Buttkickin' Halloween Songs: "Vengeance (The Pact)" -- Blue Öyster Cult (1981)

To defend, this is the pact
But when life’s scorned
And damage done
To avenge, this is the pact

I mean honestly, if you haven’t heard Blue Öyster Cult’s entire 1981 album Fire of Unknown Origin, please do. It’s pretty freakin’ keen. You can only listen to Don’t Fear The Reaper and Godzilla only so many times. Why NOT dig deeper?

So let’s dig deeper.

And by “dig deeper” I mean go back to 1981 again for the seminal animated motion picture Heavy Metal, an anthology of sci-fi/horror stories that thrilled generations of horny nerds who watched this thing over and over again on HBO in 1983 until they literally couldn’t get enough of this goofy masterpiece.

I should know. I was one of them.

And who ever forget warrior princess Taarna taking on the Barbarian Hordes atop of her winged steed, wearing barely four molecules of clothing and destroying all evil-doers in her path? You don’t eff with Taarna. You can bend her but she will NOT break. Strength beyond measure, yes. But always just enough jiggle.

So this brings us to BoC’s Vengeance (The Pact), their hard rock/metal’ish recounting of Taarna’s exploits in the Heavy Metal film, and it’s equal parts laser beams, sorcery, battle swords, comic books, daring four-color heroics, and a pristine distillation of 12-year-old horny nerd-boys stuck at home watching HBO in 1983 with a stack of comic books, Dragonlance novels, late-night rock radio, and about an ounce of weed. Plus snacks.

It’s a great little tune though. Dark, ominous, midtempo to a crushing midsection and then… a sudden fade-to-black exit. Perfect for your Halloween playlist. It might not be the BEST Blue Oyster Cult song, but it’s easily one of the most quintessential representations of adolescent fantasy sword-and-sorcery.

As their leader swoops from the clouds
She sticks him with her sword
Then she throws him down

The enemy shrivel and die
The enemy shrivel and die…