Acknowledged and I think you're mostly right (BOC went through changes in sound, etc over the years), but on the other hand the categorization doesn't matter that much. Genres blend and merge and overlap. If we talk metal (for instance), then it's possible to get into all the subgenres of that and dispute if so-and-so belongs in death metal vs. black metal etc!

I always thought BOC was some fusion of metal and Prog...

BOC?

Beverage Of Choice?

Bilateral Occipital Calcification?

Bandolier of Carrots?

Tertiary-Butyloxycarbonyl group (anybody else take organic and biochem?)

Block of Concrete?

A virtual Box of Cigars to the first person who responds and enlightens me.

Blue
Oyster
Cult

Dude, where ya bin? They even got their own SNL (that's Saturday Night Live ) skit with the tagline "more cowbell!."

Classical music nerd here. Thus little knowledge of rock, etc. But I like learning and exploring.

Even worse for lack of cultural awareness, I can't stomach Saturday Night Live; to Middle School for me.

The Box of Cigars (BOCs) are on their way!

"The Box of Cigars (BOCs) are on their way!"

Heheh, that's great. Well, I don't claim to be a FAN of B.O.C., just familier. You should see School of Rock, both because it's funny, actually in middle school, and will educate you in the basics of rock. Plus all the kids in it are mostly former classical music nerds themselves so you'll relate.

SNL doesn't usually do it for me much either, although on occasion all the stars line up and it's about as funny as you can get!

Metal has been so reviled by the mainstream press that I don't think BOC would want to be called metal if they were coming out with Agents of Fortune today. Back in the 70's, though, they were certainly considered metal. Like everything else, the best in metal is very good (BOC, Black Sabbath) and the worst is dismal.