In a music business where bands are made and broken overnight, it’s remarkable how Blue Öyster Cult has endured. Their sound veers from mystical to heavy to pop, sometimes within the same song, and their lyrics often delve into dark subjects.
Their occult air emanated from Pearlman’s enigmatic Soft Doctrines of Imaginos, an album of poems that informed the lyrical concepts on many BOC albums.
Hooked Cross
The cult-like name and mythos of Blue Öyster Cult are largely due to original manager Sandy Pearlman, who guided the band into developing their image from the earliest days. He also came up with the group's iconic name and provided the band with a book of weird fiction / science-fantasy poetry called Soft Doctrines of Imaginos, from which many of their early lyrical concepts were drawn. This gave the band a sense of mystery and occultism that is present throughout their entire catalog. The blue oyster cult logo, featuring the hook-and-cross symbol, further reinforced this mystique and became one of the most recognizable icons in rock history. And it's a part of what makes BOC so special.
Kronos
Blue Öyster Cult is a legendary rock band with a rich catalogue that spans more than 50 years. The band was formed in the late ’60s in upstate New York, when college students Albert Bouchard and Donald Roeser (who would adopt the stage name Buck Dharma) got together to jam and form a group. After several incarnations and lineup changes, the band released its first album in 1972.
The symbol on the band’s logo is Kronos, a Titan of Time and Change. The Titans are mythological creatures that fought to overthrow their father, Ouranos. Kronos is the allegory of power and the unavoidable nature of time and change.
BOC has remained popular throughout the decades, and their concerts are legendary events. Whether you’re an old-school fan or have never heard of them before, you’ll be blown away by the power and energy of their music. This show is sure to rekindle nostalgia for the era of big hair and leather jackets, and introduce a new generation to the magic of BOC.
Metal
Unlike so many other rock acts who simply stroll on stage and perform the album versions of their songs with a few obligatory screams, Blue Öyster Cult treat each song as a living thing that must be exterminated and fed every time they play it live. The result is that, despite the fact that most of the evocative lore has been ripped out and burned in the fires of time, the power of these immortal tunes is still evident in their unfailing awe-inspiring live performances.
While Imaginos was an interesting concept record that gave the band some new exposure, it was not as successful as their previous releases. During this period, bassist Bouchard left and the band toured without him in a configuration with only three original members (Bloom, Roeser and Allen Lanier). It was during this tour that the band started to be known as ‘3OC’ among fans. It was also at this time that the band hired Black Sabbath producer Martin Birch to produce their next album, Cultosaurus Erectus.
