Blue Oyster Cult - Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver

[steelwizard]

@WuFFYWuLF

Nah, I just look at things in a kinda simple yet not unthoughtful way. And I'm a bit high most of the time. To me, the spirit is a never ending inspiration.

[steelwizard]

@steelwizard

*the spirit of rock'n'roll I mean

[DickLodge68]

The best thing about BOC is their mysticism. Check out this; a book by Adrian Berry called "The Iron Sun..."

The chapters to Part One (Through the Black Hole) are titled as follows:

Where Matter Vanishes

The Spinning Gateway

Into the Whirlpool

The Forbidden Circle

Part Two (The Iron Sun) begins with (1) The Arm of Orion.

BOC has always had the best lyrics I think...often ambiguous...leading you to quench your thirst for more "black" knowledge.

[MrSpringtoad]

Buck really controls those guitar-feedback noises. They are nicely in tune. I love that ending. Those tones are out of this world. 

[jayfoy100]

Awsome album! My favorite BOC.

[666Maiden999]

wonderful bass-line \m/

[moucon]

Any BOC haters or "mis-understanders" - anyone who tries to lump them with "metal" or whatever... Just go get a copy of BOC "Secret Treaties" ... listen to it 2-3 times end-to-end. Then you will understand. Next, lobby the Rock and Roll Hall of SHAME as to why this unbelievably influential band is not among their membership.

[snoeflake68]

Good shit

[Laeadern]

BOC.....one of the greatest bands of all time.

[papafirelin]

rocknroll yes!!!

[51Thundersticks]

What a great album, albeit misunderstood.  This platter rocked hard!

[rvmdutch]

cult



[mackfielder]

HTF can any sane person call this total noisy crap music? Clanging, Banging, Crashing, screaming can be passed off as music? This tumultuous confusion would make an already soothed breast become savage!

[Bobofjudia]

@mackfielder Clearly this genre of music is not for you. This compilation of "clanging banging crashing and screaming" has gained a wide array of fans who, as far as I'm aware, are made of a majority of sane people, such as myself. How about a go at some Bach, or Beethoven?

[mackfielder]

@Bobofjudia

Well all through out history there have been large crowds following the less than ideal choices they have at their disposal.

[Bobofjudia]

@mackfielder This is music, it's all based on opinions. If you don't like it, that's fine, go listen to whatever you want. Leave me to listen to my music, please. I wish to cram my head with banging, bashing and screaming.

[do0rkn0b]

@mackfielder LOL ANDY WILLIAMS

[daven58100]

@do0rkn0b Hell. I'm 52 and would much rather listen to BOC than Andy Williams.

[mackfielder]

@daven58100

Are you serious? Andy Williams sings. These guys scream. Andy williams delivers musical renditions soothing to the soul. These guys deliver noise that grates on the nerves.

[daven58100]

You're right. Andy Williams is a good or great singer. What ponders me is how you came to be here if you so despise BOC.

[mackfielder]

@daven58100

I was just eager to vent on the noisy crap

[daven58100]

@mackfielder That's cool. I feel that way about Justin Bieber, Madonna, Rap Music in general, etc.

[moucon]

@mackfielder  Andy Williams does sing. But BOC are by no means screamers. There are a bunch of rock "screamers" - there's even a metal genre called "scream-o" which is ... screaming. But it's totally unfair to lump these guys in that boat.

[MagnificentBurger]

@mackfielder You go and sooth your breasts, then, mackfielder. Hahahahaha! I very much enjoy this music, but I still love classical music of all kinds, as well as many types of jazz, and big band music like Glenn Miller.

[EmperorofCartoons]

@mackfielder I think the question is what besides this deserves to be CALLED music. Rock on BOC.

[mackfielder]

@EmperorofCartoons

Nearly everything else as this is mostly noise. Noise has no reason being equated with music. Noise can't soothe the savage breast. Noise irritates, thus making the breast become savege.

[HallPassExpired]

@mackfielder Gads!! you sound worse than my dad. He still plays doowhop! LMAO Get over it BOC is a great band and you need to open your closed, narrow, pointless mind to other things.. besides Rock brings in more money than any other genre of music...

[dylanskriloff]

@mackfielder

Rock N' Roll was invented over 50 years ago -- did you wake up from a long slumber?

[666Maiden999]

@dylanskriloff ...what's wrong man???

[dylanskriloff]

@666Maiden999

Just responding to funny troll "mackfielder"

[666Maiden999]

@dylanskriloff NO COMMENT!!!

[DonFormica]

I just created a video of Vengeance (The Pact) {Fire of unknown origin album} from clips from the Movie Heavy Metal. it was intended for the movie but was left on the cutting room floor.

[xXScarifiedXx]

fuckin awesome!!!!

[theblackguy6haaa]

black metal and death still carry classic culture,ideas ,and philosiphy from many cultural standpoints and is underground for a reason,too not end up crappy and mediocre,for subjective programming,without a lack of reason to go mainstream,for instance try listining to this band its in the genre of melodic death.lunarsea-apostate and just listen around to different styles and genres

[shenloken2]

BOC's 'Don't Fear' album is for posers. 'Fire of Uknown Origin' has the really good shit from this band!!

[69ofdoom]

Blue Oyster Cult is definatly Heavy Metal, but they are Classic Metal, along with Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, ect... Back then the music was more about melody than how heavy it was. Nowadays, "metal" bands can't think up very creative riffs that are heavy, so they resort to breakdowns to make themselves sound "metal" (Devil Wears Prada, and those kinds of "metal" bands).

[defnist47]

@69ofdoom No one could have said it better!

[akrocuba]

@69ofdoom ...I couldn't have said it better!!!

BOC is one of all time favs!!!

They are so heavy...you have to know what to listen for!!!

ROCK ON!!!

[KnoxaramaV2]

yeah, all the go metal combinations wee ound in the seventies. now, the new bands are just hitching a ride, making screaching noises. and i'm not just talking about those dreadful 'singers'.

woo sabbath!

[AaronMk91]

@KnoxaramaV2 Well, a thing with modern metal is that it's really pretty diverse. Genres like death metal would probably fit the "screaching sounds" and "dreadfull 'singers'" you brought up. But past the Slayer and Slipknot there's some pretty good metal bands. I find Diablo Swing Orchestra rather unique. There's also symphonic metal, but I haven't dabbled much in that.

[KnoxaramaV2]

true.

[Korban3]

@69ofdoom Well said, metal was great. In fact, I didn't know I liked metal until I listened to BOC. Metal these days is unlikable. It's too loud, loud in an unpleasant way and inaudible. There is no creativity or imagery. Just noise. I'm glad we at least have good metal to listen to while the metal of now continues to suck.

[1QuikTransAm]

@Korban3 Exactly right. With todays metal every instrument is going blazing fast with no seperation of sounds, everyone trying to do the same thing. Something was lost along the way.

[Korban3]

@1QuikTransAm Yeah, I do like some of Rob Zombie's stuff, but I think that is because it is generally similar to older stuff. His newer style is a little bit iffy to me. I also don't think of his music as satinist, but I'm Christian, so people are sometimes confused by that. :P Dragula is probably his best or, mostly when watching Nightmare Creatures 2 intro, Demonoid Phenomenon. (Spell that 5 times fast.)

[Korban3]

@1QuikTransAm What they lost was soul and skill, and that happened about '99 or 2000. lol The dawn of cappy music.

[1QuikTransAm]

@Korban3 I'll agree to that. I never wanted to include most of the 90's because of bands like pearl jam , sepultura , etc. But after that completely downhill.Mostly the only interesting live acts to go see these days are the older bands still touring ..

[MrHeavyMetalx]

@69ofdoom Lots of metal bands today are good.. you just have to know how to find them...

[69ofdoom]

@MrHeavyMetalx I was generalizing. I know there are some good metal bands today, but the vast majority of metal that my peers listen to is "Asking Alexandria" and crap like that.

[MrHeavyMetalx]

@69ofdoom Try 3 Inches Of Blood, Seven Witches, Astral Doors, H.E.A.T., The Sword.. those are some really good bands formed in the last 10 years or so.. very talented! also there always the bands like Maiden, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Heaven And Hell, Manowar that still make great music

[VladvonRuuski]

@MrHeavyMetalx HEAVEN AND HELL IS SO AMAZING R.I.P. DIO

[69ofdoom]

@MrHeavyMetalx You think I don't know about Heaven and Hell? All of those last bands were agiven, they are all classics. The Sword is fucking sick, too.

[RoeserFan2]

@69ofdoom Correct!

[ghola2010]

@69ofdoom

that's a bit of an insult really, comparing blue oyster cult with the likes of black sabbath, or iron maiden.

groupie bands is all they are.

[69ofdoom]

@ghola2010 No, Blue Oyster Cult was the more technical aspect of Classic Metal. They were all in it for groupies to SOME degree, every guy has to have some way to score chicks.

[DickLodge68]

@ghola2010 What is an insult is showing Lita Ford and Joan Jett on your channel. Blue Oyster Cult never deemed themselves as a heavy metal band...this song has nothing to do with the "heavy metal" you are referring to. They aren't Maiden or Priest or Sabbath or the Scorps if that's what you are looking for. But Fire of Unknown Origin is a great album! And back in the day, seeing a 40 foot Godzilla on stage breathing fire was pretty impressive!

[MrFallkain]

@69ofdoom

Nowadays bands playing New Metal. Heavy Metal is oldschool. Iron Maiden are New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

[bassmanjoe]

Boc is alot more than just metal, they have alot more to offer than just a plain metal band. This song does kick ass though!!!!

[Bojoe777NaBl]

@bassmanjoe you said it!

[kealsta]

Great analysis of the lyrics. Very astute and informative. Thanks.

[BlueOhEasterCult]

"Falling matter of the sun. pulls itself into a place, where there was never never one." (One being a singularity, a point of infinite density. This could only happen in a Black Hole.)You can take every lyric in this song and apply it to the theory of how physicists believe a Black Hole "works". Got to love the BOC.

[oakeysmokey]

the "Black Hole"...."Black and Silver"...Oh damn I always thought it was about the oakland raiders...

[BlueOhEasterCult]

"Into the whirlpool, where matter vanishes.""Degenerate star, arm of Orion." (there is a Black Hole in the arm Orion, our home spiral) "Iron sun, the forbidden circle." (Iron being the last stage of fission in a very large dying star. It's Hydrogen to Helium, then helium to carbon, then carbon to iron, then Black Hole time.)

[BlueOhEasterCult]

All this talk about BOC being metal because of this song is kind of funny. Like the truly original band they were it was impossible to stick them into any genera, be it metal, punk, hard rock, whatever. Whenever people try and do this, nobody can agree.The song is about Black Holes, listen to the lyrics and it's obvious.

[PENETRASAURO]

they are HEAVY METAL from the old school............ not because they do not have a long hair or dressed in black t-shirt does not mean they are not metal.

[MrHeavyMetalx]

Metal or not, they are badass!! id even consider some songs to be popish...in general id call them a metal band

[floridafreedom100]

These guys arguably also made some of the best relatively early punk sounds...and Buck's songs are heartbreakingly haunting (listen to Perfect Water and Shooting Shark sometime)...overall this band is just brilliant, and lots of brilliant help from Pearlman. Oh by the way listen to any version of Astronomy, plus Seige and Investiture.

[nyghtwolf12]

BOC is god! I was hoping there would be an actual cult for it by now XD

[kangarradio]

BOC is heavy metal-because their producer wanted an american awnser to black sabbath...

[DoomMetalSludge]

Agreed, but actually it was Columbia Records who needed there own version of Sabbath to compete with Warner Bros in 1970. But that doesn't make BOC bad necessarily, though I would have rather seen American band Pentagram get signed instead.

[MRTOMSK1]

@kangarradio ?

[pecatur]

BOC is Heavy Metal

[bassmanjoe]

@pecatur Boc is alot more than just Metal, listen to all of their records. They have so much more to offer than just one thing.

[MegaDumkopf]

Black Sabbath for sure.

[pecatur]

BOC is HEAVY METAL!!!!!!

[MRTOMSK1]

@pecatur THEY ARE MORE OF A THINKING MANS BAND.

[floridafreedom100]

I'm pretty sure that punk owes something to these guys, at least indirectly.

[SpiderLuigiMan]

I'm pretty sure all of rock music owes something to them D:

[hobosown]

sounds a bit like bruce dickinson

or should i say, bruce dickinson sounds like them? :P

[larocka68]

This kicks ass.

[nyghtwolf12]

@larocka68 Right on! =D

[51Thundersticks]

@larocka68 You are damned right!

[51Thundersticks]

@larocka68

So much!

[XSxarfaceX]

Thank you, steelwizard. It's ALL Rock!

[steelwizard]

;-)

[gyodaimairlon]

Both HM's are heavy but the HM after NW is heavier than the 70's heavy metal. Many people have some difficulty to differ Hard Rock than Heavy Metal but I don't have, with no arrogance but with study.

[steelwizard]

It's just the same spirit. Fuck all the genre names, smoke some weed and listen to this.

[BMULVTV]

@steelwizard Hahaha i just smoked some weed

[gyodaimairlon]

There are two kinds of heavy metal: The HM before the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and the HM after NWOBHM. The bands before were qualified as heavy metal too only later when the term heavy metal was set to use for the rock genre, because many songs that the bands of the 70's played were heavier than hard rock and B. Sabbath was considered the pioneer 'cause was the 1st band to do so.

[gyodaimairlon]

Blue Öyster Cult also played Heavy Metal! This song is Metal, they played Metal just like many other bands did from the 70's on.

[Sangdude]

Sounds great.. also I don't know why that whole "Is/was Blue Öyster Cult a metal band or not" discussion popped up.. BÖC is rock or hard rock, not metal, it never has been metal. The "Heavy Metal" part of this song is not at all a reference to the genre but rather to that Canadian (I think) animated movie.

[dsw65]

As I remember in the early 80's, there was a big shift in marketing in the music and music companys were trying to pigeon hole these bands. The bands did not fit the pigeon hole, hence the controversy. Also Martin Birch produced this album as well as Black Sabbath and other "heavy metal" bands which in this case did make it on the movie Heavy Metal. Martin Birch was known for producing "heavy metal' bands.

[Sangdude]

The name of the producer has very little to do with the style of music. Unless of course your name is Bob Rock and you're trying to impose your values on other people..

Listen to metal bands of the 80's, like Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Metallica, Mötley Crüe,... They are all different kinds of metal but they all share one thing in common: They sound nothing like Blue Öyster Cult.

A band like The Who (which is certainly not a metal band) compares to BÔC a lot better.

[ellinlvx]

Did you really say that?

"The name of the producer has very little to do with the style of music."

I'm certain you didn't mean any disrespect, but did you know that this is a Sandy Pearlman classic and that as founding Producer, Mixer, Composer and Originator of the Amazing Blue Oyster Cult; not to mention possible coiner of the phrase "Heavy Metal" in connection with music, I find that statement almost stunningly inaccurate.

[AlbertMondback]

In all honesty, whether or not you consider BOC metal, they don't really sound at all like The Who.

This song in particular (as well as some other tracks on this album) has more in common with Iron Maiden (who were NWOBHM). Megadeth and Metallica were thrash, and hardly representative of '80s metal on the whole. Motley Crue, of course, were glam metal, and that's an entire genre which is of debatable 'metalness.'

[MrHeavyMetalx]

@AlbertMondback you talk sense man, its nice to see someone else who knows what they are talking about!!

[ALTDOK]

HEAR, HEAR!

[Palladium107]

Actually... the metal (black and silver) is a reference to the ore of Uranium... the 'Holy Metal of the Sun' where... of course... Nuclear fission happens. Fusion happens too, but you see what they're talking about. Now... they MIGHT have written this in hopes they'd get it into the animated movie 'Heavy Metal'.

[Sangdude]

According to Wikipedia, BÖC wrote the entire album with hopes of having all the songs in the animated movie.. In the end only Veteran of the Psychic Wars made it on it, though.

[SFNightauditor]

Except Burnin' For You was originally a Buck Dharma solo composition and Joan Crawford? But the rest is correct, at least for the Bouchards' songs.

[Grind2Xtreme]

Tyranny and Mutation is a metal album.

[cam0313]

I love BOC.

[s0zhL]

Wow, how is the album called on wich I can find that song?

[darkether]

s0zhL, get the Fire of Unknown Origins cd, or a compilation should have it, too.

[s0zhL]

Tjank you ;)

[NihilistImp]

Fire of Unknown Origin

Song is as noted in the title.

[ty122020]

BOC rocks !

[TehUltraChancellor]

True forever!!

[autumsunshine]

you know it has been awhile since I have listened to any classic back to old school rock i've gotten to wrapped up in new rock and some music that really shouldnt be called music lol. BOC is one of my fav. band I love them so much!!

[iatyma]

harvester of eyes and black blade

[b0gster]

Can you say awesome? \m/

[kealsta]

BURN WITHOUT END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[incubatorjesus]

14 and listens to boc , there may hope for the youth yet \m/

[clownkiller137]

15 and adores BOC :D

there is hope for the youth, but only for the rock-loving youth :D

[GeminoSmothers]

Im 15 and luv BOC too! w0ot woOt!

[SalohcinSilverwing]

yeah. Rock on! I'm 17 and I agree

[ellynlvx]

Blue Oyster Cult is Timeless in Essence...

My thirteen year old daughter has a pet named "Blue Oyster Cat..."

[pianoman289]

Epic, EPIC win :)

[jonsilence]

This is the real shit.....no nuskool posing. BOC forged the template. Hail Buck!

[yahudi64]

It's called 'Rock & Roll", kids.

[chicken7555]

prob more just rock, its too camp

[roodog00]

BOC kicks ass. They have been around for like 40 years now. Sounds a little like Dio on this track.

[Death2alQaeda]

They are Heavy Metal....No Friggen Hair Metal Here......

[FAUSTIANDAWN]

If you like BOC check out some of the members first Band, Moses, .................

[dan520dan]

Man I must be the youngest Blue Oyster Cult fan lol. they rock!!!!

[zezinhozeppelin]

how old are u?

[dan520dan]

I'm 15

[superdukk]

No your not, Im 14 and my friend is 13. B.O.C is one of the greatest bands. My fave song is Hot Rails To Hell.

[dan520dan]

mine is Cities on flam with rock and roll and heavy metal black and silver

[superdukk]

The First song I liked Cities on flames

[ftw337]

Man I miss those days........

[Tsigano]

First ever Heavy Metal song (though not actually recognised at the time) was the Beatles - Helter Skelter. The same sound & style was seen with Black Sabbath who were probably the first real Heavy Metal group. Many other similar groups did Heavy Metal songs but they weren't Heavy Metal groups as most also did as much hard rock / folk rock etc

[DKH1103]

Helter Skelter was released in September 1968. However, before that, in June 1968, Iron Butterfly released In A Gadda Da Vida and Steppenwolf released Born to be Wild (which also contains the line "heavy metal thunder". So I don' think Helter Skelter counts as the first heavy metal song.

[glitteryglitterguy]

really cool beat

[glitteryglitterguy]

i dont thnik BOC really fits the hair metal image

[PureStonage420]

they dont fit the hair metal image at all

[GoblinXXX]

Definatley not, though they did a lot of high production stadium stuff with flashy effects back in the day.

[RussianDancing]

I see hard rock.. but not metal.. Unless you compare them to the metal bands of their time.. whcih of coarse.. they are. Compared to now.. this is just rock lol... Metal is so heavy and insane now.. :) And I like BOC so in no way am I trying to make fun of them.. LOVE THIS SONG

[sinsVideos]

The band is just a pioneer of heavy metal...

[AlbertMondback]

There was heavier metal than this in the the '60s (Cromagnon). This is Hair Metal (I think), and is softer for that reason. For the record, BOC had a few Thrash Metal songs on one of their more recent albums.

[jedimastereddie]

Blue Oyster Cult started around 1971, At the begining of heavy metals rise to power, they had a great style and stuck to it, this was put out in 81, a few years before hair metal even existed, they were not the first heavy metal band, or the best, but to me they are really fucking good and definatly not hair metal. If they are not heavy metal, they are closer to it than they are hair metal.

[AlbertMondback]

Yeah. I think I agree, now. They definitely weren't Hair Metal, and the best description of their unique sound would probably be Heavy Metal.

[KyleJS30]

good metal.

[jedimastereddie]

agreed, that is what I meant, They are rock compared to the metal of today, but in there day, they were metal. Long live BOC

[Tsigano]

The metal being referred to today is just sub-genres of Heavy metal music. True Heavy Metal started with groups / songs like this and evolved harder with NWOBHM. NWOBHM combined with punk rock influenced thrash metal which influence a whole new era of "extreme metals".

[eydos]

That depends on definition, pall.

[sdingeswho]

"By starlight, the heaviest will rise up . . .", and oh, *did* they, with this album! BOC: REAL heavy-metal! :-D

[TheAmbassadorofRock]

Thanks Luffy ;^)

[neongodrise]

On the 6th of june i'm going to see them in Zoetermeer The Netherlands!!

[nalc892]

Buck on guitar, Albert on drums, Allen on keyboard...Eric on bass(cool!)and lead vocals. This song is so bbbaadd and it emanates from Fire of Unknown Origin, where B.O.C. comes roaring back.

[eltoroloco123]

For all of you that do not know. That was Heavy Metal-not the goobledegook that tries in vain to pass itself off as such.

great song !!

[TiaWright]

Totally agree dude:)

[teachmike2000]

The best guitar tone of all time! All modern heavy metal bands suck compared to this!

[311fanforever]

this song is so much fun to roll down the windows and head bash! good memories

[carrienurse]

One of a few songs BOC submitted for the '81 movie "Heavy Metal". Didn't end up on the soundtrack. At least "Veteran..." made it.

[kosh1968]

very true, and "vet's" was not even written for the movie. it was written by e(l)ric bloom and Michal moorcock. the songs for the movie were heavy metal( the black and silver), vengeance(the pact) and don't turn your back. ( connected to the segment " harry canyon" . but for some reason or another they picked vet's ( no connection to the movie, but to the novel " the dragon in the sword" by Michal moorcock. ( finishing the trilogy of songs ( the others being black blade and the great sun jester)

[Loco2359]

I was a big BOC fan then. My brother used to get Billboard magazine and I remember reading that when the artists were asked to submit 2 songs for 1 to be selected for the movie, they said BOC submitted 6 songs. I don't recall seeing a list of song names in the article I read, so I guessed which ones I thought they may have submitted. ;)

[bassmanjoe]

Great tune,someone please Post Vengence

(The Pact).My favorite of that record!!!!!!!

[autobot7777777]

Blue Oyster Cult Rocks Espically Veteran of the Psyhic WArs

[justoffabit]

thanks, used to listen to this over and over and over again while Mom was in the super market!!! (on my cassette "boom box").!!