Blue Oyster Cult
Heaven Forbid
Curse Of The Hidden Mirror
iHeart Radio Theater Live
(Frontiers)

By Decibel Report - June 18, 2020

Armed with an illustrious arsenal of recordings oscillating around the supernatural, sci-fi and esoteric comic book themes, BOC’s latter-day output has been overlooked somewhat. An injustice that Frontiers is righting by releasing 1998 album Heaven Forbid, 2001s Curse Of The Hidden Mirror and, more latterly, a live album recorded at The iHeart Radio Theater in 2012.

Ripe for re-evaluation, Heaven Forbid and, with the full benefit of hindsight, the unfairly maligned Curse Of The Hidden Mirror couple up together well as parallel recordings. With the unholy triumvirate of Bloom, ‘Buck Dharma’ and Lanier steering the musical progress from the front and an expert subs bench of bass and drum players, plus a crucial role played by Sci-Fi and Horror writer John Shirley in the lyrical department, furthered the craft and heft of this singular American band.

With a voice sounding eerily similar to vintage Hollywood actor Peter Lorre in a leather jacket,  jeans and biker boots, Eric Bloom fronts up the cinematic otherworldliness of Heaven Forbid’s song narratives in a perfect casting role. In many ways, the song titles speak for themselves: X-Ray Eyes, See You In Black, Power Underneath Despair, Cold Grey Light Of Dawn etc. as the songwriting grips the ears in a headlock of entrancing riffs and consistent, melodious execution. Harvest Moon, in particular, is as sublime as back in the day big hitter Don’t Fear The Reaper.

Returning three years later to the record racks, follow up Curse Of The Hidden Mirror found the band undergoing tumultuous internal strife as though cursed themselves. Falling out with each other, they still managed a very decent recording as opener Dancing On Stilts walks right in and takes an honourable place in the pantheon of classic BOC songs. Although Showtime is a redux of an outtake from the Cultasaurus Erectus album, it finds a fitting exposure here and The Old Gods Return and I Just Like To Be Bad pick up on the bewitching musical themes found on Heaven Forbid.

Taken in the round, COTHM while not standing tall with previous stellar album releases, slots respectably into the ranks of unpolished gems in the crown of this princely and phenomenal hard rock band.

Demonstrating their recent live prowess, the iHeart Theater live recording is an abridged and scintillating amalgam of songs by a band at the top of their performing game with a settled line-up, including Utopia bassist Kasim Sultan. For anybody coming fresh to the latter-day BOC renaissance, this live recording is a magical mirror reflecting the unparalleled legacy and majestic playing by a band like no other.