Uriah Heep

Uriah Heep are a British Progressive Rock band whose debut was released in 1970, with 21 albums under their belt. They are considered one of the first metal bands, having been beaten to the punch of actually creating it by Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath by a year or two.

The nucleus of the original group was David Byron, a singer with an operatic voice and multi-octave vocal range and lead guitarist Mick Box, both of whom had played in a psychedelic group called Spice in the sixties. The third member of the core of Uriah Heep was Ken Hensley, who contributed keyboards, some guitar and most of the songwriting. Bassist Gary Thain and drummer Lee Kerslake completed the "classic" line-up that played on the Demons and Wizards and The Magician's Birthday albums.

Presently, Box is the only member who has been in every incarnation of the group.

Not to be confused with the David Copperfield character for whom they're named.


 * A Good Name for a Rock Band: Named after a character from David Copperfield.
 * Concept Album
 * Control Freak: Ken Hensley, the band's keyboardist, second guitarist and primary songwriter during the first part of their career, developed a reputation for iron-handed control over the group.
 * Demoted to Extra: In spite of their popularity and influence, Uriah Heep is less well remembered than other early metal groups, though they probably have more recognition in prog rock circles.
 * Epic Rocking: The second side of the album Salisbury is occupied by a sixteen-minute long suite featuring a twenty-six piece orchestra. One of their most popular songs, "July Morning", is another good example.
 * Face of the Band: David Byron was this for a long time until his departure (precipitated by his alcohol problems) was forced by Ken Hensley. Now it's probably Mick Box.
 * Germans Love David Hasselhoff: In their native UK (and America) they're essentially a cult band, but in Asia and mainland Europe (particularly Germany, entertainingly enough) they retain a strong following and continue to sell out arenas there.
 * Glass-Shattering Sound: The late great David Byron had an incredibly powerful falsetto, as heard among other places on "Sunrise" from The Magician's Birthday.
 * Heavy Mithril: One of the earliest exponents of this style.
 * I Am the Band: A bizarre example. Mick Box, the lead guitarist, is the only original member still in the band to this day. For a time they were a simple revolving door band after all of the original members left, with Box as the only constant member. However the line-up that he formed in 1986 lasted 21 YEARS and would still be together today, had ill-health not forced a change in drummers.
 * Nightmare Fuel: The cover of their debut album. Abominog, too.
 * Step Up to the Microphone: Ken Hensley took the lead vocal on some of their most popular songs, including "Lady In Black" and "Look At Yourself".
 * Vindicated by History: Their first album was met with poor reviews upon release, with one reviewer famously saying that she would kill herself if the band actually made it. The album is now considered a landmark in the history of rock and metal.