Review Summary: The sort of album that shouldn’t be as good as it is
In the wake of Uriah Heep’s complete collapse with 1980’s Conquest, 1982’s Abominog sees a whole new lineup reforged with guitarist Mick Box as the sole original member. There are actually more musicians from Ozzy’s band featured than classic Heep as drummer Lee Kerslake brought bassist Bob Daisley along with him upon rejoining, giving this the same rhythm section as Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman, and keyboardist John Sinclair later going there likely had roots in the connections made here. We’ve also got another singer change with Peter Goalby throwing his hat into the ring.
And with this convoluted setup having been initially conceived as a whole new group before returning to the already recognized name (geez, how many Sabbath parallels are we at now?), it’s worth asking if this really *should be* a Uriah Heep album. Mick Box may be seen as the group’s Tony Iommi but Ken Hensley was their true visionary, having penned just about all of their previous hits and informing much of the general direction. The songwriting being evenly split between covers and originals composed by the entire group also brings intentions into further question.
Having said that, the opening “Too Scared To Run” suggests that they at least seemed to understand the assignment. The track truly feels like an instance of the Heep sound updated for the eighties, featuring the spry pacing and organ flourishes of old injected with a little extra heaviness and great call-and-response echoes during the chorus. Goalby also does well in channeling Lawton’s power. It’s not quite among the band’s most iconic openers but certainly makes for a satisfying start.
Alas, the subsequent songs slip away from those vibes into more contemporary textures but at least they’re better executed here than on Conquest. “On The Rebound” and “Running All Night (With The Lion)” are catchy romps rounded out by driving guitars and punchy synths while “Hot Night in a Cold Town” and “That’s The Way It Is” are atmospheric brooders with more lamenting hooks.
Abominog is the sort of album that really shouldn’t work as well as it does. As somewhat expected by the lineup and songwriting logistics, it bares little resemblance to Uriah Heep beyond a couple token elements. However, taking on more contemporary sounds finally works in their favor as the songs and performances are packed with lovably dated chemistry. As much as I would’ve loved to see a more NWOBHM-tinged Heep inspired by the heaviness around them (I think I’m just describing Dio?), this is a great album when judged by its own merits. It may also be their sole bright spot in an otherwise rough decade.
