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Album Details

• Artist: Blue Oyster Cult
• Album: Heaven Forbid
• Label: Sanctuary Records
• Year of Release: 1998
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: gwhill on 2013-01-31

Although the cover art leaves a bit to be desired, Heaven Forbid can certainly be looked on as a rebirth for BOC. This album seems to take the best of old BOC and bring up to date, while still staying true to those original concepts. Some of the more recent BOC albums have seemed to lack direction a bit. This one really feels very much like a solid and well thought out venture. The lineup on this CD is Eric Bloom, Buck Dharma, Allen Lanier, Danny Miranda, Chuck Burgi, Bobby Rondinelli, and Jon Rogers.

One of the highlights is “Harvest Moon.” It can be looked on as a new BOC classic that feels like a nicely haunting tale. It builds a history in the lyrics and a dread of a vague evil. "I sense the darkness clearer / I feel a presence near / A change in the weather / I feel some Evil here / I hear some frightful noises / I don’t go out at night.” Containing many elements of the Cult of old, this is a considerably powerful number featuring quite a potent and quirky instrumental break, and is nicely arranged and performed. Another strong tune is “X-Ray Eyes.” A very effective piece it is a pleasantly progressive song based on the `50s Ray Milland film "Man With The X Ray Eyes.” It’s actually my favorite on the disc.

The rest of the set kind of moves between songs that feel like older BOC tunes (“Power Underneath Despair,” “Damaged” and “Real World”) and cuts that add a little more metal or modern textures to BOC trademarks (“See You in Black,” “Hammer Back” and “Cold Gray Light of Dawn” are examples). The closing tune is a live version of the balladic “In Thee.”

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