Uriah Heep
Conquest

THE REVIEW

Once upon a time, there was a band that, starting in the shadows of monumental figures like Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin, had the audacity to challenge England and the world by offering hard rock at a time when it was thriving. A band led by a charismatic and introverted leader like Mick Box, alongside the creativity of Ken Hensley. A time when albums like "Salisbury," "Look at Yourself," "Demons & Wizards," and "The Magician's Birthday" had even critics reconsidering, who had done nothing but tear them down since their debut. With "Sweet Freedom," the first small signs of a decline were evident, gradually leading them to a compositional level less convincing than their initial works. The arrival of John Lawton on vocals, following the departure of the legendary David Byron, had partly lifted spirits and sales thanks to an excellent hard rock album like "Firefly." The years with Lawton were characterized by a desire to return to a certain level. This desire was promptly thwarted by the departure of the latter, replaced by the singer John Sloman, who was also gifted with an excellent vocal range and called upon not to make us long for two sacred monsters like Byron and Lawton. Another severe blow for the band was the departure of drummer Lee Kerslake, who was replaced by Chris Slade.

In the wake of these destabilizing events for the group and the growing acrimony between the two leaders Hensley and Box, the thirteenth studio album of Uriah Heep was born: "Conquest." This work follows the lightening of the sound that had begun with "Wonderworld" (1974) and then further accentuated with "Innocent Victim" (1977). Indeed, right from the initial "No Return", we sense a band uncertain about how to proceed in their career: Should they continue on the hard rock path that marked their beginnings, or shift towards a pop-leaning solution to garner new fans? This is one of the main questions the band of Charles Dickens asked to clearly define a situation that had become quite complex in recent years. It is worth noting that, despite the not-so-clear context in which the album was born, "Conquest" is not an album to discard. The second song, "Imagination", confirms this, thanks to an excellent performance by Sloman on the microphone and an atmosphere teetering between hard rock and futuristic, misty scenarios that bring to mind some ballads from the early period. Songs like "Feelings" and "Fools" confirm Conquest's good style, although the compositional and qualitative gap compared to the albums mentioned above is evident.

For all those who expected a return to the more rock-oriented past from the new line-up, disappointment soon replaced curiosity. That said, "Out on the Street" is one of the best songs of Uriah Heep's "new period," thanks to its slow arpeggio, the decadent atmosphere, and the excellent vocal performance of John Sloman. A song in full prog rock style, which features reminiscences of a certain type of psychedelic rock that had always had its origins in England (see King Crimson).

Therefore, there's no point in analyzing why "Conquest" received criticisms. Some of the then "music experts" had launched a "regardless" crusade against Uriah Heep. "Conquest" is certainly not the masterpiece of their discography nor a record that will remain in history, but nonetheless, for all those who care about this band and rock, it is an episode that deserves to be listened to, even though it lacks the fundamental characteristics of the initial works. A piece, a fragment of their glorious career.

1. "No Return" (6:07)
2. "Imagination" (5:49)
3. "Feelings" (5:26)
4. "Fools" (5:02)
5. "Carry On" (3:57)
6. "Won't Have To Wait Too Long" (4:54)
7. "Out On The Street" (5:57)
8. "It Ain't Easy" (5:45)