Cultösaurus Erectus is the seventh studio album by American rock band Blue Öyster Cult, released in June 1980. Following an experiment with a more commercial sound on the album Mirrors (released the previous year), this recording marked a return to the band's earlier, heavier sound. It also represents the band's first collaboration with British producer Martin Birch (Deep Purple, Fleetwood Mac, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden), who would also produce the band's following album Fire of Unknown Origin a year later.
While the album did sell more than its predecessor, it stalled at Gold status. However, during this time, Blue Öyster Cult was still filling large venues. The tour promoting Cultösaurus Erectus found the band co-headlining sports arenas in the United States with Black Sabbath as part of the Black and Blue Tour.
The album cover features the central part of the painting Behemoth's World by British artist Richard Clifton-Dey.
"Black Blade" features lyrics by fantasy and sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock and is about Stormbringer, a black sword wielded by Elric of Melniboné, the most famous character in Moorcock's mythology.
The title "The Marshall Plan" is a play on words, connecting the post-World War II economic program with the British amplifier manufacturer.[citation needed] The song also includes a cameo by Don Kirshner introducing Johnny, the subject of the song, as an act on Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, a syndicated concert program popular in the 1970s and early 1980s.