After a not-bad debut album that was marred by a too-heavy-on-the-bass mix, Blue Oyster Cult cleaned up the sound to create one of the best rock albums of the 1970's, not just in the metal genre.  This was the album that established the leather boys from New York City as the Sam Peckinpah (or Quentin Tarantino for you younger listeners) of rock.  Violent lyrics for sure, but in a more thought provoking way. (Unlike, say, Slayer who seemed more intent on grossing the listener out).  "The Red and The Black", which opens the album, tells the story of a Canadian Mounty who apparently gets very lonely in the wilderness to the point where the Huskies are as appealing as the women.  "OD'd On Life Itself" and "Hot Rails To Hell" make just simple everyday life in the city (the latter song about a simple subway car ride on a hot Summer night) sound like a daily excercise in survival.  But it's "7 Screeming Diz Busters" that may be the one cut to hear on Halloween with the lights off.  The song describes an annual ritual (Satanic perhaps?) involving secret coves, dusters dust, "laughs of pain" et. al.  The "Lucifer the Light" chant in the last minute of the song is enough to give fundamentalist types a coronary.  The second half of the album (the "Black" half) lightens things up a bit.  That is, if you consider songs about mysogony (Baby Ice Dog), and murderesses (Mistress Of The Salmon Salt) lightening up.  The closest thing to a love song on this album is "Teen Archer" ("...balling all night, balling all day, she won't ball on me") and features one of BOC's best guitar riffs, not to mention a maniacal electric piano solo.  This album is not for the squeemish perhaps, but if you like your music hard and heavy, and you're tired of lyrics that seem to be only about the eternal party that most hard rock music dwell on, please please check this out.

One other note:  On their next album (Secret Treaties) BOC would expand their music to showcase synthesizers to create a progressive/metal mix. In time they would create another classic album of the 1970's, "Agents Of Fortune".  On Tyranny & Mutation, it's all guitars with organ and piano added to make things interesting.  Synths are used very sparringly on this album.
After a not-bad debut album that was marred by a too-heavy-on-the-bass mix, Blue Oyster Cult cleaned up the sound to create one of the best rock albums of the 1970's, not just in the metal genre. This was the album that established the leather boys from New York City as the Sam Peckinpah (or Quentin Tarantino for you younger listeners) of rock. Violent lyrics for sure, but in a more thought provoking way. (Unlike, say, Slayer who seemed more intent on grossing the listener out). "The Red and The Black", which opens the album, tells the story of a Canadian Mounty who apparently gets very lonely in the wilderness to the point where the Huskies are as appealing as the women. "OD'd On Life Itself" and "Hot Rails To Hell" make just simple everyday life in the city (the latter song about a simple subway car ride on a hot Summer night) sound like a daily excercise in survival. But it's "7 Screeming Diz Busters" that may be the one cut to hear on Halloween with the lights off. The song describes an annual ritual (Satanic perhaps? ) involving secret coves, dusters dust, "laughs of pain" et. al. The "Lucifer the Light" chant in the last minute of the song is enough to give fundamentalist types a coronary. The second half of the album (the "Black" half) lightens things up a bit. That is, if you consider songs about mysogony (Baby Ice Dog), and murderesses (Mistress Of The Salmon Salt) lightening up. The closest thing to a love song on this album is "Teen Archer" ("... balling all night, balling all day, she won't ball on me") and features one of BOC's best guitar riffs, not to mention a maniacal electric piano solo. This album is not for the squeemish perhaps, but if you like your music hard and heavy, and you're tired of lyrics that seem to be only about the eternal party that most hard rock music dwell on, please please check this out. One other note:  On their next album (Secret Treaties) BOC would expand their music to showcase synthesizers to create a progressive/metal mix. In time they would create another classic album of the 1970's, "Agents Of Fortune". On Tyranny & Mutation, it's all guitars with organ and piano added to make things interesting. Synths are used very sparringly on this album.