siLLy puPPy
So much has happened since the legendary heavy metal band CIRITH UNGOL once roamed the Earth. This epic entity of classic metal mojo was very much at the forefront of the whole hard rock 70s morphing into the metal mayhem 80s having formed all the way back in 1972 in Ventura, California but not releasing its first independently released debut “Frost And Fire” until 1981. While this band was neck in neck with the more famous bands to emerge of the day, there was a bit of a problem in that these guys weren’t English and were upstaged by the metal British Invasion that included the usual suspects of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Saxon which meant the might UNGOL had to forge its steel on its own terms and in the process has gone down in the metal annals as one of the quirkiest bands ever to emerge in the nascent metal universe.
Despite the scant returns during the band’s initial run of albums from 1981’s “Frost And Fire” to 1991’s “Paradise Lost,” the band that exuberantly excelled in bringing J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy infused metal to the world remained somewhat obscure and lurked in the shadows of the commercial behemoths that dominated the MTV video drenched 80s however the decades have rightfully redeemed CIRITH UNGOL’s rightful status as one of the more innovative heavy metal bands of the era as new legions of headbangers have had the opportunity to experience the entire history of music on a level playing field courtesy of the miracle called the internet. As time has elapsed the mighty UNGOL’s contributions have finally been recognized and in the process catapulting the band’s albums “King Of The Dead” and “One Foot In Hell” into the undisputed classic zone of metal history.
A decade of gigging and demos aside, CIRITH UNGOL emerged in 1981 with its own epic style of heavy metal that delivered anthemic sword and sorcery themes coupled with adolescent angst and intense heavy guitar riffing that straddled the line between the trad metal bigwigs and the plodding doom metal riffs of Black Sabbath and Pentagram. Add to that the unique eccentric style of Tim Baker’s distinct shrill vocal power was capable of rousing the troops for a heroic journey into the world of sci-fi infused drama. Unfortunately due to a series of events that included on again, off again interest in band members, incessant delays with management, restructuring in the record company and changes in the music industry, CIRITH UNGOL finally succumbed to all the pressures and disbanded in 1992 but the spark was never extinguished and like the ring of power from the Lord of the Rings tales remained in existence albeit dormant. It would take another 25 years for the band to show signs of life, but once the resuscitation had begun, the revived CIRITH UNGOL was back with a vengeance.
While the core team members of Tim Baker (vocals), Robert Garven (drums) and Greg Lindstrom (guitars, keyboards) never officially declared that a reunion was out of the question, neither were they compelled to resurrect the legends of the past and it wasn’t until these guys realized that a huge fanbase that had accrued over the decades was demanding a return to the limelight so CIRITH UNGOL officially reunited and headlined the Frost And Fire II festival in the Majestic Ventura Theater where they packed the house filled with longtime fans and newbies who weren’t there the first time around. The event was a smashing success as these guys who lost their confidence to play the old material was hit by a tidal wave of inspiration and realized that CIRITH UNGOL was alive and well all those years. The first line of order was to find musicians to carry the torch of guitarist Jerry Fogle who sadly passed away in 1998 as well as finding a bass player who wanted to stick around for more than six months ( Flint, Bob Warrensburg, Vern Green and Greg Lindstrom have all played with the band.)
With a new lineup that includes Jarvis Leatherby on bass and Jim Barraza on guitars, CIRITH UNGOL has just released its first album in 29 years! Right away when you see the familiar album cover art of long time associate Michael Whelan on the band’s brand spanking new album FOREVER BLACK, it’s obvious that CIRITH UNGOL is back! With a set of nine tracks that sound like the 80s never ended and for those who have long remained disappointed with the 1991 album “Paradise Lost,” this new album is a virtual time traveling machine to another era will surely make up for all those lost decades. While it’s fair to say that there is nothing even remotely cutting edge or innovative about FOREVER BLACK, i can also say that that is not the point. In fact if anything this long awaited album seems to be a celebration of all the aspects of CIRITH UNGOL that borrows liberally from the first four albums. While it seems to be all the rage for long defunct metal bands to find a new lease on life in the modern era, more often than not we encounter a band that has lost its magic mojo but luckily that is not the case with CIRITH UNGOL.
FOREVER BLACK starts strong with a catchy classic 80s sounding instrumental intro “The Call” and blends in with the anthemic “Legions Arise” as if the band were announcing its resurrection from the dead and rallying the troops for an epic sword and sorcery battle carried out in the modern times. Immediately the most surprisingly aspect of all is not how perfectly crafted the new material is and how it resonates flawlessly with the band’s legacy but how incredibly well Tim Baker’s vocals have held up after so many decades and in many cases he exceeds his prowess in an incessant flow of energetic metal madness from one of the true pioneers of 80s metal. With “Frost And Fire” fury intertwined with “King Of The Dead” doom, FOREVER BLACK is the ultimate orgy of ideas from the band’s career all teased out into delicious deliveries of classic retro metal that actually succeeds on all fronts! Fast NWOBHM guitar gallops intersect with Pentagram inspired doom and somehow despite 29 years and two new members the band excels in recreating all those slightly off-kilter instrumental deliveries in abundance.
CIRITH UNGOL’s trick of the trade has always been to craft an album’s worth that offers a variety of shapeshifting sounds that keep the album from becoming stagnant and all those learned lessons haven’t gone forgotten over the years. FOREVER BLACK churns on from track to track with strong pungent hooks drenched in 80s metal attitude laced with the familiarity of themes of fantasy accompanied by pounding rhythmic drive, searing guitar solos and Baker’s idiosyncratic vocal attacks. While tracks like “Legions Arise” and the downtempo doom inducing “Stormbringer” are clearly the strongest tracks that unfortunately overpower the competition, the remaining tracks do not disappoint either as each presents a new aspect of the band without jettisoning that which came before. For a band that had no true intention of reuniting and basically only did so out of the sheer demand of the fanbase, it is really nothing less than amazing that an album like FOREVER BLACK has come into existence.
While it remains to be seen if CIRITH UNGOL is back for another run of albums or if this is a one time offering to appease the hungry fanbase, it goes without saying that if the fans were expecting the same sort of classic epic metal that the band is legendary for, then FOREVER BLACK will not disappoint in the slightest. If however you are expecting a new version of CIRITH UNGOL that brings their unique classic sound into the modern world then do look elsewhere! Even the production has a muddy quality to it and is perhaps the weakest aspect of the entire recording. While not exactly disturbing or unlistenable, the graininess suggests a deliberate attempt to keep FOREVER BLACK as authentically retro as possible. I would’ve preferred a bit more polish to the final mix but when all is said and done it’s the music that counts and with nine strong tracks despite hitting sheer perfection nevertheless scratch that itch for that album that should’ve been released over two decades ago. Very much surprised by this one and hoping that more is in the works. Bravo!