If you thought that veteran heavy rockers Uriah Heep were way past being relevant in todays prog/metal/hard rock universe, better think again. Their first release since 1998's Sonic Origami is titled Wake the Sleeper, and it's a real doozy, more than reminding us of some of the great stuff this outfit produced more than 30 years ago, and even stronger than some of the solid material they have recorded since the early 90's. The band has been pretty stable since the late 80's, the only change being recently when longtime drummer Lee Kerslake opted out due to health reasons and was replaced by Russel Gilbrook. The rest of the group is still founding guitarist Mick Box, singer Bernie Shaw, keyboard player Phil Lanzon, and bassist Trevor Boulder. Produced by Mike Paxman, Wake the Sleeper is a powerful statement from a band that still knows how to kick some serious butt.
Opening title track is mostly an instrumental but with some of the patented Heep "aaah aaah aaaaahhhh" vocal harmonies, layered over plenty of wah-wah guitars and raging Hammond. Next up is "Overload", a killer track featuring Box's snarling riff and some mean Hammond from Lanzon, with Shaw's strong & melodic vocals leading the charge. If you don't think that the Heepsters could still crank it up, then you need to check this one out. "Tears of the World" is vintage 70's styled Uriah Heep, a rollicking rocker complete with multi-part backing vocal harmonies, beefy guitar/Hammond riffs, driving rhythms, and powerful vocals from Shaw. On "Light Of A Thousand Stars" the band pump out a solid, accessible hard rocker, showing us that Deep Purple are not the only veteran band who can tackle stuff like this, and on "Heavens Rain" the guys go for a darker, bluesier effect, Shaw telling the story over layers of Hammond and crisp guitar work.
The band lurches back into headbanging territory on the heavy rocker "Book Of Lies", Mick's textured riffs meshing perfectly with Phil's tasty Hammond, Trevor and Russel bashing away underneath. The band moves into symphonic & dramatic prog on "What Kind Of God", featuring some gorgeous Hammond organ, and Box and his wild wah-wah licks permeate the quirky & upbeat "Ghost Of The Ocean", a tune with a great hook and a strong 70's feel. Swirling Hammond and some snarling guitar lines from Box do battle with Shaw's mysterious delivery on "Angels Walk With You", a Boulder penned track with a positive message. Lanzon's Hammond solo on this one is outstanding. You'll be taken back to Look at Yourself days on the raging "Shadow", one of the CD's heaviest cuts, Box and Lanzon really pushing the envelope with some massive riffs, and closer "War Child" sees Shaw doing his best Ian Gillan, the band delivering a 'stand up and bang your head' rocker that would make the Purple lads proud.
In short, this is probably the comeback of the year, not that Uriah Heep have been gone from the scene at all (they tour pretty regularly), but seeing as it's their first new studio release in a decade, it's pretty monumental no matter how you look at it. Not a weak track in the bunch, plenty of chunky guitar and loads of Hammond, which is essentially the meat and potatoes of any Heep album. Shaw also really shines here, and the boys have written some catchy, memorable songs that rock pretty damn hard and even push the prog button at times. Welcome back guys!
Track Listing
1. Wake The Sleeper
2. Overload
3. Tears Of the World
4. Light Of A Thousand Stars
5. Heavens Rain
6. Book Of Lies
7. What Kind Of God
8. Ghost Of The Ocean
9. Angels Walk With You
10. Shadow
11. War Child
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