Various - A Return To Fantasy - A Tribute To Uriah Heep

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Roadrunner Records
Catalog Number: 21208
Format: CD
Total Time: 60:09:00

This is a fitting tribute to one of the most underrated and underappreciated rock bands, Uriah Heep. I realize there are thousands of Uriah Heep fans worldwide and their legacy grows with each day, so when I refer to any word that starts with under, I am not referring to their popularity amongst music fans, rather the critics that did not give them their due. I am in fact pointing strongly to the importance of their recorded legacy. I believe that the prevailing attitude of the day was unfair because the focus was on heavyweights such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. These were all very important bands without question, although I feel that UH belongs grouped in the same class as these other bands. One needs only to look at Heep's '70s output to see how critical their contributions were to heavy metal. Albums such as Demons And Wizards, The Magician's Birthday and Look At Yourself were all classic metal progressive albums that stand up to this very day, there are many more albums but these particular ones are my favorites. Possibly the sleeper in the whole bunch is Wonderworld, which I really wore out.

So now their day in the sun has arrived through the eyes of those that have idolized and emulated them on A Return To Fantasy - A Tribute To Uriah Heep, a knockout tribute album if I do say so myself. For the most part the distinctive UH sound is adequately captured on several tracks, others are not so good, shying away from what the band original intended to produce, but that is to be expected with so many contributors and such a wide variety of sounds. The best tracks in my very 'eavy...very 'umble opinion are "Circle Of Hands," (Easy Livin') "Rainbow Demon" (Tad Morose) and of course the last live cut with Ken Hensley, the original keyboard player of the band, performing with Metalium. I also must mention Paul Nelson (AKA Liege Lord), a fantastic guitar man I have been following for several years now, and vocalist Joe Comeau, who do a fine job with "Too Scared Too Run."

You had better believe this is a return to fantasy and I know David Byron has to be smiling in heaven now along with the surviving members of the band. I am sure Uriah Heep is truly honored by this dazzling tribute of their recorded history.

Tracklisting:
Easy Livin' (Angel Dust) (3:43) / Sunrise (Narnia) (4:48) / Rainbow Demon (Tad Morose) (4:29) / Bird Of Prey (Onward) (4:11) / Too Scared Too Run (Liege Lord featuring Paul Nelson and Joe Comeau) (3:49) / Lady In Black (Jack Frost) (5:07) / Stealin' (Nightingale) (4:30) / Weep In Silence (Lana Lane) (5:43) / Rainbow Demon (Vintersorg) (4:01) / Return To Fantasy (Sacred Steel) (5:58) / Circle Of Hands (Easy Livin') (8:32) / Suicidal Man (Freebase) (3:50) / Gypsy (Metalium featuring Ken Hensley (live version)) (4:08)

Musicians:


Discography:
A Return To Fantasy - A Tribute To Uriah Heep (2003

Genre: Progressive-Power Metal

Origin VA

Added: January 27th 2004
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
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Language: english