In this Cult, the road goes on forever.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

IF YOU THINK Blue Oyster Cult is just another has-been rock band still touring way past its prime, think again, says Eric Bloom, the band's longtime vocalist, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist.

"This is the best that Blue Oyster Cult has ever been," Bloom says, speaking by phone from his home in Long Island, N.Y. "The musicianship, the camaraderie, the whole package."

After more than 30 years together, Blue Oyster Cult (B.O.C. to fans) has its act down to a science, Bloom says. Once known as the thinking man's metal band, the group brought intelligence to hard rock and came up with such hits as "Godzilla," "Don't Fear the Reaper" and "Burning for You."

Still "On Tour Forever," B.O.C. now gives 70 to 90 performances a year, including Sunday's show at the McDonald Theatre.

With three of five original members, Blue Oyster Cult now features Bloom, guitarist and keyboardist Allen Lanier and star guitarist-vocalist Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser. The original rhythm section of Albert and Joe Bouchard (drums and bass, respectively) has been replaced by Bobby Rondinelli (drums) and Danny Miranda (bass).

"We still sound like B.O.C.," Bloom says. "Bobby and Danny are great. They wouldn't be here if they weren't."

Sticking firmly to his conviction that his 3-decade-old band has, in fact, gained a step, Bloom scoffs at the suggestion that touring with a group of older musicians might be more work than it once was. The biggest difficulty B.O.C. faces on the road, he says, has nothing to do with the age of its members.

"It's harder than it used to be only because of the 9-11 problems," Bloom says. "Airport check-ins. Airlines have cut down how many pieces you can carry and what they weigh. There are a lot of logistical problems."

To mark its 30-year anniversary, B.O.C. recently released the live album and DVD "A Long Day's Night." Recorded in Chicago last summer, the album is as much a testament to the group's rabid fan base as it is to the band itself, Bloom says.

"I wouldn't say it's Grateful Dead-type numbers, but we have people who show up from all over the world," Bloom says. "We have very interesting fans, that's what kind of band we are. We have doctors and lawyers and CEOs of companies and welders and all kinds of different people."

Not surprisingly, B.O.C. maintains an extensive Web site and uses bulletin boards, newsletters and e-mail to create an online community for its fans. Although the band listens to its "hard cores" when coming up with new set lists, it also likes to leave a good deal to chance.

"It's different every night," Bloom says. "I call the show as we go. I try to get feedback from the audience (in terms) of what people would like to hear. (The way) songs fit together just seems intuitive at the time."

Bloom tries to pull songs from all of the band's various eras, starting with the late 1960s, when the group was known as Soft White Underbelly. Were it not for a disastrous gig at the Filmore East in the late 1960s, which forced the group to change its name, B.O.C. still might be known by that other moniker, which was coined by rock critic Sandy Pearlman. Pearlman helped mold B.O.C.'s sound and image along with fellow rock writer Richard Meltzer, who briefly served as the group's vocalist. After several personnel shifts and name changes, the group settled on its current handle and released its self-titled debut in 1972.

Blue Oyster Cult's first three records were dark and loud and generally well-received, but it wasn't until 1976 that the group scored its first hit with "Don't Fear the Reaper," a Byrds- inspired tune written by Roeser that presented a more melodic style of hard rock. The album "Agents of Fortune" also included two songs co-written by Patti Smith, who was Lanier's girlfriend at the time.

Many still consider the release of "Reaper" to be Blue Oyster Cult's finest moment, but the band went on to release many more albums and had several more hits. The group was criticized for selling out with forgettable albums such as "R.U. Ready to Rock," but also managed to write a few standout songs, including "Death Valley Nights" from the album "Spectres" and "Joan Crawford" from the 1981 release "Fire of Unknown Origin."

The fact that B.O.C. still tours the world after 30 years is proof that the band has done more than just produce three signature hits. And, if you believe Bloom, the best may be yet to come.

"We're always great, and most nights we're better than that," Bloom says. "We never have a night that sucks."

Lewis Taylor can be reached at 338-2512 or ltaylor@guardnet. com.

PREVIEW

Blue Oyster Cult

What: Classic hard rock

When: 8 p.m. Sunday

Where: McDonald Theatre, 1010 Willamette St.

How much: $23 in advance; $25 day of show

GuardLine: To hear music by Blue Oyster Cult, call GuardLine at 485-2000 and select category 3733

CAPTION(S):

Blue Oyster Cult is (from left) Danny Miranda, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser, Eric Bloom, Bobby Rondinelli and Allen Lanier. Please turn to CULT, Page 5 Cult: Veteran band tries to bridge the eras Continued from Page 3