Their debut album Blue Öyster Cult was released in January 1972, with

Their debut album Blue Öyster Cult was released in January 1972, with a black-and-white cover designed by artist Bill Gawlik. The album featured the songs ” Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll “, “Stairway to the Stars”, and “Then Came the Last Days of May”. By this time, the band’s sound had become more oriented toward hard rock, but songs like “She’s as Beautiful as a Foot” and “Redeemed” also showed a strong element of the band’s psychedelic roots. Pearlman wanted the group to be the American answer to Black Sabbath . All of the band members except for Allen Lanier sang lead, a pattern that would continue on many subsequent albums, although lead singer Eric Bloom sang the majority of the songs. The album sold well, and Blue Öyster Cult toured with artists such as the Byrds , Mahavishnu Orchestra and Alice Cooper . As the band toured, its sound became heavier and more direct.