BOC: PROGRESSIVE WORLD: Blue Öyster Cult - Curse Of The Hidden Mirror

[Karen Kusic]

http://www.progressiveworld.net/boc.html

Reviewed by: RIPZ, June 2001

 Blue Öyster Cult makes no excuses for doing the Classic Rock thing.
 While Curse Of The Hidden Mirror doesn't contain really "classic" BOC
 songs like "Don't Fear The Reaper" or "Astronomy," it is a certain
 degree better than their comeback CD, the patchy Heaven Forbid. The
 new one is a bit more lightweight than Heaven Forbid and those
 looking for 70s style hard rock might be disappointed. What does make
 Curse Of The Hidden Mirror a novelty is how good the band
 (represented by the creative core of the original band) can do their
70s
 sound so well, singing included. Usually the singer's pipes are the
first
 thing to go.

 I used to be a fan of BOC. I've seen them open for T Rex way back
 when Bolan was as plump as Lesley (Mountain) West. What was
 interesting about the early BOC - their sensuous exploration of the
 esoteric - was missing in the 80s and also in their last CD. It's nice
to
 have them back, but where are the mystical meandering of great
 albums like Secret Treaties and Spectres? Where's that absolute
 brilliance of tracks like "Don't Fear The Reaper" and "I Love The
 Night"?

 About the only song that comes close to being a classic is track 8,
"Out
 Of The Darkness". Most of the rest of the material is typical AOR,
 neither great, nor bad. The last half of the album has a smoother, less
 riff oriented feel. Though the keys are underplayed most of the time,
 track ten "Eye Of The Hurricane" has some effective synth work and
 great Hammond.

 As far as rocking, BOC doesn't have the jams to do the metal thing
 now. There's just so much great stuff out there from fresher younger
 bands. But Lanier, Bloom and company have the experience of life
 (and death); one expects some really mature things from them.

 Why is Classic Rock important in the Prog arena? Because in a way,
 Prog evolved from that Classic Rock sound. BOC, Tull, Ash, Heep,
 Cooper, Deep Purple all straddled both venues; some leaning and
 evolving away from prog, others more into it. In a sense, the two were
 like twins separated at birth. One went onto bigger, more complex and
 better things, eventually to become an underground obsession (Prog),
 and the other (Classic Rock), died a slow and painful death, only to
 survive in the minds of those who remember the glory days.

 I applaud BOC for waving the Classic Rock banner. But I know they still
 can do it better than this.

 More about Curse Of The Hidden Mirror:

 Track Listing: Dance on Stilts / Showtime / The Old Gods Return /
 Pocket / One Step Ahead Of The Devil / I Just Like To Be Bad / Here
 Comes That Feeling / Out Of The Darkness / Stone Of Love / Eye of the
 Hurricane / Good to Feel Hungry

 Musicians:
 Eric Bloom - vocals, guitars and keyboards
 Buck Dharma - vocals, guitars and keyboards
 Allen Lanier - guitars and keyboards
 Danny Miranda - bass, vocals and keyboards
 Bobby Rondinelli - Drums

 Contact:

 Website: www.blueÖystercult.com
 Note: will open new browser window

 Email: webmaster at blueÖystercult.com