Blue Öyster Cult
The Symbol Remains

Love them or hate them, the Oyster Boys are still among us. Their last studio work dates back to 2001 (Curse of Hidden Mirror) but the band’s live activity has been quite fruitful over the years. Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom do not want to lay down their arms, although unfortunately Allen Lanier left them/us a few years ago. The new B.O.C. album was released on October 9th of this year and has been well publicized on various websites in the industry. It consists of 14 tracks that fully reflect the sound that Blue Oyster Cult has been following for many years. Whether it’s rock or A.O.R. doesn’t really matter. The New York boys' brand continues and is recognizable. Like it or not. The lineup besides the two capable survivors includes Richie Castellano (guitars, keyboards, vocals), Danny Miranda (electric bass), and Jules Radino (drums and percussion). I point out that Castellano and Radino were particularly active in the production of this work, writing some songs and related lyrics. Just think of the song “The Alchemist” (perhaps the most interesting of the entire work) written entirely by the drummer who drew inspiration for the lyrics from a P.H. Lovecraft story. I prefer not to opt for a track by track and leave the potential feelings or criticisms to you. I was positively surprised to read that in the opening song of this album, That Was Me, Albert Bouchard appears as a backing vocalist and percussionist, and according to rumors, he will release an updated version of Imaginos (Re Imaginos) next month. I conclude by pointing out that Buck Dharma remains a distinguished guitarist and that Eric Bloom's vocal tone still holds up well, at least in the recording studio. I purchased the double vinyl edition. Elegant packaging with the song lyrics inside and photos of the band during the recordings.