BLUE OYSTER CULT – Curse Of The Hidden Mirror [Frontiers Music remastered reissue] (2020)

Frontiers Music signed a deal with legends BLUE OYSTER CULT for a new album to appear later this year, but also arranged the remastered reissues (some with updated artwork) of four classic BÖC releases. Two of these already presented on this blog, now it’s time for “Curse Of The Hidden Mirror“, to be released next June 12, 2020.

“Curse of the Hidden Mirror” is the 14th studio album by Blue Öyster Cult, originally released in 2001 on Sanctuary Records. The album has been out of print for quite some time and this will also be the first time it is officially available on vinyl.

On their first album of the the new millennium, BÖC proved that they’re still smart enough to play to their strengths, wearing their ‘70s classic rock standing as a badge of honor.
The band took the album title from a song on the unreleased album by the Stalk-Forrest Group, the band that would eventually become Blue Öyster Cult, recorded in 1970. John Shirley, an author of cyberpunk science fiction, wrote the lyrics for many songs of the album.

From the title (and enigmatic cover art) one could be forgiven for thinking that ‘Curse of the Hidden Mirror’ is a deliciously creepy concept album along the lines of ‘Imaginos’ – but it’s simply a collection of cracking tracks, with the then-settled BOC line-up which included ex Rainbow Bobby Rondinelli on drums, and Danny Miranda of Queen (!) on bass, in place of the Bouchard brothers.

Musically, the album offers a style which could be described as “classic” Blue Öyster Cult. Produced by Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser, the record showcases the band’s familiar charms with understated clarity.
Roeser co-wrote many of the tracks with Shirley, typified by top tracks ‘Pocket’, ‘Stone of Love’ and ‘Here comes that Feeling’. Frontman Eric Bloom gets to strut his stuff on the crunching ‘Eye of the Hurricane’, the simmering, slower ‘Out of the Darkness’ (with its nice, atmospheric guitars) – not to mention the rip-roaring ‘One Step ahead of the Devil’ driven by Rondinelli’s lick ass drumming.

The late Allen Lanier puts in a lovely keyboard solo on ‘Good to Feel Hungry’, on which Miranda also plays some virtuosic bass. Roeser, of course, plays fluently throughout – letting loose on ‘Here comes that Feeling’ and album opener ‘Dance of Stilts’.
Full, crisp sound production makes the Oyster Boys feel more rocking here than usual – now best defined in sound thanks to the new remaster.
Highly Recommended

01 – Dance on Stilts
02 – Showtime
03 – The Old Gods Return
04 – Pocket
05 – One Step Ahead of the Evil
06 – I Just Like to Be Bad
07 – Here Comes That Feeling
08 – Out of the Darkness
09 – Stone of Love
10 – Eye of the Hurricane
11 – Good to Feel Hungry

Eric Bloom – vocals (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11), stun guitars
Buck Dharma Roeser – lead guitars, vocals (1, 4, 7, 9)
Allen Lanier – rhythm guitars, keyboards, background vocals
Danny Miranda – bass, background vocals
Bobby Rondinelli – drums, percussion
Additional musicians:
Norman DelTufo – percussion
George Cintron – background vocals

PRE ORDER:
www.amazon.co.uk/Curse-Hidden-Mirror-Blue-Oyster/dp/B084WRXX8F