Sometimes you hear new music that reminds you so much of another band that you need to take a closer look at the liner notes to see if it’s that band under another name.
Blind Golem reminds me so strongly of mid-1970s Uriah Heep that you could wonder if this music was built on top of lost recordings finally seeing the light of day.
To be clear: this is the highest compliment I could give. For any band to come along and emulate how music used to sound like in the 1970s is a grand accomplishment in itself. On top of that, to see a band emulate the writing style, the sounds, and the performances of one of my favourite bands of all time so incredibly well is thrilling.
The first time I heard them I was almost taken aback at how much they sounded like the Heep, and how uniquely great they sounded. From then on out I have embraced them wholeheartedly.
Blind Golem are tapping into a sound and a quality of performance and songwriting that are rarely heard any longer.
The band comes from Italy, and their ties to the Uriah Heep sound is explained by them having their roots in the Uriah Heep tribute band Forever Heep. They were regarded as the best Heep tribute acts around, to the point where Heep main man Ken Hensley tapped them to perform with him several times.
After many years of establishing themselves as a top notch Heep tribute band they felt the desire to create their own music. The name Forever Heep was obviously not suitable, as they were inspired by several other bands in addition to Heep – such as Magnum, Lucifer’s Friend, Black Bonzo, and Wicked Minds. In the end they decided to rename themselves Blind Golem.
Their album A Dream of Fantasy was released 9 January 2021, and it features hints of all of these inspirations. There is however no doubt that the Heep connection is the strongest and shine brightest on the album. This bond is further strengthened by Ken Hensley who guests on a track.
It should come as no surprise that I first heard of this album when it was recommended on a Uriah Heep fan group. The endorsement was enthusiastic, and when I received my copy I reacted the same way. Rock music from the 1970s sounds very unique, and most bands can’t emulate that sound today even if they try. Blind Golem manages this just fine. Who knows how they do it – maybe they use vintage equipment, maybe it’s the sound of them playing live in the studio as bands used to do, or perhaps they just have that way of performing in their blood. In any case, they are succeeding in tapping into a unique sound that all but disappeared decades ago. I am simply ecstatic about the sounds they are conjuring up on this album.
Album opener Devil In A Dream wastes no time in establishing the Heep sound. The initial roar of the organ makes you wonder if the band are gearing up to launch into the Heep classic Easy Livin’, but instant full-blown musical stabs alongside five-part harmonies takes it in a different direction. It is a comfortable mid-tempo rocker with tons of Heep vocal sections and the usual slide guitar/Hammond organ wall of sound.
Sunbreaker picks up the pace somewhat, but is largely built around the same ingredients as the previous songs. The band members all chip in, adding their own touches in turn, allowing all of them moments to shine while coming together with that unique band sound.
Screaming To the Stars builds from a slow, trudging riff-based rhythm into a chorus with some particularly mighty backing vocals. The song becomes quite powerful when they hits those peaks. Slow-burn songs like this one is clearly something Blind Golem do particularly well. Bright Light is another one, and one of the strongest tracks on offer with a slow, powerful beat throughout. The melody is strong, and the moment when the vocal harmonies in the chorus hits that high sweet spot (you will instantly know which one) I get goosebumps every time. This track is a pure sonic delight, with a vintage approach to the sound.
The Day Is Gone is obviously a song of particular interest as this is the track where Ken Hensley is guesting. He contributes a haunting slide guitar part in the intro, and the song also benefits from his classic Hammond B3 organ throughout. Obviously his contributions slot right in. It says something about the band’s natural sound when you get an original Heep member to add instrumentation, and while he adds a ton, he still can’t make it sound any more Heep than the band already do.
Sadly, Hensley passed in November 2020 and would not live to see his contributions released, and the band has dedicated the album to him. Hensley had a busy 2020, also recording a solo album that also saw the light of day after his passing. He was prolific until the last, and it feels good to see him give his seal of approval to Blind Golem.
RELATED ARTICLE: KEN HENSLEY – «My Book of Answers» (2021)
The album displays the same diversity of styles as the bands that inspires them. Night of Broken Dreams starts as a nice piano ballad, with band elements gradually coming in. Pegasus displays some of their other inspirations, at times reminding me of Magnum (with Heep-style vocals in the chorus, though).
The Gathering is a nice, melodic track which brings memories of how Ken Hensley used to sound on his solo track. The track sits unremarkably towards the end of the album, but it always leaves me with a huge emotional impact due to what it reminds me of. If becomes a late album highlight.
Several songs feature musical touches and sounds that are rarely used any longer, but which bring back very fond memories of older songs that also featured them. The Ghost of Eveline emulates the sound of a Theremin, which is prominently featured on Heep’s Magician’s Birthday album on tracks like Echoes In the Dark. This isn’t accidental, as bassist/vocalist Francesco Dalla Riva also mentioned that the outro of Eveline is heavily inspired by Echoes In the Dark in particular.
RELATED ARTICLE: The story behind the song «Echoes In the Dark» by Uriah Heep
The album cover is painted by Rodney Matthews, who along with Roger Dean has created several of the classic prog/hard rock sleeves of the 1970s/80s. Matthews is perhaps particularly known for his long-standing work with Magnum, while Dean is similarly known for his Yes artwork as well as some classic Uriah Heep sleeves. They decided to reach out to Matthews, who was very enthusiastic and wanted to know all about their song titles and musical references. He offered a selection for consideration, including “The Masters Arrive” which was felt to be a perfect fit.
Blind Golem could so easily have been a copycat band, just striving for a Heep similarity but ending up sounding like a Uriah Heep pastiche. This is honestly nothing like that at all. These guys have lived and breathed this music for so long on stage and in rehearsal rooms, in addition to being life-long fans, that the music comes from them very naturally. This is the music that they love – music they clearly play with a passion, and they have managed to tap into it with such a conviction and devotion that it genuinely sounds like the real thing.
The biggest difference between the Heep and the Golem would be the lead vocals. Andrea Vilardo has a great voice, and wisely avoids trying to emulate original Heep singer David Byron (or anyone else for that matter). He has a voice that is naturally suitable to this type of music, and I just accepted it on its own terms pretty much immediately. I honestly think most people will. This is also part of validating them as their own entity.
The entire band is great, and in addition to I also need to mention the classic organ sounds which are perfectly emulated by Simone Bistaffa, while Silvano Zago plays electric, acoustic, and slide guitar with great conviction. Francesco Dalla Riva’s versatility is hugely important to the band. The bass player adds a lot of vocals to the songs, even singing lead on a few, in addition being the principal songwriter. Walter Mantovanelli on drums completes a great line-up.
I hope the band does not feel I made this review all about their Heep similarities when they also expressed a desire to incorporate other influences. More than anything, Blind Golem have managed to establish their own sound, which happens to be close to other bands that many of us know and love. The last thing I want is to make the band resent that these similarities are pointed out. What I want them to take away from this review is the enthusiasm that I (and many others) feel for the music they play, this album and the band’s amazing efforts.
If you, like me, get genuinely excited when you hear a “new” band coming up with those wonderful hard rock sounds of the 1970s, look no further. This is one you deserve to have in your collection, and picking up a copy will hopefully encourage the lads to create more albums like this one. I am already waiting with baited breath.
Blind Golem’s A Dream of Fantasy can be ordered at the Andromeda Relix shop (you need to search for Blind Golem) or on their Bandcamp site.
Svein Børge Hjorthaug
Norway, August 2021
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