Various Artists: Döminance and Submissiön - A Tribute to Blue Öyster Cult

One of my all-time favourite bands has to be Blue Öyster Cult. I have been a fan for decades so when I heard about a BOC tribute album, I was highly intrigued. Steve Hanford, who unfortunately passed away in May 2020 started the project with help from Ian Watts (Ape Machine). Hanford was a member of the punk rock band Poison Idea and much later joined the heavy stoner metal band Ape Machine. While on tour with the band he started the BOC project but unfortunately did not see it through to the end. Ian Watts finished it off and what we are left with are thirteen choice cuts from the band’s catalog, a career spanning retrospective that really piqued my interest.

If you are a huge fan of BOC like me, I think you need to approach this album with fresh ears, knowing these versions will not better the originals, but just might give offer up some different perspectives, which will hopefully lead to some enjoyable listens. Some of the bands playing on the album I am familiar with like War Cloud, Ape Machine, Great Electric Quest, and Tony Reed, very much in the stoner rock/doom metal end of the spectrum. I was interested to hear how these bands would approach these classic tunes. Of special note, Hanford plays on eight of the album’s thirteen tracks. Up first is “ME 262� featuring Mondo Machine, a band I had not heard previously. The band has tons of energy, passionate vocals and some pretty cool effects like footsteps and wailing sirens. Great Electric Quest take on the classic “Flaming Telepaths�, a very cosmic approach with excellent guitar and keys and on “Dominance and Submission� powerful vocals and burning lead guitar makes for some fiery heavy rock. I love the distorted bass, massive riffs, and lead vocals on “Godzilla� featuring Howling Giant and Fu Manch’s guitarist Bob Balch who really lets loose on his six string. Mondo Generator brings a punk rock attitude to “Tattoo Vampire� and on “Veteran of the Psychic Wars�, Ape Machine give a riveting performance. Fittingly, the disc ends with the classic “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper�, taken on by Spindrift, with perhaps the most intriguing performance here, giving the classic a bit of a different spin.

To put it simply, Döminance and Submissiön is one of the best cover albums I have heard in a long time. Highly recommended!

A Ripple Music release.

Track Listing:
1. ME 262 - Mondo Machine
2. Flaming Telepaths - Great Electric Quest
3. Dominance and Submission - Cosmo-Daemonic Telegraph Company
4. Godzilla - Howling Giant
5. Transmaniacon MC - Tony Read (Mos Generator)
6. Wings Wetted Down - IT
7. Tattoo Vampire - Mondo Generator
8. Veteran of the Psychic Wars - Ape Machine
9. Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll - ZEKE
10. Stairway to the Stars - War Cloud
11. Fireworks - Year of the Cobra
12. 7 Screaming Diz-Busters - Fetish
13. (Don’t Fear) The Reaper - SPINDRIFT

Added: April 2nd 2023
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 1006
Language: english

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