So, Cirith Ungol fans. New album. Off you go, pre-order it. You know you want to and it will not disappoint. Right, have they gone? Good. You see as a long term fan of this genuinely unique band there is a strange tension when you know that existing fans of thirty odd years standing to even just three will have heard it all before. So for once I’ll try and address those who are maybe aware of the hallowed name but not that familiar with them yet, money being tight. Well I’ll try at least.
Cirith Ungol (btw they pronounce it with a soft C, not the intended hard C.Sirith.) are one of those rare as hens teeth bands who genuinely deserve the word ‘original’ and indeed despite being hugely influential, still sound ‘unique’. And it’s not just because of the still startling vocal style of Tim Baker – a raw edged, almost half spoken, cry that has way more expression that it should and way more variation too – or indeed the guitar tone of Greg Lindstrom that keeps it anchored in a gritty foundation. It’s the song-writing. There is something still slightly off kilter about their approach to song structure. Not as off the wall as their debut but certainly still that sound that reached into King Of The Dead and finally One Foot In Hell.
What do I mean? Well, let’s take it from the off here; ‘Velocity’ surges out of the speakers, a speedy little chug and the guitar break right from the off threading dextrous notes through it. The vocals only step in after a while, but when they do it’s like throwing open the doors and Mr Baker standing there in silhouette. The bass line from Jarvis Leatherby is up front as always in Cirith Ungol, a constant driving pulse with Robert Garven’s absolutely solid and deft drum work. With a second guitarist (Jimmy Barazza, sadly just released due to health issues) there is never any drop out as Linstrom goes off on one of his breaks. The pace is constant but the tempo shifts, unexpectedly, between sections and yet always is seamless. And that is Cirith Ungol.
Second track ‘Relentless’ dips down into what I think of as the bedrock of the band. Their sound is undeniably epic, their themes often as not drenched in fantasy (despite the Tolkien name, they are more likely to pen tales of Moorcock’s Elric, Humanity and science fiction with parables for the real world) but it is the true doom vein that runs through them. Songs like this are at their fastest mid pace, and drop back into that proper doom drive; slow, heavy, unafraid of melody but with a darkness or a melancholy to them often. And lace in a strange type of hook that for me only CU possess and the plentiful use of guitar breaks and this is just top quality metal.
And third up with get the truly epic, Elric tale ‘Sailor On The Seas Of Fate’. The riff is pure doom; slow, rolling and swaying and the vocals echoing almost in the background like the wind out on the ocean. Look at the cover, as always a Michael Whelan masterpiece previously used for an Elric book and it will just suck you in. You may not go away humming this song but it will haunt you for days. From smooth refrain, to choppy, segments like a ship caught in a squall this is epic with a capital E. Expansive. Elegiac. Just beautiful. Traditional heavy metal but with a style all their own. When it finds pace it is like a perfect ship cutting through the waters and the tossing and turning of fate itself.
And we’re only three songs in.
‘Sacrifice’ kind of reminds me of their One Foot In Hell era somehow. There’s a sharpness to the song, a grim outlook, and the wonderful and perfect shifts in tempo with superb drum work, an almost Middle Eastern lilt to some of the melody. ‘Looking Glass’ is a strangely delirious, swaying song. It disorientates me and leaves me feeling as though I’m being pulled this way, then that, and only the brief comfort of the slow guitar break is a comfort of sorts. The title track has a little touch of an NWOBHM feel in the opening before the CU rumble pushes forth. An excellent, slow work which uses the vocals to build on. ‘Distant Shadows’ is a sample of the core of the band. Perfectly placed on the album as by this point hopefully their magic has seeped into your bones and their strangely unrelenting approach to songs has become a thing of beauty and you simply must listen to it stomp on, belligerent to the end. Finally, ‘Down Below’ plays with some choral vocal accompaniment in the intro before building around Baker’s almost desperate vocals, a riff that seems to work counter to them and yet, as ever with Cirith Ungol, works perfectly. The moments of quiet, the sense of a turbulence beneath that threaten to rise and engulf the song… for a band who travel in epic and doom circles and are a joy to traditional heavy metal bands they still stand out as one of the most beautiful, eccentric collectives the genre has ever produce. And Dark Parade, like the previous album Forever Black, stands shoulder to shoulder with their first three, proud and without compromise.
They will be touring for the last time next year so if, like me, festival cancellations have taken away your previous chances keep your eyes peeled.
Without a doubt heavy metal to the core yet with eyes on an entirely different recipe, Cirith Ungol haven’t missed a beat in the twenty odd years they were absent from recording. They are still the wielders of epic tales and sharp insight, the masters of riding chaos and without a doubt they have forever kept it true. Dark Parade is one of their finest albums in a list of classics. Just ponder that for a moment.
Legends. Absolute legends. If you love metal, just buy this and treasure them.
Oh and don’t forget October 10th is now officially ‘Cirith Ungol Day’ thanks to the mayor of San Buenaventura, CA.
(9/10 Gizmo)
24/10/2023 at 1:07 pm
Great review as ever Giz, CD now ordered.
24/10/2023 at 1:11 pm
Cheers sir!