Cirith Ungol
King Of The Dead

THE REVIEW

Cirith Ungol...
A casual reader might mistakenly equate: Cirith Ungol = The Lord of the Rings = Blind Guardian style Metal with fantasy themes and melodic choruses sung like Oktober Fest songs. But how mistaken that casual reader would be!

Cirith Ungol were a cornerstone of '80s Epic Metal, representing its most decadent and dark soul. They were a band that did not achieve the success they deserved among their contemporaries (even their record label didn't believe in them), and they were only reevaluated in the following decade. The reason for their lack of success lies in their musical proposition: dark, obscure, inaccessible at first listens.

The band consists of Tim Baker (vocals), Jerry Fogle (guitars), Robert Garven (drums), Michael "Flint" Vujea (bass). What strikes the listener most is the slow and oppressive rhythm, the harsh and acidic voice perpetually accompanied by an echo effect, and the great work of the bass. "King of the Dead" is their second album, dated 1984, and represents the absolute peak among the 4 albums of this band. "Atom Smasher" impresses with its aggressive charge in the verses and the martial chorus, marked by the drums, with Tim shouting at the top of his lungs: "Here it comes, there it goes Just a flash in the sky Atom Smasher, here he comes Better run for your lives".
It is followed by "Black Machine", slower and darker, and leads to the grand "Master of the Pit" where an instrumental introduction of almost 2 minutes with a great solo by Fogle leads to the main theme of the song, unhealthy and dark filled with another solo followed by a faster, highly effective final part. The title track is another compendium of wickedness where the band's nihilistic view of the world reaches its peak, with apocalyptic lyrics that exalt the King of the Dead, descended to earth to punish humanity for its sins. "Death of the Sun" compresses its lyrics into the first minute, leaving the band free in the other two, where, needless to say, Jerry Fogle's great talent stands out. "Finger of Scorn", the longest song at over 8 minutes, starts with a medieval acoustic intro, transforming into a slow, funeral song whose chorus is dominated by the drums to create a belligerent atmosphere.

The band's ability to create dark atmospheres from anything, even from classical music, is showcased with the rendition of Bach's "Toccata in D minor". The album closes with "Cirith Ungol", the true anthem of the group, played at every concert with which the group becomes part of Metal history.