Uridium is a down-in-one triple shot, slap-in-the-face, wake-up call of a band who release their first album Reflections Of Insanity on 17 April 2026. Named after a Commodore 64 game (an 8-bit home computer that pre-dates the first PlayStation by over 12 years), this places their sound firmly in the golden age of old school Heavy Metal, particularly the NWOBHM and mid-’80s Thrash.
Uridium – Reflections Of Insanity
Release Date: 17 April 2026
Words: Sean Titley
For those new to the band, Uridium are a five-piece from Norwich made up of Gary Vescio on guitar and backing vocals, Paul Cutting on guitar, Ian Hill (Slug) on bass and backing vocals, James Morgan on drums and Cameron Brown on lead vocals.
Unlike some highly polished and glossily marketed bands on the current British scene, Uridium feel and sound grassroots, real deal, raw and talented.
“Reflections of Insanity was written during a period spent working in a psychiatric hospital,” the band said, “drawing inspiration from the struggles and inner turmoil people face every day.”
The first single and album opener, Sanctum, is a cracker, showcasing what makes Uridium magic. From the second it starts, there is no hiding from the thunderous, galloping drums and bass, smoky, gruff howls of Brown’s vocals supported by occasional punched backing vocals and the compulsively listenable, shredding of Vescio and Cutting’s intricate and intriguing guitar work.
No Way Out, another single from the album and accompanied by a pretty funny video, follows. This is a headbanger with melodic breaks and tempo changes capturing the desperation of inaction caused by fear and doubt. It is an instant scream along-athon. This is followed by the belt ’em out fast-paced Fire And Lies and rhythmic scorcher, Rebel.
The title song Reflections Of Insanity is the heart of the album, powered along by a pounding beat, waves of harmonised vocals and guitars and contemplations from the psychiatric ward.
The song deals with the “terror of running from your fears, set within the haunting landscape of a nightmare. No matter how fast you run, there’s no escape as the world collapses around you. Thunder roars, lightning strikes, and the walls close in, mirroring your deepest anxieties rising to the surface in a storm of chaos and dread.”
Wasted, the final single of the three released from the album, is at times reminiscent of Anthrax’s Aftershock with a speed to match. A hand holder of a song for those nights when you have overcooked it and are wondering if you will pull through into the dawn light of sanity again, this song says you will, in a fun-filled riot of chants and riffs.
Bloodshot Eyes is a shredding, stand-out cut for a speed merchant (maybe think Motörhead’s Bomber), put your head down and enjoy.
Rise Or Fall is another quickie with some sweet time changes, which will keep people nodding along, as will Spillage, yet another great track from the band with superb, riff-heavy guitar work.
The final three are all top drawer and crown the album. Fight turns the pace up to emphasise the battle in taking on reality, while In For The Kill sends shivers down the spine with its punch the air chorus and martial, fight to the death vocals.
Finally, Monster, a song with an up and down rolling, urgent beat that captures the nature of being locked in with your insanity, closes the album.
Whilst I am not convinced your local psychotherapist is going to be prescribing Uridium, they probably should be.
Reflections Of Insanity reminds in spirit, catchiness and listenability of opening albums like Overkill’s Feel The Fire, Megadeth’s Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!, Flotsam and Jetsam’s Doomsday For the Deceiver and particularly Paul Di’Anno era Iron Maiden.
It was a different era, when Heavy Metal was still pretty new, but all these bands went on with greater label support and bigger budgets to great things.
Uridium feel like they are blazing a similar trail.
Uridium release Reflections Of Insanity on 17 April 2026. Pre-orders are available from uridiumband.bigcartel.com.
