WAKE THE SLEEPER

Uriah Heep

Heavy Prog

3.42 | 196 ratings

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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer

I am a huge fan of the early Uriah Heep era and the 2-LP Live is one of my favorite live albums, I love the energy, Ken Hensley his lush Hammond organ sound, David Byron (Freddy Mercury avant-la- lettre) his distinctive vocals and Mick Box his fiery, often wah-wah drenched guitarwork. A few years ago a dream came true when I witnessed an Uriah Heep gig for the first time in my life and thanks to fellow Dutchman Louis Rentrop (the # 1 UH fan in the world) I was even allowed to do an interview with my guitar hero Mick Box, I was in Heavy Prog Heaven! During that Uriah Heep gig I got impressed by the new line-up (I stopped buying UH records after the Return To Fantasy album from 1975, I was very pleased with singer Bernie Shaw and the creative work of keyboardplayer Phil Lanzon. So when I purchased this new UH album I was very curious, also because of the very positive words of fellow reviewer Easy Livin, known as a huge UH fan.

The first song Wake The Sleeper is a very exciting track with propulsive drumbeats by newcomer Russell Gilbrook, the distinctive vocal harmonies and fiery wah-wah drenched guitarwork, including a blistering solo. For sure "the sleepers are awake", what a heavy and dynamic atmosphere! Most of the other 10 songs are powerful rock songs (some with slow rhythms or a more dreamy atmosphere), loaded with Hammond organ (swirling solos in Owerload and the bluesy Angels Walk With You) and fiery, often wah-wah drenched guitar solos, topped with the pleasant vocals of Bernie Shaw. The element progressive has almost disappeared on this new UH album but the interplay between the Hammond organ and the electric guitar is still colouring the compositions in a very unique way (for sure not as "a poor man's Deep Purple").

In my opinion this is Uriah Heep their best album since Return To Fantasy, I even trace some of the early Uriah Heep magic!

erik neuteboom | 4/5 | 2008-6-20

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