URIAH HEEP

Among the last standard-bearers of original progressive hard rock — a tradition forged alongside Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and Deep Purple at the turn of the 1970s — Uriah Heep now bring that storied legacy to a close on their farewell tour.

From early metal classics like “Gypsy,” “Bird of Prey” and “Walking in Your Shadow,” the band built a reputation that crossed the Atlantic, with gold records and Billboard Top 40 entries for Demons and Wizards, The Magician’s Birthday and Sweet Freedom. Their pioneering blend of Hammond organ, Mick’s signature wah-wah guitar, and richly stacked vocals — earning them the unlikely nickname the Beach Boys of Heavy Metal — became a template that echoed through bands from Sweet to Queen.

Over more than five decades, 25 studio albums and 40 million records sold worldwide, Uriah Heep became a truly global band through relentless touring — most memorably becoming the first Western rock act to perform live in Moscow in December 1987, to an audience of 180,000. That same tireless spirit has defined their career to the very end.