"Bird of Prey" is a song by British rock band Uriah Heep, from the group's US version of their 1970 debut album Very 'Eavy...
[3] Martin Popoff called it "the band's most raging work of genius, a searing blend of glowing Byron operatics and sinister metal craftsmanship which previewed Heep's progressive metal side splendidly.
"[4] AllMusic noted that the song features a riff reminiscent of "Gypsy" and a comparable mood with the works of both Deep Purple and David Bowie.
[3] Ultimate Classic Rock said the song is "widely recognized today as one of heavy metal’s most spectacular 1970 cornerstones.
"[5] In 2009 the intro to the song (approximately from 8–14 seconds) was sampled by the American Rapper Xzibit in his single "Hurt Locker".