Into the Wild is Uriah Heep’s twenty-third studio release, and it sounds like it; they have hard rock down to a science. In fact, these songs could almost have been worked out mathematically well before the players ever stepped into a studio or touched an instrument. I can almost visualize the formula. Let X = 2a + 3b + c + d; repeat eleven times with slight variation so that roughly 11x = Into the Wild. I do not intend to condescend. For a minute there I almost thought that bands no longer made music like this anymore. That real, honest-to-god Rock and Roll had become a relic. These songs are like timepieces, to be appreciated, learned from, and occasionally marveled at.
Uriah Heep has endured so many lineup changes over the years, that it’s less of a band and more of a concept. Now in its fifteenth permutation, the roster has remained fairly consistent over the last 25 years or so, the most recent addition being drummer Russell Gilbrook back in 2007. Veteran Mick Box is still going strong on lead guitar, Bolder on Bass, Phil Lanzon on keys, and still belting out lead vocals is Bernie Shaw, so fans expecting Into the Wild to sound like their previous two releases (2008’s Wake the Sleeper and 2009’s Celebration) may not be disappointed to find the band traveling a little further down the same hard rock road.
What may turn some listeners off is how repetitive it can be. As if in their travels the band has had to retrace some of their steps. Every track is at least four minutes long and in some cases can reach up to six and a half, songs relying on catchy one-liners for hooks, backed by simple but groovy riffs that’ll get your head nodding, but may not inspire a whole lot of other cranial activity. The first track for instance, appropriately named “Nail on the Head” has Shaw delivering the titular line twenty-three times (which averages out to once every eleven and a half seconds of a four minute track), with the occasional “Over and over again” thrown in between utterances to either break up the monotony or mock the listener, I can’t quite tell which. A tasty solo spices up the mix right about halfway in, but apart from that little burst of flavor the track remains fairly bland and 100% predictable.
No matter what instrumental departure the songs may take, be it a guitar or keyboard solo or extended riding of a groove, they always return to the hook and ride it out until the end. Showing signs of breaking from the heard was “Trail of Diamonds,” which starts off soft and mournful, driven by the bass line with guitar and synth to accent and very little drums, but halfway in lapses into the percussive distorted sound they lean upon so heavily. It goes out like it comes in, so it’s as close to a slow number as this album’s got to offer. The follow up to that “Southern Star,” has the most interesting riff development on the album, for my money. It’s average length, by album standards, but by far the most engaging song. The synth/organ on “Believe” sounds like it belongs emanating from the guts of a psychedelic nightmare carousel, and this is quite possibly the highest compliment I can bestow on this album. The texture gets buried in the body of the track, which for the most part is business as usual, but the very beginning and the end show a little bit of the magic that the rest of the album only hints at.
All in all, the album is fast paced, upbeat and energetic, and has no problem keeping up its momentum through nearly fifty-three minutes of continuous play. If you like melodic rock music with guitar solos: this here’s your album. If you’re looking for a new album to play in the background when you meet with your buddies for your weekly fantasy role playing game session, give this a try (serious gamers may need to spin it more than once). If you want something that’s not going to bum you out, or make you think too hard, something that’s lighthearted and accessible, then do yourself a favor and get Into the Wild.
Drew Vreeland - Muzikreviews.com Staff
July 23, 2011