Rave reviews have greeted rock legends Uriah Heep’s 21st studio album, with Classic Rock calling it “a momentous return to form.”

Keyboard player Phil Lanzon, who lives in Broadstairs, described the CD, Wake The Sleeper, as “a very strong album which has already won acclaim from Classic Rock magazine, and from our regular fans who have given it ten out of ten.”

Speaking from his Lanthorne Road home, he said: “We are pleased with how it has worked out and will be playing some of the tracks on tour in Britain, Europe, America, Australia and Japan in the coming year.”

This is the band’s first album without their long-standing and original drummer, Lee Kerslake, who sadly had to leave the band due to ill health in January last year. Filling the drum stool for the first time is Russell Gilbrook, who has worked with the respected jazz artist Chris Barber, Alan Price, as well as on heavier projects including Rockzilla, Expose, and replacing the late great Cozy Powell in Bedlam. He is also working on Tony Iommi’s next album.

One of the few survivors of rock’s first golden era, Uriah Heep were never as fashionably powerful as Deep Purple or as gargantuan as Led Zeppelin, but their carefully crafted songs and imaginative arrangements won them a legion of fans.

Although it is rumoured that Heep were the model for Spinal Tap, there is far more substance to their live performance and writing.

From the early days of Very ‘Eavy, Very ‘Umble via the rock classics of Demons and Wizards, Look at Yourself and The Magician’s Birthday through to DVDs, CDs and even an acoustic set in recent years, the band has maintained a high standard.

Phil has been with the band since the 1980s and is an integral part of the Heep legend that stretches worldwide.

After studying piano from the age of eight, he moved into bands playing pop covers, performing in night clubs aged 14 to 15 in an era when David Jones and the Lower Third (later David Bowie) were on the same circuit.

Phil left the rock circus to work in the family business, before returning to it in the mid 1970s, gaining valuable road experience with Geno Washington and the Ram Jam Band.

He formed his own band, Grand Prix, that toured and recorded to acclaim until 1983, before a two-year stint with glam rockers The Sweet took him on tour around the world.

Friendship with Uriah Heep guitar master Mick Box eventually led to him joining up. Phil said: “He called me up, gave me a set list over the phone, and we were gigging in a few days. It was mad, but great fun.

“Heep are an underrated band, and we still have the same enthusiasm and spark when we meet for writing and rehearsal sessions.”

The current band line up is Mick Box (Guitar, Vocals), Trevor Bolder (Bass, Vocals), Phil Lanzon (Keyboards, Vocals), Bernie Shaw (Lead Vocals) and Russell Gilbrook (Drums, Vocals).

They are playing London’s Astoria on Sunday, November 23. Doors open at 6.30pm

For more information, check out the band’s website www.uriah-heep.com