Customer Reviews

Curse of the Hidden Mirror

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Finally! Despite the ever-delayed release date, Blue Oyster Cult's first album since 1998 is well worth the wait. From the opening riffs of "Dance On Stilts," this is classic BOC rock and roll. The songs on this album strike the right balance between the vocal stylings - Eric Bloom's surly snarl, and Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser's more ethereal sound. Buck's guitar pyrotechnics sound as brilliant as ever; the riffs are original and catchy, the solos eerie but explosive. Subject matter-wise, old school BOC fans won't be disappointed either, as the songs delve into the usual array of paranormal themes and the stranger side of the human condition. All of the band members (with the peculiar exception of keyboard/guitarist Allen Lanier) contribute to the songwriting with collaborations from several outside writers, including a second go-round with author John Shirley (see Heaven Forbid album.) Standout tracks include the sublimely ominous Lovecraftian tale "The Old Gods Return," Buck's lead-off single "Pocket", and the heavy-metal rocker "Eye Of The Hurricane." Overall, this is a superb collection of songs, well-written and well-performed, in vintage Blue Oyster Cult style.

2001 finds BOC still dark, still standoffish, still brooding, and still able to kick major butt. A very polished production makes this effort really smoke with fat, tasty grooves and some nifty picking by the Buck man himself. The Rythm section is bruising and Buck Dharma's songs really shine. This album is more about grooves than older BOC releases and I find it refreshing, this is really a tight group and you just can't expect this rythm section to lay back and chug along, this rythm section needs to charge and charge hard and that's what they do here. Albert B. had a killer jazzy sound and played basically unconvention rock drums and that was a huge plus to the early BOC sound, but these two guys they have here...wow...they're like a bulldozier that can go 100mph! There is Only a couple of tracks don't live up to BOC standards, but the rest are soo good, it is forgiven. High Spots - Showtime, Pocket, Here comes that feeling. Low spots - I just Like to be Bad.

It's been 20 years since Blue Oyster Cult (BOC) had a Top-40 hit (and no, it wasn't "Don't Fear The Reaper" from 1976, but 1981's "Burnin' For You"), but if people give it a listen, that could change -- the album's first single "Pocket", has was just recently listed as the number 5 "Most Added" song to radio playlists per FMQB.com. The song is incredibly catchy, and filled with the sizzling guitar work from BOC's Buck Dharma - a guitarist that who can rip it up with the best of them, but demonstrates that it's not the number of notes you play, but the notes themselves. The chorus will have you singing along over and over ("Are you in the Pocket of the moment?").

But potential future hits don't stop there - the opening track "Dance on Stilts" is filled with some cruchy guitars that show that this band is not stuck in the 70s, along with some rich harmonies that lend a real depth to the song. Check out "One Step Ahead of the Devil" for pedal-to-the-metal riffology, or "Eye Of The Hurricane" for the epic rock that made bands like Dio and Iron Maiden big in the 80s. More variety from the smooth tones of "Showtime" and "Here Comes That Feeling", to the jazzy "Good To Feel Hungry" to the head-banging "Old Gods Return" (a sentiment being echoed this week by BOC fans all over the world).

If you like BOC, you'll love this album. If you never heard of BOC, you owe it to yourself to check this one out. And if you're one of the hundreds of fans that thought the band's previous effort (1988's *Heaven Forbid*) was great...this one is even better.

One editorial note on the original Amazon.com review - Jerry Shirley of Humble Pie does not contribute lyrics to this album (nor any BOC album) -- it's sci-fi/cyberpunk author John Shirley that provides many of the lyrics.

Curse of the Hidden Mirror blends an old title (a pre-BOC Stalk Forrest Group/Oaxaca song) with mostly new material, the first in three years from BOC since 1998's Heaven Forbid.

Dance On Stilts, the album's opener finds Buck Dharma at his best in both reflective lyrics and guitar pyrotechnics, which carries on through to his other tunes Pocket, Here Comes That Feeling, and most notably, Stone of Love, which should be a single, but probably won't be.

The album's other 7 tracks feature Eric Bloom on vocals, sounding much like he did in the early 80's: a mostly-menacing wail that conveys most of the songs well. The exception is Out of the Darkness, a near-ballad that the listener rarely, if ever hears Bloom sing, and here he shines. But, the ultimate moment has to be The Old Gods Return, which is both a nod to H. P. Lovecraft and a scathing allegory concerning how mankind could encounter untold terrors due to faults through religion, fear, politics and downright ignorance.

Definitely a worth purchase, whether you are a BOC fan or not.

This is one of those cds that compelled me to write a review on it.From the opening chords of "Dance On Stilts" we know we have a winner.The first track on the cd really cuts loose with some great time changes and really great guitar with some memorable hooks"you elivate me".Next we have "Showtime"which is classic Eric Bloom.By now we know this Oyster still has some pearls in it.Again Buck gives us some tastey guitar."The Old Gods Return"is another example of classic BOC.I think the band has found a great drummer in Rondinelli.He falls right in on "The Pocket".Buck Dharma did a great job producing this one.It sounds like the guys had a great time playing and recording these tunes.They seem to jump right off the cd at you.Buck's guitar playing is great!This guy is sooo underrated!One of my favorite songs on the cd is "Here comes that feeling".Will someone tell me why this isn't a hit song?Because new songs by classic rock bands dont get played on the radio??The hauntingly beautiful intro to "Out of the Darkness"gives you that familiar feeling like we've been here before.When I bought this cd and first played it I was happily surprised that BOC had truely returned to form.This cd really flows nicely and i didnt have to play it over and over to like it .I knew as soon as i heard it.I give it a definate thumbs up!

The first release with the touring line-up of the past several years, which include the Tres Amigos of some 30 odd years, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser,Eric Bloom, Allen Lanier and the thundering bottom end provided by longtime hard rock veteran Bobby Rondinelli on drums and Danny Miranda, a monster bassist playing straight from the soul, will have you hitting repeat again and again as your ears melt and your smile broadens and you find yourself rocking around the room with the volume at 11.

The line up is tight and well rehearsed, grooving off one another with ease.

It's definitely on your feet material. The flow of the tracks is excellent and it seems as though there's a little "tidbit" of every past BOC album if you listen hard. Tough to pick a favorite track, but it's a great blend of the heavier Bloom vocal influence, and the unique Dharma vocals and astounding guitar solos backed by some simply straight forward, yet simultaneously complex kick your butt ROCK. Don't hesitate on this one. It will not disappoint.

The boys are still doing it. The Oyster boys are still writing great music after nearly 30 since their debut release. Granted, it doesn't touch their best work(Imaginos, Cultosaurus Erectus or Secret Treaties), but few bands can make this good a record 29 years after their debut. Unlike their previous effort, the very solid and straight ahead rocking Heaven Forbid, Curse Of The Hidden Mirror has that classic BOC sinister sound. The Old Gods Return is an instant classic and Eric Bloom's vocals still sound great. Out Of The Darkness and Stone Of Love are both killer as well, featuring Buck Dharma's guitar playing at it's finest. Dance On Stilts is pretty good until you get to the instrumental part at the end, which is one of the best parts of any BOC song I have ever heard. The rest of the songs are all solid and even though some are somewhat basic musically and lyrically, they still give it that BOC touch that separates them from other rock bands. Highly recommended!

When I first listened to Curse, I was disappointed; it sounded tame. So much for first impressions. The more I listen to it, the more I like it, although Cult fans, be warned: this is not your father's (or your, when younger) BOC. It will never replace the Golden Age of Leather, oops, Golden Age of BOC's earlier tunes. But this CD is a welcome addition to any true fan's collection. Cult fans of the world: we have another winner!

The CD is hard to pigeonhole: there is no one "style" or "era" here: rather, it's a nice mélange, a sweet blend, from various LPs dating back to the beginning. If I had to typecast it, I'd say it's mostly similar to the middle era, i.e., Fire of Unknown Origin/Club Ninja/Revolution By Night timeframe, although that is a gross generalization, given its mixes. There's a lot of emphasis (moreso than normal) on - surprise - girls and love (at least 7 of the 11 tracks), and less on the typical sci-fi genre that filled earlier BOC discs. And that's not a bad thing when you hear these tunes. Here's my review of the playlist, with "grade" and short commentary.

1) Dance on Stilts. Simple lyrics, catchy tune, good end harmonics. Reminiscent of Cold Gray Light of Dawn off their Heaven Forbid CD, or something similarly recent. Could be more of a driving tune, but settles in nicely "as is." Grade: B+

2) Showtime. Probably the "stinker" of the CD. Sounds like something from Revolution By Night or Heaven Forbid (HF). In fact, the theme - getting out of jail to settle a score -- tracks exactly with their Power Underneath Despair song off of HF. Eric Bloom's voice is a little raw on this one. Grade: C+

3) The Old Gods Return. Good driving beat, nice guitar riffs. Eric Bloom sings well. Song reminds me of something off their debut LP, or from Cultosaurus Erectus (CE) - Lips in the Hills, perhaps? Grade: A-

4) Pocket. The first "pop" tune to be played on radio stations. Sounds a little like "Live for Me" from the recent HF CD. Has very good beat, good flow. Buck doesn't hit many high notes anymore, but he sings this one well. Grade: A

5) One Step Ahead of the Devil. Similar to an "average" song off of CE or Revolution by Night. Eric Bloom is loud, but his voice seems raw here, and the sound lacks drive. Could've been a harder butt-kicker, but settles to hit you with a pillow. Grade: B-

6) I Just Like to Be Bad. Sounds like a Club Ninja or Rev by Night song. Story of unrequited love for a "bad girl" secretary. Nothing to shake a stick at. Grade: B

7) Here Comes That Feeling. This will be the second tune played by radio stations, mark my word. Buck Dharma is at his best on this song, and it sounds like something from his solo Flat Out LP, or from Fire of Unknown Origin. Good lyrics, good sound, good tune! Grade: A+

8)Out of The Darkness. Eric Bloom's best song on the CD. Love of a girl despite parental objections. Sounds like a throwback to their debut LP, or a softer version of "I Am the One You've Been Looking For," from Imaginos. Great harmonies. Grade: A-

9) Stone of Love. Sounds like the beat from "Live for Me," off of HF, or "Perfect Water" from Club Ninja. (Also: I don't know why, but I think of Jackson Browne's "Shape of a Heart" when I hear this one - the lyrics/theme are similar, not the tune.) The guitars and the harmony take you back to the glory days; when it does, it has a mellow (softer) "wine" throwback, not a strong (rock) whiskey kick. Grade: B+

10) Eye of the Hurricane. Bloom is in fine form here as well. The tune hearkens back to a Tyranny and Mutation type sound, or something from Imaginos. Nice mid-song guitar playing, and good driving lyrics by Eric. Grade: A

11) Good to Feel Hungry. Kind of a simplistic "ender" with so-so lyrics. Reminds me a lot of Buck Dharma's "Wind, Weather and Storm" from his Flat Out LP, or something from Tyranny and Mutation - but one of the lesser tunes off of it. Doesn't do much for me. Grade: B-

Like all diehard BOC fans, I eagerly awaited this new studio release. I mean, let's face it--BOC isn't drawing hundreds of thousands of fans like in the old days, and few radio stations acknowledged their last 2 releases, let alone played many tracks off them. And that's a shame, for "Heaven Forbid," their previous release, was very good music. This new CD, Curse of the Hidden Mirror, comes very, very close. Buy it, folks; you'll like it. I hope these guys are still around to play at my funeral.

First off: A correction to the initial review by Jerry - It's John Shirley, not Jerry Shirley that contributed to this album. John Shirley is a well known Sci-Fi writer and has worked with Eric Bloom for some time now on creating new songs. Make's you wonder about the credibility of his review of the CD. Now to my opinion: I would highly recommend "Curse of the Hidden Mirror" to anyone that is a fan or anyone that enjoys solid musical rock and roll. The band is very tight and has really produced a very solid new CD. Probably one of my favorite tracks would be "Stone of Love", of course I really enjoyed the entire CD, but this one always seems to get replayed more than once. Another very good track is "Showtime",it has a very southern rock groove to it. All in all this is a very enjoyable CD to listen to, and is very typical of the good diverse rock and roll BOC has produced over their long career. Definitely one of their finest efforts.

I'm writing this to all Oyster fans that forgot about picking this CD up and listening. I was happy that I did because I think this sounds a lot like their Mirrors album from the 70s which is a good thing. It's a real cool CD with a lot of variety and it rocks.