HEEP

and it just all came together.” The result is the group’s latest record, Chaos & Colour.

For the band’s latest offering, they called upon producer Jay Ruston, who also worked on their last album, Living the Dream. “We had the same producer, the same studio, a whole mass of songs to go through. We don’t sit down. We don’t waste time in the studio. Like Living the Dream, it was done in two weeks. I think Chaos & Colour took 17 days,” explains Shaw. “If you know the song, you know your craft, you know how to play, things are in tune, and everybody’s got a good vibe why should it take any longer than three takes,” he says. “Luckily, we’ve got the right chemistry, musically and mindset wise, that we knew what we wanted out of the album. And we know the room. So, getting sounds took a matter of a couple of hours rather than a couple of days and we just got stuck into it.”

The vibrant artwork for the band’s latest album sleeve is eye-catching, to say the least. “We use those colours a lot in the light show. The magenta, the canary yellow and aqua marine. So, to me, it already portrayed a little bit of us live,” explains Bernie. “I haven’t seen it yet on a rack in a record shop. But when you do, I know it’s going to have that effect. It’s going to grab the corner of your peripheral vision going - what’s that?”

With such a formidable discography behind the band, where does Chaos & Colour sit within the Uriah Heep repertoire?

“It’s the best album we’ve ever done,” jokes Shaw. “It’s like a child, isn’t it? You’ve nurtured and created this new thing.”

He adds: “It’s something very special, and very personal, and I think that’s why some bands take a year to do it because they don’t know when to stop. But I think it’s Heep, and I think it really represents this line-up as we are now almost 10 years together.”

Of course, it will always be tough to put the band’s current output alongside their seminal early works. “It’s hard when you’ve got albums like Demons and Wizards to go up against - the classic,” he says. “Do you just concentre on this is the best album I’ve ever done? Or this is the best album this line-up has ever done? It’s probably up there with one of the best albums this line-up has ever done.”

Uriah Heep hopes to continue their touring activities in support of their latest release. “We’ve got one of the best bookers working out of Nashville for us. And it’ll be a world tour like it normally is for a full album release. But right now, I can’t tell you what or where,” said Bernie. “So, hopefully, we’ll have a good summer run with the festivals because I’d like to play at least a couple of shows in the UK again.”

Chaos & Colour, the new album from Uriah Heep, is out now via Silver Lining Music.