The Symbol Remains
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The Symbol Remains
| Artist | Blue Öyster Cult |
|---|---|
| Released | October 9, 2020 |
| Recorded | 2019–2020 at Mercy College Studio A, Dobbs Ferry, NY |
| Length | 61:06 |
| Label | Frontiers Records |
| Producer | Eric Bloom Buck Dharma Richie Castellano |
The Symbol Remains is the fifteenth studio album by Blue Öyster Cult. It was released on October 9, 2020 by Frontiers Records, and is their first studio album since 2001's Curse of the Hidden Mirror. It is the first studio album to feature Richie Castellano (who had replaced Allen Lanier upon his retirement), Danny Miranda, and Jules Radino, and is also the first album to feature lead vocals from a non-founding member of the band since 1988's Imaginos.
This album was the fifth of six releases planned for 2020, with four live concerts leading up to it and one final live album afterward.
Personnel
Blue Öyster Cult
- Eric Bloom – guitars, keyboards, vocals
- Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser – guitars, keyboards, programming, vocals
- Richie Castellano – guitars, keyboards, programming, vocals
- Danny Miranda – bass, backing vocals
- Jules Radino – drums, percussion, backing vocals
Additional musicians
- Albert Bouchard – backing vocals, cowbell, percussion ("That Was Me")
- Andy Ascolese – keyboards ("Nightmare Epiphany", "Florida Man"), piano ("The Alchemist")
- David Lucas – backing vocals ("Edge of the World", "The Machine", "Florida Man", "Secret Road"), cowbell ("Fight")
- Phil Castellano – harmonica ("Train True (Lennie's Song)"), gang vocals ("Stand and Fight"), backing vocals and claps ("Florida Man"), choir programming ("Secret Road")
- Kasim Sulton – backing vocals ("The Return of St. Cecilia", "There's a Crime")
- Steve La Cerra – gang vocals ("Stand and Fight"), backing vocals and claps ("Florida Man")
- Kevin Young – gang vocals ("Stand and Fight"), backing vocals and claps ("Florida Man")
- John Castellano – backing vocals ("Florida Man")
- Jeff Nolan – theramin ("Florida Man")
Production
- Eric Bloom – producer
- Buck Dharma – producer, overdub engineer
- Richie Castellano – producer, chief engineer, pictures
- Steve Schenck – executive producer, pictures
- Sam Stauff – engineer
- Steve La Cerra – assistant engineer
- Tom Lord-Alge – mixing
- Ted Jensen – mastering
- Stan-W Decker – artwork, layout
- Special thanks to HP/Kevin Durrence; NVIDIA, Sean Cleveland; Sweetwater Music/Wayne and Jake; Gibson Guitars; Line 6/Frank Ricchoette and Matt Ferguson; Fodera Guitars/Vinny Fodera and Joey Lauricella; Dell Computers/Joseph Flynn; Dimarzio/Stephanie Wranovics and Rosemarie Gangemi; Ownhammer/Kevin Rowe; Paul Carter and William Macbayne; Sandra Roeser; Melne Murphy; Kiesel Guitars/Jeff Kiesel; Reverend Guitars; Ned Steinberger; Two-Notes/Guillaume Pille; Jetter pedals/Brad Jetter; D'Addario/Steve Lobimer; Supro Amplifiers/David Koltai; Peavey/Chris Kelley; Taylor Guitars/Tim Goodwin, Tony Sabatini
Track listing
| # | Title | Writer(s) | Lead vocals | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Side one | ||||
| 1 | That Was Me | Bloom, Castellano, John Shirley | Bloom | 3:19 |
| 2 | Box in My Head | D. Roeser, Shirley | Roeser | 3:45 |
| 3 | Tainted Blood | Bloom, Castellano | Castellano | 4:18 |
| 4 | Nightmare Epiphany | Shirley, D. Roeser | Roeser | 5:31 |
| Side two | ||||
| 5 | Edge of the World | Castellano | Bloom | 4:52 |
| 6 | The Machine | Castellano | Castellano | 4:15 |
| 7 | Train True (Lennie's Song) | D. Roeser, Zeke Roeser | Roeser | 3:57 |
| 8 | The Return of St. Cecilia | Castellano, Meltzer | Castellano | 4:13 |
| Side three | ||||
| 9 | Stand and Fight | Bloom, Castellano | Bloom | 4:49 |
| 10 | Florida Man | D. Roeser, Shirley | Roeser | 4:09 |
| 11 | The Alchemist | Castellano | Bloom | 6:00 |
| Side four | ||||
| 12 | Secret Road | Shirley, D. Roeser | Roeser | 5:24 |
| 13 | There's a Crime | Jeff Denny, Radino | Bloom | 3:37 |
| 14 | Fight | D. Roeser, Ira Rosoff, James Wold | Roeser | 3:12 |
| Japan-exclusive CD bonus track | ||||
| 15 | That Was Me (acoustic version) | Bloom, Castellano, John Shirley | Bloom | 3:11 |
Trivia
- This is the first studio album to include lead vocals from Richie Castellano, who had previously only performed lead vocals live, mainly on songs that were originally sung by Joe Bouchard.