally did, when they shed the more pop-oriented sound of many of their previous albums to replace it with a heavier and tighter sound, and that is what many fans saw the album "Sea of Light" as, a return to their original sound. But, was it really?

This steady line-up would consist of Bernie Shaw on lead vocals (who would remain the lead vocalist on all the rest of Uriah Heep's albums), Mick Box on guitar (the only original member), Phil Lanzon on keyboards and vocals, Trevor Bolder on bass and vocals and Lee Kerslake on drums. In fact, the newest member was actually Shaw at this time as most of the other members had been working together since 1981.

The album, at least from the outside, looked very promising to prog enthusiasts and older fans because of the art work from Roger Dean, the artist famous for the famous covers of many progressive bands, including Yes. But it is the music that actually determines if it really is a return to form, or if it is just another pop-metal album. In reality, as much as the fans want to believe it is a return to form, it is only a step towards that. There are some great, heavy numbers featuring some blistering guitar work and great keyboards, but even the best ones like "Against the Odds", "Universal Wheels", "Fear of Falling" (sung by bassist Trevor Bolder) and "Love in Silence" which has one of the best instrumental breaks (and is also the most progressive of the album) with its almost symphonic and cinematic feel can't seem to get the overall feel of the album to rise about just average hard rock. The chorus on "Words in the Distance" calls back memories of the old Uriah Heep with the lite-gothic harmonies, and the guitar on "Fires of Hell (Your Only Son)" mixes well with the organ as it did in the early days.

Unfortunately, for myself at least, I still hear a lot of the pop-element in the music especially in tracks like "Sweet Sugar", the sappy ballad "Mistress of All Time", the directionless "Logical Progression", and the fact that pretty much all of the tracks have the usual, tired standard structures of verse, chorus, verse, chorus, break, chorus and it mostly comes across as a mediocre "Journey" album more than anything, and that's not a good thing for a progressive rock lover. Believe me, I would love this album to be a return to form, but I just don't hear that. There is very little progressive rock to this album. But, as far as a nice heavy rock, pop-metal album, it is still the best of the band's albums to come out from this line up. The music is well written and highly polished. It is also the one album I enjoy the most out of this period of time for the band. Unfortunately, instead of moving forward, as one would hope, the band doesn't really move ahead and actually takes a step backward for the next few albums. I can easily give this a 3 star rating for the stronger tracks which help the album, but also for the average sound of the lesser tracks. It is a great album for commercial heavy rock, but it is doubtful that it can be called metal and surely can't be called progressive. At least the album was a ray of hope when it was released that the band might be improving, but unfortunately, that ended up not happening, at least for the time being.