Demons and Wizards in Bloomington, MN

This is the album that solidified
Uriah Heep
's reputation as a master of gothic-inflected
heavy metal
. From short, sharp
rock
songs to lengthy, musically dense epics,
Demons and Wizards
finds
covering all the bases with style and power. The album's approach is set with its lead-off track,
"The Wizard"
: it starts as a simple acoustic tune but soon builds into a stately rocker that surges forth on a Wall of Sound built from thick guitar riffs, churchy organ, and operatic vocal harmonies. Other highlights include
"Traveller in Time,"
a fantasy-themed rocker built on thick wah-wah guitar riffs, and
"Circle of Hands,"
a stately power
ballad
with a
gospel
-meets-
feel to it.
also produced a notable radio hit for the band in
"Easy Livin',"
a punchy little rocker whose raging blend of fuzz guitar and swirling organ made it feel like a '70s update of classic '60s garage rockers like
the Electric Prunes
or
Paul Revere & the Raiders
. However, the top highlight of the album is the closing medley of
"Paradise"
and
"The Spell"
: the first part of the medley starts in an acoustic
folk
mode and slowly adds layers of organ and electric guitar until it becomes a forceful, slow-tempo rocker, while the second half is a punchy, organ-led rocker that includes an instrumental midsection where choral-style harmonies fortify a killer,
Pink Floyd
-style guitar solo from
Ken Hensley
. All in all,
works both as a showcase for
's instrumental firepower and an excellent display of their songwriting skills in a variety of
hard rock
styles. As a result, it is considered by many fans to be their finest hour and is definitely worth a spin for anyone with an interest in 1970s
. ~ Donald A. Guarisco