INTO THE WILD

Of the three recent excellent releases (Wake the Sleeper in 2008, Into the Wild in 2011 and Outsider in 2014) this is the better one. Not only it is the last contribution of Trevor Bolder (then my fondness for the record) but also the most varied record. And that is probably the most important thing for a prog lover. The album opens with "Nail on the Head", a catchy radio- friendly tune, planned for a single. Track number 2 ("I Can See You"), as Bob has yet pointed out, is slightly reminiscent of "So Tired" (from the Wonderworld 1974 album) but in the matter of harmony they're beyond comparison: "I Can See You" beats "So Tired" 2-0.

As many reviewers have stated, the peaks of the record are "Trail of Diamonds" and "Kiss of Freedom", two extended tracks (both over 6 minutes) featuring brilliant contrasts between melancholic ballad structure (wonderful "aaaaa" chorus) and powerful crescendos. Very strong compositions and melodies and a very good work from Bernie Shaw on vocals. Memorable numbers., in the purest heep' style. Thumbs up. The atmosphere is literally charged by hammond organ cloud-burst and thundering drumming. Ok, other songs are less epic? but put it this way: here we've got strong material, generally from mid to fast paced classic heavy rock, hammond-based rock; and that's really saying something! My other personal fave are the friendly "Southern Star" (I like so much the aah aah choruses) and the darker "Lost", penned by bassist Trevor Bolder (who also provided lead vocals).