Taking their name from the scheming, parasitic lawyer in Charles Dickens’ 1850 novel David Copperfield, Uriah Heep is a progressive rock institution that, alongside bands like Deep Purple, Queen, Black Sabbath, and Led Zeppelin, helped lay the foundation for the United Kingdom’s vibrant hard rock/heavy metal scene. Founded in 1969 by powerhouse vocalist David Byron and guitarist Mick Box, the band went through a prodigious number of members over the next 50 years, with nearly 40 different musicians passing through the ranks. Twelve of the group’s albums, including 1972’s seminal Demons and Wizards, have charted in the U.K., bolstered by radio hits like”Easy Livin’,” “The Wizard,” “Sweet Lorraine,” “Lady in Black,” and “Stealin’.” Uriah Heep’s 25th long-player, Chaos & Colour, was released in 2023. 

Saxon was one of the early leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, alongside Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, even outdistancing them at the onset. Emerging in 1977, the band found commercial success with the release of their seminal  sophomore effort, 1980’s Wheels of Steel, which went platinum in the U.K.. Subsequent efforts Strong Arm of the Law (1980), Denim and Leather (1981), and Power & the Glory also did well at home, with the latter outing cracking the Billboard 200, but a series of bad decisions and bad breaks, as well as internal strife, severely stunted the band’s momentum toward the end of the ‘80s. Still, Saxon persevered, recording and performing consistently into the 21st century, and ultimately attaining respectability from the heavy metal community, particularly in mainland Europe. The veteran rockers released their 23rd studio album, Thunderbolt, in 2018. They also paid homage to their influences on the 2021 covers album Inspirations, before cracking the Top 20 of the U.K. charts with 2022’s Carpe Diem.