BLUE ÖYSTER CULT — Agents Of Fortune (review)

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT — Agents Of Fortune album cover Album · 1976 · Hard Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Warthur
Though it's now my all-time favourite Blue Oyster Cult album, I didn't like Secret Treaties at first - it took more than a few listens before its subtleties became apparent and I really started getting into it.

Similarly, whilst I really liked Agents of Fortune on the first few listens, after a while its star diminished in my estimation considerably. An album of slick pop-metal, there's no doubt that this one helped the band get wider attention - you've probably heard the cowbell-heavy Don't Fear the Reaper a dozen times by now - but it can come across as a heaped collection of hard rock cliches.

Of course, they're cliches in part because this album shaped the genre so much, but at the same time it's undeniable that this is the dawn of a poppier strand of music in BOC's catalogue, and there was a while when I was so deeply immersed in their more esoteric early style that that bugged me. I've come around again on it now, having aged into a point where I can appreciate a good pop number now and then, but at the same time I don't think it's the top-tier classic its predecessor was.
Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

I, the Destroyer Black Metal
SVARTFJELL
Buy this album from MMA partners
A Sonication Technical Death Metal
OBSCURA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Hin helga kvöl Atmospheric Sludge Metal
SÓLSTAFIR
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Cycles of Suffering Black Metal
BURIAL OATH
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us