Uriah Heep
Into the wild

Three years after the release of "Wake the Sleeper," Uriah Heep bring out their twenty-second studio album titled "Into The Wild".

Compared to the previous album, which was based on sonic power combined with the artistic innovation and technique that characterize this band, "Into The Wild" seems to revisit the more recent musical style of the '90s.

It starts with "Nail on the Head", which recalls the style of "Words in the Distance" (a track on the 1995 album "Sea of Light"), and follows with the fast-paced "I Can See You"; this too tends to revisit the band's past works from afar (listen to "So Tired", a track from 1974, for example).

The title track "Into the Wild" remains (in my humble opinion) the most successful track of this album: a mighty fast hard rock, accompanied by the unceasing choruses typical of the trademark of Mick Box & co.

"Money Talk" is a typical prog rock track, while "Trail of Diamonds" impresses the listener with its excellent, very melancholy atmosphere, accompanied by the band's usual stunning choruses;

The first side concludes with the slow "Lost", less melancholic, but endowed with good tempo changes.

"Believe" opens the second part of the CD with its relentless rhythm, followed by "Southern Star", another moderate blues, followed by the excellent "I'm Ready", where Uriah Heep enliven the atmosphere with a rhythmic hard rock.

The album concludes with the pop track "T-Bird Angel" and the beautiful ballad "Kiss of Freedom", which shows that it still has the ability to amaze listeners even with excellent ballads.

Conclusion: "Into the Wild" (in my humble opinion) does not reach the levels of the previous album "Wake the Sleeper," but (as stated in the past by leader Mick Box) "Keep on high the Uriah Heep's traditional style since David Byron's leaving" (maintains the high traditional style of Uriah Heep since David Byron's departure).

Personal overall rating: 7

Simone Parisi, a fan of Uriah Heep.