Uriah Heep/ Chaos & Colour

 

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR

Uriah Heep/ Colour & Chaos

Genre: Hard rock

Label: Silver Linings

Rating: *****

Naysayers may insist that with only one original member around, this group cannot be called Uriah Heep. After all, key musicians like drummer Lee Kerslake, keyboardist Ken Hensley and bassist Trevor Bolder have passed away, and current vocalist Bernie Shaw joined 17 years after the band was formed in 1969.

Their points may be valid. But the truth is that guitarist Mick Box, along with Shaw and the others, are still capable of creating music that's comparable with their golden phase in the 1970s. The group's latest album Chaos & Colour has a set of brilliant songs that retain the classic sound, with trademark keyboards and harmonies adding to the snazzy guitar lines and heartfelt vocals.

Heep's 25th studio outing, the hour-long, 11-track album was initiated after the lockdown began. But instead of talking of death, depression and dystopia, or demons, wizards and ladies in black, most songs brim with hope, motivation and thoughts of freedom. Four of the songs have the words 'Sun' or 'Light' in their titles. "There's a golden light, shining down on me, on an open road somewhere, there's an angel guide, showing me the way, helping me survive", Shaw sings on 'Golden Light'. On the anthemic and inspirational 'Freedom To Be Free', he sings, "Hope has the power to change". Presumably, the album's title is an indication of how to find brightness after the mayhem. From the way the lyrics move from song to song, this could be classified as a concept album.

The line-up is represented by three generations. Box has been around from 1969. Shaw and keyboardist Phil Lanzon joined in 1986. And drummer Russell Kilbrook and bassist Dave Rimmer are part of the 2000s batch. But their musical chemistry is amazing and individual talent amazing, with producer Jay Ruston driving a clear, uncluttered sound.

Most songs are in the quintessential hard rock space, though with their theme changes and length, some tunes foray into progressive rock terrain. There's the mandatory power ballad too in 'One Nation, One Sun'. Beginning with a gentle keyboard, the song builds up to make way for a guitar solo, before Shaw sings, "When we are one, love will go on forever, one nation, one sun, we will belong together".

The album begins with 'Save Me Tonight', which begins with a quintessential guitar-drum intro. Co-written with Jeff Scott Solo, the song is about Covid-era angst and the chorus goes, "Somebody save me tonight, I'm ready and willing to fight, seduce me to paradise, exposed and alone". Within a minute, you're convinced you're listening to vintage Heep. That feeling just stays on, as Box comes up with a crackling lead guitar solo on 'Silver Sunrise', and Lanzon chips in with a melodic organ burst on 'Hail The Sunrise'.

On the nostalgic 'Age Of Changes', Shaw sings, "They say that first love can never be forgotten, at least we had that time between us, I realise that our situation, it could never be". The vocal back-ups are brilliantly constructed here. 'Hurricane', which talks of the wrath of the gods, is the only dark song here, but it's like the storm before the calm.

With its eight-minute span, narrative lyrics and time changes, 'You'll Never Be Alone' is pure prog-rock, whereas the energetic 'Fly Like An Eagle' is unadulterated hard rock. The album concludes with 'Close To Your Dreams', where Shaw ends with an open question - "Some have futures glowing bright, others take a lifetime, are you strong enough to take the ride?"

There are portions in the album, specially where the Hammond organ is used, where one is reminded of the Deep Purple/ Jon Lord sound. Overall, the tilt is more towards guitar and vocals, with some power-drumming to back up. Box is perhaps one of the underrated guitarists in rock, but his genius and versatility is all too evident here.

As for Shaw, he's surely stepped into the shoes of former Heep vocalists David Byron and John Lawton, albeit with an individual stamp. The best thing about the vocals is that every word is clearly enunciated, and one understands the lyrics easily. As for the album, it's one of their best in years. There's no sense in drawing parallels to earlier records like Salisbury, Demons & Wizards and Innocent Victim. Those were from another era, another circumstance. With Heep, a lot has changed, a lot remains the same.