FIRE OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN

1. Fire of Unknown Origin- Great opener which shows that BOC are back on their game! Not the light metal sound of their first three albums, but nonetheless a fantastic opener. 8/10

2. Burnin' for You- This is their second biggest hit (after Don't Fear the Reaper) and it's just as enjoyable of a song. It is not as complex as Reaper, but it's nonetheless a very well-crafted piece of rock. 8/10

3. Veteran of the Psychic Wars- Yes! This song is so overlooked and it has to be one of my favorite songs of all time. BOC are at their best here, with haunting keyboards, a balance of catchy rock and complex variations, and wonderful vocals. The drumming and keyboard work are of note here, but all the instruments shine. The structure here is perfect. If you want to hear what BOC is all about, particularly after their first 3 albums, then give this one a listen. Flawless. 10+/10

4. Sole Survivor- Great catchy song more in the vein of Burnin' than the previous song. This is highly enjoyable rock with good synth and backing instruments, but more on the side of AOR than prog. 7/10

5. Heavy Metal: The Black and Silver- Back to their roots here, as you can tell from the opening guitar lick. This is a driving light metal song that is more typical of BOC's unique mix of prog, metal, and rock influences. Great guitar riff and the vocals have a well-sung anthem edge. 8/10

6. Vengeance (The Pact)- From the opening hypnotic keyboard pattern, this is another really fantastic BOC song and shows why they are prog related quite well. Wonderful instrumentation and vocals, lyrics are effective and haunting (in typical style), and the structure is always interesting and enjoyable. THIS IS THE PACT! 10/10

7. After Dark- Another well-crafted song here with interesting aspects added in with a masterful rock blend. More on the catchy/pop side than the previous two songs, but still enjoyable. I love the guitar on this track. 9/10

8. Joan Crawford- Listen to that piano intro! Awesome! This is another classic song, with upbeat innovative elements all throughout.one of my all-time favorite BOC songs. Joan Crawford has risen from the graaaaaave! Flawless. 10+/10

9. Don't Turn Your Back- This is a good closer with some awesome, dominating synth work. Not a straight-up rocker here, but more of a relaxed atmosphere. Nonetheless, it is absolutely terrific and an often-overlooked song. 9/10

I love this album, so I want to give it 5 stars. However, Fire of Unknown Origin is not a masterpiece of progressive rock, but it is easily an extremely good prog-related rock album that definitely deserves a place in your music collection. This is the Oyster Cult at some of their finest moments!

Very highly recommended!

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