Blue Oyster Cult: new album - "The Symbol Remains" due 9th October 2020

Just adding my voice to the ones of approval. Listened to this on a road trip today and really enjoyed it more then I expected!

 

Blue Öyster Cult - The Symbol Remains
2 LP green vinyl

Really into this album

 

I agree. I wonder why BOC never really printed the lyrics on their sleeves. I've always been really terrible at deciphering lyrics without a word sheet and it wasn't until I got the CD remasters that I knew what they were singing about; it was like rediscovering the albums.

 

Some of the lyrics are incorrect in those remaster CD booklets! I can’t remember which ones anymore though, but Quicklime Girl was one of them.

 

Turquoise vinyl finally landed! Looks beautiful and translucent. Sounds sweet. Dynamic and crankable. Totally different experience from the ultra compressed 320 KBPS download I’ve been listening to while waiting for the records to arrive. Worth the wait.

 

In retrospect I wish I’d have gone for the turquoise; better match for the sleeve. I held back and was waiting for Amazon to show stock of the black, got cold feet and ordered purple from Frontiers.
This years BÖC releases from Frontiers seemed to arrive quite late in the day to some stores.

 

Isn't it purty................

 

New album is growing on me a little after a few listens, although I agree with the sentiment I have seen here and elsewhere that it feels a few songs to long (Florida Man has to be the most boring song they've ever written), but considering it is their first album since 2001, I will excuse them for including so many songs. Might as well throw it all on there and see what sticks.

 

So...after owning this one for a couple of weeks since its official release, I've given it some time to sink in and here's my opinion of the record. Overall, I think it runs a bit too long and I think it could've stood on its own as a ten track album. Richie Castellano's songwriting isn't bad, and I will give "The Alchemist" his best song of the record in terms of his sole songwriting contributions. Opening cut, "That Was Me" is a great collaboration with Eric and lyricist John Shirley and it was a bold move to include an old lyric of Richard Meltzer's in "The Return of St. Cecilia" and musically, it's fairly solid as is "The Machine", the other sole contribution. I don't much care for "Tainted Blood" or "Edge of the World" and "Stand and Fight" sounds almost like an outtake from Pre-"Heaven Forbid" era, not really into that one much.

And Donald's material..."Box in My Head" is a great, upbeat melodic rocker to be included in the beginning of the record and "Nightmare Epiphany" has an agreeable mid-paced quality to its quick, shuffle rhythm and guitar leads. "Florida Man" and "Secret Road" are very good numbers to round out the latter side of the album with a significant flavor of substance. "Train True"...I don't know. While I appreciate Donald's excellent guitar leads and workouts to this cut, I'm not a fan of the "herky-jerky" chorus, it seems nonsensical and hokey. Jules Radino's "There's a Crime" is a really good cut and I think Eric sings this one really well. "Fight" ends the record on a solid note and if I'm not mistaken, this was featured via the website at least 5 to seven years ago I thought.

Richie Castellano did an excellent job with the recording, arranging and production of the record, but I'm not so sure about all of the material offered from his end. At the same time, he's definitely taking the space of Albert Bouchard in the aspects of arranging and songwriting and overall, the album sets along fairly comfortable with the latter day efforts in "Curse of the Hidden Mirror" and "Heaven Forbid". The songs I could do without on this release would be "Tainted Blood", "Edge of the World", "Stand and Fight" and "Train True". Maybe these songs will someday sink into my ears, but as it stands for now, I think the album would be much stronger without these numbers included. I'd give "The Symbol Remains" a B rating or 6.5 out of 10. Solid effort.

 

That pretty much sums up my reaction! You should try out my modified 10-track version (see post #317 in this thread) and let me know what you think. That's the version that I have been listening to pretty consistently since I came up with it a couple weeks ago, and I think it elevates the album quite a bit (maybe from a B- album to a strong B+).

 

Some of Castellano's songs sound nothing like anything BOC has done before, but I have no beef with a new member (which he is in the sense of them as a recording band) adding his or her own sound and touches to the band's existing sound. And I do think The Alchemist sounds like classic BOC. On the flip side, Tainted Blood, which I don't mind, sounds like an outtake from an 80's hard rock band album (not necessarily a bad thing, just the impression I get).

Nightmare Epiphany is the one I probably like the most so far.

 

You could buy mine if you really want their “turquoise.” Mine just arrived and it’s not turquoise, it’s a grey-blue, like Crayola’s Cadet Blue. Sounds good, though.

 

Blue Oyster Boys on cover of new Goldmine!!

 

That's a great idea in terms of a shuffle of the tracklist and a trimming of the excess, as it were. However I would do mine this way:

Side A
That was Me
Box in My Head
Nightmare Epiphany
The Machine
Return of St. Cecilia

Side B
Florida Man
There's a Crime
Secret Road
The Alchemist
Fight

Agree with you about the chorus to "Edge of the World" and the gang vocals on "Stand and Fight", that's Dinosaur stuff! No offense to Eric or Buck, but when they did that stuff back with Let Go from Revolution By Night or say the chorus to "Madness to the Method" from Club Ninja, those were cringe worthy moments that killed, what could have potentially been great BOC songs, well "Madness" anyway...

 

Still boggles my mind that the LP doubles the CD's dynamic range numbers.

At any rate, can we all agree the strongest track on this album is The Alchemist? Reminds me of old school BOC.

 

It's certainly Richie's best sole credited track on the album, definitely taking its cue from the likes of "Astronomy" in the way that it builds in progression. "Box in My Head", "That Was Me" and "Secret Road" are also major songs featured, imo.

 

The Alchemist is #2. Nightmare Epiphany is #1. Both classic.

 

Nice! I will listen to your version as well and let you know what I think. "Cecilia" almost made the cut on my version, but I was trying to keep it to Buck and Bloom vocals only, as I'm still struggling with Richie's vocal stylings.

The gang vocals immediately made me think of "Let Go" as well. Cringe worthy indeed...

 

Wow, didn’t even know this band was still going..! Nice to see they’re still at it.

 

I did not even know Goldmine was still out there. I used to be a subscriber many moons ago. Last I remember the issues shrunk to like 20-30 pages (including ads) or something ridiculous like that.

 

You know, that's some of the issue i have with his written material and singing feature. So even though his voice is a little to get used to, his musicianship far outweighs the shortcomings of his vocal range, at least in terms of lead vocals. On a side note, I just got the "Live in London-45th Anniversary" performance where they did the debut album in its entirety and the DVD included is great because during the performance of "Then Came the Last Days of May", Richie KILLS it during his solo spot of the tune and that made me have another level of respect for him. The guy jumps between keys and guitar, just as Allen once did and I think that he really has come into his own; specifically within the live cycle of at least the last seven years or so. I think he joined in 2008 if I'm not mistaken, but my point is, Richie's a good "oyster boy" and does carry a lot of the creative influence on "Symbol". Most of it works, but there are a few hitches in there.

I don't think there would've been another studio record had it not been for his input and creative drive for Eric and Buck to bounce off of and/or be inspired by. But at the same time, yeah "Tainted Blood" and "Edge of the World" seem to be a bit contrived and perhaps a little too much trying to be in continuity with BOC tendencies. But it's forgivable as most BOC albums have a few tunes I don't care for. And I stress most, not all.

 

I'm thrilled with the lyrical content of the songs. All the old Cult obsessions with the paranormal, supernatural, extraterrestrial, sex, violence, death are there.

I can't really judge the musical content yet. It seems to have some semi-commercial, crowd-pleasing intentions. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Overall I'd say it's a pretty strong album, a worthy addition to the legacy, and a gift for serious BOC fans.

 

I'm really digging "Secret Road" right now. Another Buck Dharma special, moody and melodic, with what I think are fine lyrics by John (Stop Calling Me) Shirley, a great vocal by Mr. Roeser and, not surprisingly, some sweet guitar work. "I'm sorry but it's true" - I love the way he sings that line.

 

One of my faves from the album as well

 

Eric + Harley = Rock God