1/26/2024 0 Comments Uriah heep logo png![]() ![]() On "Salisbury", URIAH HEEP began to experiment with many different styles of music. The HEEP seemed to effortlessly fuse heavy metal, progressive rock, and folk music all into one epic mass, and in doing so, they slowly began to form a loyal cult following not only in the UK but also the in Russia and other nations. The first album of the year, "Salisbury", generated the radio hit "Lady In Black", a haunting acoustic ballad with extensive vocals harmonies. ![]() ![]() In the following year, the HEEP managed to record two more full-length albums, and were beginning to find their niche in heavy music. Each song is chock full of complex vocal arrangments, harmonies and choruses which beg the listener to sing along and could easily rival the work of QUEEN. The real gem of this album is the fifth track "Dreammare" where the band gets a chance to flex their heavy metal muscle and fuse it with their stylish brand of progressive rock. The next tune, "Walking In Your Shadow" begins with what is considered to be among the greatest electric guitar riffs ever written. The LP began with the fiery anthem "Gypsy" which told the story of a man who had fallen in love with a girl whose father disapproved of him and portrays his fight to win her heart regardless. Very 'umble." Initially the full-length did not receive much interest from rock critics, who discounted the band as "gothic" and "cartoonish." Little did they know that 30 years later this album would still be regarded by many as an all-time classic of heavy metal. In 1970, URIAH HEEP released their first album entitled "Very 'eavy. But the band added an extra element to the mix, which would set them apart from their contemporaries: the epic, story-telling lyrics and ear-piercing harmonies of vocalist extraordinaire David Byron. Much of the hard guitar sound was balanced by soaring organ melodies that would remind one of DEEP PURPLE, and it was to little surprise as the HEEP drew a significant influence from bands like DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN, and PINK FLOYD. At heart, their incredible sound was characterized by by-the-books progressive rock with a much harder edge. One of the most intriguing (both musically and lyrically) bands to emerge from this style of music was the great URIAH HEEP. LED ZEPPELIN had not yet hit their peak, and so it was a very interesting time for the fledgling genre of bone-crushing bluesy rock music people would later term "heavy metal." The HEEP are one of the first heavy metal bands to ever form, striking the scene with a hard-hitting album in 1970 that could easily rival BLACK SABBATH's debut from the same year, or even DEEP PURPLE's crushing "In Rock" album which had already soared through British charts. One of the very first and most consistent practitioners of this style was the mighty, oft-overlooked URIAH HEEP. For as long as anyone can remember, the genre of heavy metal music has concerned itself with epic themes and a penchant for the macabre. ![]()
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