”Outsider” is the 24th album of the legendary Uriah Heep. Its release planned for 9th June is approaching fast and will definitely be a big event awaited by millions of fans all over the world. This is sufficient to prove that the band, being one of the hard rock “Big Four”, still continues to provide us with phenomenal studio releases. The wonderful thing is that the process is not forced and the music simply flows by itself.
After Deep Purple’s “Now What?!” and Black Sabbath’s “13” released last year, now the time has come for the “Outsider” era!!! The single promoting the album is called “One Minute” . „Outsider” is also the first album released after the death of Trevor Bolder, a long-time Uriah Heep bassist loved dearly by fans. Nevertheless, Trevor can still be heard on the album. While listening to the nostalgic intro of “One Minute”, you can close your eyes and feel how Trevor’s spirit, evoked by the lyrics allegory, enters the Outsider’s scales and passages to remain in them till the end.
At the same time, the new album indicates the amazing form of the band and its timeless rock spirit. As usual with Uriah Heep, everything seems to be in the right place. The masterly riffs and guitar of Mick Box, the drum machinery driven by the exceptional expression of Russell Gilbrook, and of course keyboards and vocals accompanied perfectly by the youngest band member, Dave Rimmer, who replaced Trevor Bolder on bass.
A special attention must be given to the monumental dimension of the Hammond organ, which roar, hum and vibrate, fill the guitar passages and create the background, being accentuated during keyboard discharges induced by Phil Lanzon.
The last element which leaves no doubt as for the musical power present in “Outsider” is the voice of Bernie Shaw - and in my personal opinion – the best frontman in the history of the band. If we imagine his showmanly and scenical style, sensational contact with the audience and the characteristic timbre of his voice, the new album gains an additional dimension of the magic of live performance, which is always present during their shows. Therefore we can be certain that if the album sounds amazing in its studio version, the band will easily bring out its true magic live.
“Outsider” contains 11 tracks, which belong to the classic, traditional hard rock canon. It is without a doubt one of the best albums recorded by the band. Will it be announced their best one? It is up to all of those who wait impatiently for the release date and the tour, during which they will “touch” and experience “Outsider” personally.
The upcoming album will definitely occupy a very important place in the music library of every fan. From 9th June on, the 40 minutes of rock music will take us on a trip to the late 60’s – the time of phenomenal rock music of highest quality.
Courtesy of Cinematographer Productions www.cinepro.pl
