The Batlord

I listened to that album a while back and loved it. It's sound didn't strike me as particularly different or original, but the songs just did what they did so well. And I'm pretty sure that cover was from an old collection of Conan the Barbarian stories. At least it's on one of mine.

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Unknown Soldier

The cover is from the Snow Giants and the originality of the album is more in its song choices than the actual songs themselves. Not too many bands would sling an album like this together and have the confidence to pull it off.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History

Unknown Soldier

Overview
I’ve already featured Sir Lord Baltimore and Dust from the NY area and despite these two bands never really achieving any real recognition at the time, it could still be safe to say, that New York was one of the major hubs of the American proto-metal scene of the early 1970s. The arrival of the superbly named Blue Oyster Cult would cement that fact in stone, as finally here was an American band, that would go the distance both creatively and commercially and give us a major US player on the ‘heavy scene’. Almost from the word go, the Blue Oyster Cult were labelled as an ‘American Black Sabbath’ surely in an effort to promote them, but in reality they were quite a different band and didn’t have that much in common with Sabbath at all. The Blue Oyster Cult were essentially a biker band from Long Island, whose sound was based around a heavy jamming psychedelic style infused with R&B. The only thing they really shared with Sabbath, were the pseudo-satanic lyrics and the science fiction themes that the band were interested in, the band also added their own conspirational insights into the lyric pool, and most song compositions were band dominated. In fact the US had another band in Bang (soon to be featured here) that were far more like Sabbath than the Blue Oyster Cult were. A lot of the actual Sabbath connection came from band manager and producer Sandy Pearlman, who had wanted to form an American Black Sabbath, but the band after some initial member shuffling soon evolved into their own distinctive and original style. In fact frontman Eric Bloom was one of the later replacements, taking over from Les Bronstein as the principal vocalist and the band after several name changes and unreleased material finally settled on the Blue Oyster Cult. BOC were blessed with two very gifted front men in Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma, who put the group ethic before individual glory and along with third guitarist Allen Lainier, they helped to create the band’s highly original and murky sound, all of which was supported by the Bouchard brothers on bass and drums. This sound was largely created through the production techniques of Sandy Pearlman, who used layered guitars to create a muddy-ambiguous mix, that lent itself over to repeated listenings, to really be able to fully absorb the dark heavy psychedelia of the band. This album would be seen as another one of the early proto-metal classics of its time.

Eric Bloom- Guitar/Vocals
Donald ‘Buck Dharma’ Roeser- Guitar/Vocals
Allen Lainier- Rhythm/Keyboards
Joe Bouchard- Bass
Albert Bouchard- Drums

Production- Sandy Pearlman and Murray Krugman

Album
Transmaniacon MC- From the word go, the BOC kick-off with their signature R&B base sound, full of dense sounding guitar and high on lyrical overload, all delivered through the raspy vocals of frontman Eric Bloom and the song focuses on the infamous Altamont concert of 1969. I’m on the Lamb But I Ain’t No Sheep- One of the band’s older songs and it’s about Canadian mounties after a fugitive, the song is highlighted by a series of stiff-sounding densely delivered riffs, before finishing up with a late flurry. Then Came the Last Days of May- Starts off as one of the most blues infused tracks on the album and also one of the slowest numbers as well. It’s sung by Buck Dharma who has a very different delivery to that of Eric Bloom and it’s one of the best tracks on the album. Stairway to the Stars- Back to Eric Bloom on vocals and one of the stand-out tracks with its almost cosmic approach. Easily remembered for its hand-clapping sounding section and combined with some great guitar work. Before the Kiss, a Redcap- The second Buck Dharma sang song on the album and a song about barbiturates whilst kissing, the song is all neatly wrapped up with a boogie feel. Screams- Performed by Joe Bouchard and a reference back to the band’s psychedelic roots and again highlighted by some great instrumentals, before the drumming finale leads us into….. She’s as Beautiful as a Foot- One of the softer tracks on the album, which is accompanied by a haunting melody. Cities on Flame with Rock & Roll- The heaviest song on the album and actually sung by Albert Bouchard, with its crunching guitar, great rhythm and slow plodding bass and drums. The later part of the song introduces us into a lighter more frantic section. This might be the definitive track on the album and a real early metal classic. Workshop of the Telescopes- A great swirling track that comes as a welcome respite, after the heaviness of the previous song and is infused with some great choppy guitar moments, and of course it has a great title, it all finishes up with a helicopter type blade sound. Redeemed- A steady reflective track that in many ways serves as a great album closer, the more I hear this the more I seem to love it. As far bonus tracks go, the best original 10 songs were clearly chosen. Of the bonus tracks "Donovan's Monkey" is probably too Doors sounding "What is Quicksand" is a poor song "Betty Lou Got a New Pair of Shoes" is a cover song and "A Fact About Sneakers" is probably the best of the four songs here.

Verdict
The Blue Oyster Cult debut with songs like “Cities on Flame with Rock & Roll” ushered in one of the most important bands in the heavy genre of the 1970s and they were possibly the first real ‘thinking man’s metal band’ if you doubt that check out this or any of their other work. They also never really abandoned their early psychedelic and R&B roots either and throughout this album their musical origins can be noted. Their signature sound of densely layered guitars was laid down by Eric Bloom and Allen Lainier, but it was the crunching guitar of principal guitarist Buck Dharma, that was the most important element of the three guitarists on show and on this album Buck Dharma performs those really stinging sections. These elements along with a potent rhythm section, also offered up a keen sense of melody throughout the album and on tracks like “Transmaniacon MC” “Stairway to the Stars” and “Before the Kiss, a Redcap” all the components of the band play in that densely layered and unified style, but at times the musical sections did break up to offer an easier listening stance, especially on songs like “Then Came the Last Days of May” but where BOC truly came into their own were with their dark musings. Whereas a band like Black Sabbath used their dark musings as a statement and as a lyrical reaction to critics. BOC focused their musings in a more literary and complex manner and in this respect they were so far advanced for their time. Making them one of the most sophisticated of all early hard rock and metal bands. In many ways their early work lyrically reminds us, that the dark side of the 1960s psychedelia movement was still very alive in the early 1970s and I’m certain Jim Morrison from his grave, would have approved of the lyrical content being laid down by the band. In essence BOC were never an overly complex band, but their layered and ambiguous sound, could always lend itself to further examination and scrutiny from the listener! This debut album really ushered in a biker band that really knew how to play and in the Bouchard brothers they had an enviable rhythm section. Frontman Eric Bloom provided the band with enough grit and Buck Dharma as a guitarist had the world at his feet, and his delivery as second vocalist was always something special. But the rhythm guitar of Allen Lainier, may well have been the aspect that gelled the band’s sound together.

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Metal Wars

Power Metal

Pounding Decibels- A Hard and Heavy History