Blue Oyster Cult
Formed: 1970
From:
Long Island,
NY,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Blue Oyster Cult News
Below is our complete Blue Oyster Cult news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Note: We began associating news directly with bands in late 2003. Therefore, earlier band news may not be listed on this page.
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Concert Report: Black Anvil, Insomnium, Enslaved
After a night of Gojira and Mastodon, I found myself in Berkeley the following night for another tripleheader.
First up was Black Anvil, the only band I hadn’t seen multiple times before.
Black Anvil’s 2022 release, Regenesis, made my list of best albums of the year.
Their quick set did not disappoint.
Insomnium, like Gojira the night before, is a band that I’ve always liked, but they’ve never quite crossed the rubicon into a band I would purposely play or follow with great interest.
The first time I saw them live, they were missing some key members—including Niilo Sevanen. That venue was miserable as well, so that evening didn’t leave a great impression on my mind.
The second time was at a festival, and I think their time slot overlapped with another band I wanted to see. Many other bands were more on my radar that day (Opeth, Bloodbath, Dark Funeral, etc.) so once again, not a huge impression from the partial set I witnessed on that 2017 day in Sweden.
This Berkeley show, though, was a whole different story. I thoroughly enjoyed their set from the outset until completion.
Insomnium has earned a place in my permanent music rotation.
The setlist was heavy on their new album, Anno 1696. The album is great, but it only came out a few weeks ago so I wasn’t super familiar with all of the tracks.
Enslaved is one of my favorite bands and have been for more than 15 years. I’ve seen them many times and in several different countries. Between Insomnium and Enslaved, Blue Oyster Cult's "Secret Treaties" was played in its entirety over the PA. That's one of my Top 10 albums of all time so it put me in an even better mood. I didn't notice the rest of the audience appreciating it quite as much as I did.
I was very disappointed when Enslaved announced at the beginning of the tour that Ivar wasn’t going to be joining them due to a family emergency. I thought the sound would be way off without him—especially since they weren’t temporarily replacing him. Rather, they were going to go with just one guitarist, Ice Dale.
Ice Dale is a great guitarist, but when you listen to Enslave you can easily hear two different guitars frequently doing very different things. How was this going to sound good without Ivar?
The band members came out one at a time. Ice Dale went to the side of the stage without a microphone which was very odd given that two were on the front of the stage. My puzzlement was quickly solved when Ivar walked out last. Happiness filled me as I verbally welcomed him back. Grutle did the same, into the microphone for the entire audience to hear, a moment later.
This was my favorite Enslaved performance to date, eclipsing the time I saw them at the 2011 Getaway Rock Festival in Sweden.
Like Insomnium, Enslaved spent a large portion of their set on their new album, Heimdal. I suppose my only complaint is that they didn’t play for a longer period of time. I would have also loved to have heard tunes off of Ruun, Vertebrae, Aximoa Ethica Odini, and RIITIIR.
Another stellar evening! I drove the six hours home the next day with a smile across my face.
Legendary Producer Martin Birch Passes Away
Martin Birch, the legendary producer best known for his work with Iron Maiden from 1981 to 1992, as well as Black Sabbath's first two albums with Ronnie James Dio, has sadly died at the age of seventy two. Birch also worked with such bands as Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Fleetwood Mac, Rainbow and Whitesnake, with whom he worked with from 1978 to 1984.
Whitesnake vocalist David Coverdale paid tribute to Birch, saying: "It is with a very heavy heart I've just had verified my very dear friend and producer Martin Birch has passed away.
"Martin was a huge part of my life...helping me from the first time we met through until Slide It In... My thoughts and prayers to his family, friends and fans... Broken heart."
Other notable people who led tributes included Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, who said: "Really sad to hear of the passing of Martin Birch. Brilliant producer. Had the pleasure of working with him on the Black Sabbath albums Heaven And Hell and Mob Rules. Condolensces to Vera and family."
While Wendy Dio added: "My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Vera and his daughter Haley. He was a genius producer and a very dear friend of Ronnie’s (James Dio). May he RIP."
Report
Graspop Metal Meeting 2017: Day One
The Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium has become one of the biggest and most popular events on the European summer circuit. Seemingly every year they put together a fantastic line up, mixing the classics, the young blood and cult favourites to really give something for all head bangers. This year was no different, with such legends as Scorpions, Deep Purple and Blue Oyster Cult all booked, as well as plenty for the kids like Chelsea Smile and Architects. It all promised to be a hell of a weekend and indeed it was.
Though the festival doesn't begin it's "official" schedule until Friday, weekend campers arrive the day before and are met with plenty on offer, including a number of live bands and the Metal Cafe. Being too tired after travelling from England to Belgium, we were only able to catch one full performance, though we also caught the last ten minutes of Belgian stoner metal act, King Hiss, who would probably please fans of Mastodon but left little impact. This was followed by the very short journey to the Jupiler Stage, which housed most of the weekend's hardcore and deathcore groups to watch Dutch hardcore veterans, Born From Pain. The quintet are regarded as one of Europe's best hardcore groups and it's easy to see why, particularly in the live setting where their brand of positive energy spreads to the audience very quickly, making for a very enjoyable live set. More...
That Metal Show Season 12 Finale Details Revealed
VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show” returns this week with the Season 12 finale. The guests for this week’s episode are Blue Oyster Cult guitarist, Buck Dharma, and Kix lead vocalist Steve Whiteman and guitarist, Brian Forsythe.
“That Metal Show” is hosted by radio/TV personality Eddie Trunk and comedian/TV personalities Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine. The episode features Dharma talking about various topics in the band’s history including Blue Öyster Cult co-headlining the iconic Black and Blue tour with Black Sabbath in 1980. A sneak peek of the season finale is available online and can be viewed at this location.
The musical guest this week is guitarist Jake E. Lee. This week’s episode also features a “Metal Modem” segment with Joe Satriani, an “Origins” segment with host Eddie Trunk, as well as the fan-favorite highlight every week, “Stump The Trunk.” The episode airs at 11:00PM EST/PST and will be available online Monday, July 22nd.
Eddie Trunk comments: "Hope everyone enjoys the Season Finale of That Metal Show this Saturday. We had a great season that saw the show passing 100 episodes and earning rave reviews. This season was very much a re-launch of the show with many new features and a new set that many seemed to like. Our final episode for this round of shows features first time guests Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult and Steve Whiteman & Brian Forsythe of Kix. Also excited to have, playing guitar, former Ozzy and Badlands guitarist Jake E Lee, a great way to wrap up Season 12."
Hellfest 2012 Lineup Finalized
The finalized lineup for Hellfest 2012 has been announced. The festival will run from June 15-17, 2012 in Clisson France. Mainstage headliners are as follows:
June 15:
Megadeth
Lynyrd Skynrd
Gotthard
June 16:
Guns N Roses
Within Temptation
June 17:
Black Sabbath
Motley Crue
Blue Oyster Cult
Other headline acts for the various stages include:
June 15: King Diamond, Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth
June 16: Machine Head, Entombed, Behemoth, Saint Vitus
June 17: Lamb of God, Trivium, Children of Bodom, Dimmu Borgir, Biohazard More...
"Rock Band: Metal Track Pack" Details Revealed
A standalone metal-themed track pack for the "Rock Band" videogame series will be released on October 13th. The outing, dubbed "Rock Band: Metal Track Pack," will see a release at retail stores on the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Playstation 2 and Wii and will feature the following track listing:
1. All That Remains - "Two Weeks"
2. At the Gates - "Blinded By Fear"
3. Black Tide - "Shockwave"
4. Blue Oyster Cult - "Transmaniacon MC"
5. Bullet For My Valentine - "Waking the Demon"
6. Children of Bodom - "Are You Dead Yet?"
7. Evile - "Thrasher"
8. Godsmack - "I Stand Alone"
9. The Haunted - "D.O.A."
10. Hawkwind - "Master Of The Universe"
11. I Mother Earth - "Levitate"
12. In This Moment - "Forever"
13. Judas Priest - "Screaming for Vengeance"
14. Lacuna Coil - "Closer"
15. Lamb Of God - "Laid to Rest"
16. Motorhead - "Killed by Death"
17. Nazareth - "Hair Of the Dog"
18. Queens of the Stone Age - "3's & 7's"
19. Rage Against The Machine - "Bulls On Parade"
20. Yngwie Malmsteen - "Red Devil"
Archer Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival
Archer has performed with some of the biggest names in rock including, Heaven and Hell, Heart and Sevendust. The band is looking forward to sharing the stage at the Sweden Rock Festival (www.swedenrock.com) this summer alongside such metal giants as Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Poison, RATT, Triumph, Saxon, Disturbed and many more as they return to Europe.
The Santa Cruz, CA-based power trio, who won "Best Local Band 2008" in the Metro Santa Cruz Goldies Awards, takes the stage on Saturday, June 7th, opening for some of the biggest names in the metal music genre. The Sweden Rock Festival is held in Norjeboke, in the tiny village of Norje which is situated in Sölvesborg in the western part of southern Sweden.
Archer’s debut album "Doom$day Profit$" is a "genuine tour-de-force, rich with powerful songs imbued with that essential combination of brain-burrowing melodies, ripping riffs, pulsing basslines, tsunami drums and grab-by-the-throat vocals." The band cites influences that include Ozzy and Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Metallica and other legendary names.
Here is the current lineup for the Sweden Rock Fest 2008, which takes place June 4th - 7th: More...
Bands Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival
JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON, CARCASS and AT THE GATES are among the bands that have been confirmed for next year's Sweden Rock Festival, set to take place June 4-7, 2008 in in Sölvesborg, Sweden.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
JUDAS PRIEST (UK) (Headliner)
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT (US)
SAXON (UK)
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (UK)
TESLA (US)
AT THE GATES (S)
DERRINGER BAND (US)
HAVANA BLACK (FIN)
THE BLUES BAND (UK)
MINISTRY (US)
CARCASS (UK)
COHEED & CAMBRIA (US)
HENSLEY/LAWTON & LIVE FIRE (UK)
DARE (UK)
ULI JON ROTH (S)
SHAKIN' STREET (FR)
GOTTHARD (CH)
MUSTASCH (S)
SABATON (S)
BONAFIDE (S)
LIZZY BORDEN (US)
AXEWITCH (S)
ASTRAL DOORS (S)
AVATAR (S)
VOLBEAT (DK)
NEGATIVE (FIN)
Video Of Metallica's Blue Oyster Cult Cover Posted
Fan-filmed video footage of METALLICA performing a cover of BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's "Veteran of Psychic Wars" during the band's acoustic concert Sunday night (October 28) at the 21st annual Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California can be viewed below (courtesy of kmartini311).
The setlist for METALLICA's performance was as follows:
01. I Just Want To Celebrate (RARE EARTH)
02. Please Don't Judas Me (NAZARETH)
03. Veteran Of Psychic Wars (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT)
04. Brothers In Arms (DIRE STRAITS)
05. Disposable Heroes
06. All Within My Hands
07. The Unforgiven
08. Nothing Else Matters
The set is available for purchase in digital audio format for $9.95 via LiveMetallica.com.
All proceeds from the sale of downloads from these two shows will go to the Bridge School.
METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Examiner.com in a new interview that the band's upcoming album will be "heavier" yet more "melodic" than 2003's controversial "St. Anger". Ulrich explained, "Whereas 'St. Anger' was an exercise in over-pummeling the listener, these new songs echo some of our stuff from the '80s — long, epic journeys through different musical landscapes, heavier, but a lot more melodic." When asked whether the new songs will be shorter, in the four-to-five minute range, Ulrich said, "Well, the most of the intros are four to five minutes. I don't know — METALLICA and short songs just don't go that well together."
Although none of the songs have official titles yet, Ulrich revealed that some of the "silly" working titles included "19", "10", "German Soup", "Glass Cow" and "Black Squirrel". Ulrich said the names "relate to where the idea came from, like Glasgow, Scotland became 'Glass Cow'. And when we don't have anything clever to call it, we just call it a number." More...
Metal Gets Its Due On Massive Rhino Boxed Set
Heavy metal fans will be banging their heads in delight this fall with the release of Rhinos's "Heavy Metal Box," due Oct. 2. The four-disc, 70-song set boasts classic tracks from Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Slayer, among dozens of others.
Arranged chronologically from 1968 to 1991, the compilation also boasts hits from bands like Deep Purple, Metallica, Black Sabbath, Iron Butterfly, Pantera, Alice Cooper, Venom, Testament, Rush and Megadeth; the project will be packaged in a box resembling a Marshall guitar amp.
The liner notes will include extensive photos, track commentary and interviews with Ronnie James Dio and Lita Ford.
Here is the track list for "The Heavy Metal Box": More...
Metal Makes More Appearances in Rock Games
With the gaming industry's biggest expo, E3, going on, there have been tons of new announcements as well as some back and forth between competition. The Neversoft-developed Guitar Hero III revealed the former Guns N' Roses/current Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash would rock on a variety of unlockable guitars. Original Guitar Hero developer Harmonix then fired back with the announcement that it will offer not just hit singles for gamers to play on their upcoming Rock Band game, but entire full-length albums from multiple labels.
The first band to receive the digital conversion will be classic British rockers The Who. Gamers will be able to form a virtual cover band playing guitar, hitting the drums, and singing along to the band's widely acclaimed 1971 album Who's Next. The album should hit soon after the game's release this fall, with new content planned on a weekly basis.
Harmonix also announced the first 15 songs from the retail edition of Rock Band. A glance at the list reveals a wide array of rock subgenres and decades represented, from David Bowie and Black Sabbath to The Hives and The Strokes.
Piling on the announcements, Harmonix also revealed that Steven Van Zandt had signed on to chief Rock Band's music advisory board. In addition to appearing in the HBO gangster drama The Sopranos, Van Zandt is a member of Bruce Springsteen backing band E Street Band. Van Zandt also hosts the weekly syndicated radio show Little Steven's Underground Garage, which showcases up-and-coming sub-genre rock bands, and is a program director for the Sirius Satellite Radio network.
Finally, Harmonix revealed the Grammy-winning "Enter Sandman" from Metallica's 1991 Black album will be included in Rock Band's initial lineup shipping with the game. Announced at the end of EA's press conference, Kathy Vrabeck also made mention that a "substantial" number of songs from Metallica's catalog are slated to appear in the game.
The first 16 songs from Rock Band are listed below: More...
Mullets Rock! Too!: Mullets In Love Album Details
A follow up to 2003's best-selling double-CD MULLETS ROCK! - inspired by 2001's Mullet-centric movie soundtrack album to Joe Dirt (Columbia/Legacy) - is in the works: Mullets Rock! Too!: Mullets In Love. The collection contains 18 tracks in the theme of "a romance in shag heaven" and comprises a stellar A-list of mulleteers past & present including Ted Nugent, Ace Frehley, Boston, Foghat, Eddie Money, Jefferson Starship, Aldo Nova, Blue Oyster Cult, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, J. Geils Band, Nazareth, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, Night Ranger, Bonnie Tyler, Cinderella, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Kansas. This new collection arrives in stores March 6th on Legacy Recordings.
The MULLETS ROCK! TOO!: MULLETS IN LOVE tracklisting is as follows:
Side Pysched
1. Wang Dang Sweet Poontang - Ted Nugent, 1977
2. Do Ya - Ace Frehley, 1989
3. More Than A Feeling - Boston, 1976
4. I Just Want To Make Love To You - Foghat, 1972
5. Baby Hold On - Eddie Money, 1977
6. Jane - Jefferson Starship, 1979
7. Fantasy - Aldo Nova, 1981
8. Burnin' For You - Blue Oyster Cult, 1981
9. I Hate Myself For Loving You - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, 1988
10. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band, 1980
Side Bummed
11. Love Hurts - Nazareth, 1975
12. The Flame - Cheap Trick, 1988
13. Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon, 1980
14. Sister Christian - Night Ranger, 1983
15. Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler, 1983
16. Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone) - Cinderella, 1988
17. Tuesday's Gone - Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1983
18. Dust In The Wind - Kansas, 1977
As if that's not enough, I've included the rest of the press release verbage below purely for its comical value: More...
Blue Oyster Cult Reveals Bonus Tracks For Reissues
Launch Radio Networks reports: BLUE OYSTER CULT has announced the bonus tracks for two album reissues coming out February 13.
The Legacy Edition of the 1978 live album "Some Enchanted Evening" will double from seven to 14 tracks, with previously unreleased performances of "ME 262", "Harvester of Eyes", "Hot Rails To Hell", "Summer Of Love", "5 Guitars", STEPPENWOLF's "Born To Be Wild", and an alternate version of the ANIMALS' "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place". The album will also come with a bonus 11-track DVD recorded in 1978 at the Capitol Center in Landover, Maryland, and new liner notes by PATTI SMITH GROUP guitarist Lenny Kaye.
The 1977 album "Spectres" - which featured the hits "Godzilla" and "Goin' Through the Motions" - comes with four bonus tracks from the recording sessions, including the originals "Night Flyer", "M For Murder", "Please Hold", and a cover of the RONETTES' "Be My Baby". Kaye wrote liner notes for this reissue as well.
"Spectres" was certified gold, while "Some Enchanted Evening" hit the platinum mark.
Just For Fun
"More Cowbell" Video
Reading my daily round of blogs today, there was an obscure reference to a "cowbell" which linked to this site, which contains a classic video of Saturday Night Live. The SNL skit revolves around the Blue Oyster Cult and features Christopher Walken as Bruce Dickinson and Will Ferrell as Gene Frenkle - a fictional character in charge of the cow bell (actually handled by BOC singer Eric Bloom).
Rondinelli Doesn't Consider Sabbath Heavy Metal
Electricbasement.com recently chatted with veteran hard rock drummer BOBBY RONDINELLI (Rainbow, BOC, Sabbath, The Lizards) about his recent work with THE LIZARDS, as well as his thoughts on music. While he was behind the kit for BLACK SABBATH's Cross Purposes album and tour, he doesn't view the band as heavy metal, even if they are indeed 'heavy,' "...I mean they’re heavy, but I always thought of [Judas] Priest as more metal. When I was growing up I used to think certain bands were heavy, but heavy metal to me meant something different, and now it means a lot more than it used to."
His current project, his time time around with The Lizards, finds him promoting the critically acclaimed Cold Blooded Kings album, which alos features ex-RIOT throat MIKE DIMEO.
Read the full article at Electric Basement.