Cirith Ungol (USA)

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Frost And Fire (1981) (Metal Blade Records Remastered Edition 1999)













Year : 1981 (Metal Blade Records Remastered Edition 1999)
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 133 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

Frost and Fire is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol. Its music is generally faster and more simplistic than that of King of the Dead, which saw the band begin to adopt a doom metal style influenced heavily by power metal.Frost and Fire was produced by Cirith Ungol and originally self-released through the band's own record label—Liquid Flames Productions—in 1981. The album was re-released later that year by Enigma Records, re-released again along with King of the Dead on one CD by One Way Records in 1995, and finally re-released again in September 1999 on Metal Blade Records. A bootleg picture disc version of this LP, limited to 500 hand-numbered copies, also exists. While Michael "Flint" Vujejia is credited as the bass player on this album, it has been confirmed in several interviews that Greg Lindstrom was actually the bassist on this album.In Brazil the lp Frost and Fire was released with the cover of the King of the Dead. (1985).As co-founder and drummer of Cirith Ungol for 22 years I feel I need to respond to some of the reviews here.A previous reviewer mentioned that "Frost & Fire" sounded thrown together. The real truth is that we had been in the band for 9 years already and "Frost & Fire" was our attempt to get "commercial" airplay and find success with what we considered some of our more accessable music and yes radio friendly music! When the local LA station KLOS played it once and considered it too heavy, we decided to go for broke with our second album and pulled out all the stops. I disagree with some of the reviewers and think Tim's singing is not only excellent here and that "Frost & Fire" has some of his best vocals. This album features his highest pitched and clearest singing. Anyone who does not call it sining has to compare it with some of todays death metal. "'Im Alive" was one of our all time best songs, which we started almost every set with. The LA Times said that Pearl Jams "Alive" was a blatant rip off of our song, which is debatable.I also think the title track "Frost & Fire" is excellent with a great middle break and solo and that "Better off Dead" has a great bass line and some of Tim's greatest singing range. This is all said looking back with a historical view that only I of all the reviewers can comment on being there the whole time. Jerry's solos are amazing and his passing was very tragic and sad.This album has to be listened to many times to appreciate the lyrics, songwriting and performance as a whole not separate parts and to understand as opposed to it being thrown together is was a calculated attempt to obtain a major label contract during a time that only bands with catchy songs that would get any radio airplay were signed. Although i think "King of the Dead" was more representative of the band I am most proud of this album because not only was it our first but it was graced by the unbelievable cover illustration of Michael Whelan's epic portrait of Elric of Melnibone holding Stormbringer high above his head. This was a dream of ours and after so many years of struggle it was our reality. And yes our music can never be worthy of this great artists work!Considering we produced, self recorded and paid for the entire project and that we were one of if not THE FIRST independent band to put out their own album before the wave of indie productions during that time, I think "Frost & Fire" "King of the Dead" & "Servants of Chaos" are a mandatory listen.That said "King of the Dead" is my favorite and the last album which we had total control over. I am proud that we are mentioned in the same breath as bands that were epic and hope you all appreciate what we were trying to acomplish at a time when only big label bands had any chance of distribution or airplay.Unfortunately for you the listener you never got to hear the other 20 or so odd songs that never made it to print such as: "Half Past Human - A Quarter to Ape" & "Brutish Manchild" but then that is another story for another day.

Line-Up:

Greg Lindstrom - Bass (1972-1980), Guitars, Keyboards (1980-1982, 2015-present) - See also: Falcon, ex-Titanic
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic
Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Jerry Fogle - Guitars (R.I.P. 1998)

production:

Produced: Cirith Ungol
Executive Producer: Randall L. Jackson
Michael Whelan's artwork for Michael Moorcock's book "Stormbringer" was used as cover.

Tracklist:

01. Frost And Fire
02. I'm Alive
03. A Little Fire
04. What Does It Take
05. Edge Of A Knife
06. Better Off Dead
07. Maybe That's Why
08. Cirith Ungol (Live Bonus Track)*

* Track 8 is a bonus track not on the original LP. "Cirith Ungol" was recorded live at The Arlington Theatre on April 5, 1985




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - King Of The Dead (1984) (Metal Blade Records Remastered Edition 1999)













Year : 1984 (Metal Blade Records Remastered Edition 1999)
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 110 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

King of the Dead is the second album by the American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol. It was self-produced by the band and released in July 1984 on Enigma Records. It was re-released in September 1999 on Metal Blade Records.Band member Robert Garven declared in an interview:"King of the Dead was our best album, the reason was that we had total control over it. Every album could have been this good if we could have exercised complete control over its production and other things. This is the album which I feel is our best effort. The reason the long wait between albums is because when you are financing them yourselves, you have to come up with the money to pay for things like studio time. Plus being on all these independent labels their time tables are slower. I also did all the layout and design of the first three covers, all this while we were all working full-time trying to sponsor the dream."Guitarist Greg Lindstrom, who left the band in 1982, two years before the release of this album, said:"'Atom Smasher,' 'Cirith Ungol' and 'Death of the Sun' were all songs we had written together in the mid 70's, and 'Finger of Scorn' was one of my songs that the band used with my blessing."The Cover of Michael Moorcock's novel "Bane of the Black Sword" acts as the album's cover: it is titled "King of the Dead" and was painted by Michael Whelan.As co-founder and drummer of Cirith Ungol for 22 years I feel I can say without a doubt that this was our best effort. A previous reviewer mentioned that "Frost & Fire" sounded thrown together. The real truth is that we had been in the band for 9 years already and "Frost & Fire" was our attempt to get airplay and find success with what we considered some of our more accessable music. When the local LA station KLOS played it once and considered it too heavy, we decided to go for broke with our second album. I disagree and think Tim singing is not only excellent and that "Frost & Fire" has some of his best vocals. "'Im Alive" was one of our all time best songs, which we started almost every set with. The LA Times said that Pearl Jams "Alive" was a blatant rip off of our song, which is debatable. Considering we produced, self recorded and paid for the entire project and that we were one of if not the first independent band to put out their own album during the wave of indie productions during that time, I think F&F and KOTD is a mandatory listen.That said "King of the Dead" is my favorite and the last album which we had total control over. I am proud that we are mentioned in the same breath as bands that were epic and hope you all appreciate what we were trying to acomplish at a time when only big label bands had any chance of distribution or airplay.If you play it loud it will kick your ass, if dont get it thats OK because we did not write it for you. If you do then all the suffering and hardship we went through for 22+ was worth it.We were not trying to be like any other band, we were trying to be ourselves. Considering we are more well known now than when we were playing and will only see real success after we are dead, if even then you should all give us a break.How many of you would work 22 years, 5 nights a week for free, this after putting in an 8 hour day job during just to pursue an ever elusive dream that is somehow always out of reach .

Line-Up:

Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Michael "Flint" Vujejia - Bass
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic
Jerry Fogle - Guitars (R.I.P. 1998)

production:

Recorded At – Goldmine Recording Studios
Cover [Cover Masterpiece] – Michael Whelan
Remastered By – Brad Vance

Tracklist:

01. Atom Smasher 04:13
02. Black Machine 04:16
03. Master of the Pit 07:09
04. King of the Dead 06:48
05. Death of the Sun 03:54
06. Finger of Scorn 08:34
07. Toccata in Dm (J.S. Bach cover) 04:37 instrumental
08. Cirith Ungol 06:23
09. Last Laugh 04:22 (Live Bonus Track)*

* Live bonus track "Last Laugh" only on remastered version was recorded live at The Country Club on November 9, 1984.




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - One Foot In Hell (1986) (Metal Blade Records Remastered Edition 1999)













Year : 1986 (Metal Blade Records Remastered Edition 1999)
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 118 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

One Foot in Hell is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol. The original LP was produced by Brian Slagel and Cirith Ungol. It was released in August 1986 on Metal Blade Records and re-released in March 1999 by Metal Blade Records on CD. Greg Lindstrom said in an interview:It's an excellent album although I thought the songs overall were not as strong as King of the Dead, and Flint’s bass seems to have gotten lost in the mix.The song "Nadsokor" was covered by the Italian epic doom metal band Doomsword.This is an excellent album that offers an enjoyable listen but does have a negative element to it. I am talking about the general atmosphere of the album. It does offer spectacularly catchy melodies and lyrics, but some of the songs do not coincide the vocals with the music as well as the song, “Chaos Descends.” In this song the music corresponds perfectly to Tim Baker’s unique and moderately raspy voice. Other songs, although almost perfectly executed, do not have the same concurrence between the music and the vocals. The songs are still kick ass, just not as much as “Chaos Descends,” which you probably already figured out, is the highlight song on the album.The album opens with a moderately commendable song, “Blood & Iron.” The melody is catchy and riffs are adequately implemented throughout the whole song with a few impressing guitar solos in the middle. The lyrics do get a bit repetitive and the vocals correspond a bit weakly to the music, but other than this minor drawback the song is satisfactory.As I have mentioned before, “Chaos Descends” is the strongest track on the album. It has the catchiest melodies, the finest chorus, and overall it produces the strongest atmosphere with its relatively tuned down guitars. The Doom Metal characteristic of Cirith Ungol’s genre is somewhat noticeable in this song due to the relatively deeper sound, which is produced by the guitars and bass drums. At about the middle, the tempo picks up and excellent guitar solos are introduced adding noteworthy variety to the song. The album is almost worth buying just for this song alone; however let us not overlook other notable songs, which make this album superior.“100 MPH,” is another highlight song that offers vivacious instrumental parts and fun sing-along-to lyrics. The vocals are comparatively adequate as the vocals in, “Chaos Descends.” “Doomed Planet,” is the second best song on the album, as it closely resembles “Chaos Descends,” both in composition and general instrumental structure. It has similar mesmerizing choruses and melody. The last notable highlight is the title and closing track, “One Foot In Hell.” It concludes the album in an energetic manner, however a better closing track would have been “Doomed Planet,” as it literally ends with a bang. The song ends in a nicely carried out decrescendo that ends with a powerful snare drum blast. It’s not too big of a deal, just a personal opinion.This is a very worthwhile album that offers memorable lyrics and melodies and is filled with energetic riffs and powerful solos on occasions. The Doom Metal characteristic is not very prevalent as most of the songs are lively and dynamic in nature. One Foot In Hell is a very worthy addition to any Metal collection.

Line-Up:

Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Michael "Flint" Vujejia - Bass
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic
Jerry Fogle - Guitars (R.I.P. 1998)

production:

Produced: Brian Slagel & Cirith Ungol
Michael Whelan's artwork for Michael Moorcock's book "The Vanishing Tower" was used as cover.

Tracklist:

01. Blood & Iron 03:51
02. Chaos Descends 04:55
03. The Fire 03:36
04. Nadsokor 04:43
05. 100 MPH 03:26
06. War Eternal 05:12
07. Doomed Planet 04:37
08. One Foot in Hell 05:10




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Paradise Lost (1991)













Year : 1991
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 113 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

Paradise Lost is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol. It was released on August 23, 1991 by Restless Records in the United States, Canada, and Greece, and re-released as a bootleg several times. The band broke up in 1992 over unresolved issues with their new record label. It was finally officially re-released in 2007/8 on Noble Rot. Although the band reunited in 2016, Paradise Lost remains their final studio album.According to band member Robert Garven:Restless Records did nothing for the band in the way of promotion or touring. They had me contact Roadrunner Records in Europe (who released our first 2 records) to try to convince them to release Paradise Lost in Europe. The owner, I think was named Cess Wessels or something, refused to release it saying that it was outdated. It is funny as it is the CD that everyone wants and it is still unavailable! I have tried on several occasions to get PL re-released but with no luck. Several companies were very interested in re-releasing it, however Restless Records would never return their phone calls or e-mail.The album was finally released in the rest of Europe on October 7, 2016 by Metal Blade Records.The fourth and last album of Cirith Ungol caused much dismay for the band. Having read The Corroseum's interview with band members Greg and Rob I can understand why. It's understandable that the series of events which happened before and during the recording of this release made a negative impact on the band members: Jerry and Flint leaving the band, the label issues, the degrading recording sessions (including the "fucking electric metronome" as Rob puts it) and that they had even less control of the producing of the album than they had while they were signed to Metal Blade.They found replacements for Jerry and Flint, but at a cost: The new members wanted their songs to be included, Joe Malatesta (who handled the guitar) had written a song called "The Troll" and bass player Bob Warenburg's song was "Heaven Help Us". Personally I like "The Troll" and unlike Rob I think it does actually fit in quite well with the Cirith Ungol sound, "Heaven Help Us" on the other hand, while not a bad song, doesn't. The two other middle songs, "Before the Lash" and "Go It Alone" are written by Cirith Ungol but disrupt the flow of the album somewhat. "Go It Alone" is a semi-happy song and should've been left out. Tim's vocals are more or less clean here (this is also occasionally the case in some of the other songs) and honestly, it sounds like generic Heavy Metal to me. It wasn't included on the ' Servants of Chaos' compilation which makes me suspect it was written later on. The opener "Join the Legion" is a true Cirith Ungol anthem and the cover of Arthur Brown's song "Fire" fits in much better than "Heaven Help Us" and "Go It Alone".Rob states the demo versions were ten times better than the final product. It seems to me he lets his negative feelings about the whole shebang cloud his judgement to be harsher than required. The demo versions show much promise and thus I can see the album was a letdown but the album versions aren't that far off. Yes, there's more energy in the demo versions, yes, Tim sounds better at times, and yes, as an overall verdict, the demo versions tells me the songs on Paradise Lost could and should have been better. However, even in their somewhat butchered state many of the songs on the album are awesome. It's also worth to mention that the sound quality of the demo material is as expected quite stale.If the line-up would've stayed intact and they had more control over the recording and production of the album this could've been almost as good as King of the Dead. Even now in the current state does it almost compare favourably to the demo versions of the songs and stands as a strong testament from one of the most obscure bands in the history of heavy music. Thus it would be a mistake to ignore or dismiss this album just because of the sad history behind it as it contains many of Cirith Ungol's best songs (the trilogy of the three last songs on the album).

Line-Up:

Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Vernon Green - Bass
Jim Barraza - Guitar
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic

Additional musicians:

Joe Malatesta - guitars, vocals

production:

Produced: Ron Goudie
Mixed: Robert Feist
Michael Whelan's artwork for Michael Moorcock's book "The Sailor On The Seas Of Fate'' was used as cover.

Tracklist:

01. Join the Legion 04:33
02. The Troll 03:50
03. Fire (The Crazy World of Arthur Brown cover) 03:01
04. Heaven Help Us 06:24
05. Before the Lash 04:41
06. Go It Alone (Prophecy cover) 04:23
07. Chaos Rising 08:42
08. Fallen Idols 06:45
09. Paradise Lost 06:13




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Servants Of Chaos (2CD) (Digipak Edition) (2011)













Year : 2011
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 315 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

Servants of Chaos is a compilation album by American heavy metal band Cirith Ungol, released under Metal Blade Records on September 5, 2001.The album was released during the band's hiatus (which lasted from 1992-2016), and contains content from all four of their studio albums (Frost and Fire, King of the Dead, One Foot in Hell, and Paradise Lost), their 1979 self-titled demo, as well as previously unreleased live recordings of the band throughout the years. The original release of the album contains 31 tracks, on two CD's.The album was re-released on vinyl on November 21, 2011.The album was re-released once again on January 31, 2012, with the addition of a bonus DVD-video[4] of a live performance on November 9, 1984 at the Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club—which was located in the Reseda neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.The album was released for a fourth time by Metal Blade Records, digitally.

Line-Up:

Robert Garven - drums (1972–1992, 2016–present)
Greg Lindstrom - guitars (1980–1982, 2016–present), bass guitar (1972–1980)
Tim Baker - lead vocals (1976–1992, 2016–present)
Jim "Jimmy" Barraza - guitars (1988–1992, 2016–present)
Jarvis Leatherby - bass guitar (2016–present)

Former members:

Jerry Fogle - guitars (1972–1987; died 1998)
Neal Beattie - lead vocals (1972–1976)[17]
Michael "Flint" Vujea - bass guitar (1981–1987)
Bob Warrensburg - bass guitar (1987–1991)[18]
Vernon Green - bass guitar (1991–1992)

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. Hype Performance 02:24
02. Last Laugh 04:14
03. Frost and Fire 03:54
04. Eyes 04:15
05. Better Off Dead 05:00
06. 100 MPH 03:33
07. I'm Alive 05:08
08. Bite of the Worm 03:42
09. The Twitch 02:21 instrumental
10. Maybe That's Why 06:30 instrumental
11. Ill Met in Lankhmar 05:58 instrumental
12. Return to Lankhmar 06:54 instrumental
13. Darkness Weaves 08:10 instrumental
14. Witchdance 01:19 instrumental
15. Feeding the Ants 02:10 instrumental
16. Obsidian 04:36 instrumental

CD2:

01. Death of the Sun 03:55
02. Fire (Arthur Brown cover) 02:52
03. Fallen Idols 06:34
04. Chaos Rising 07:43
05. Fallen Idols 06:28
06. Paradise Lost 06:28
07. Join the Legion 04:27
08. Before the Lash 03:44
09. Atom Smasher (live) 04:01
10. Master of the Pit (live) 06:38
11. King of the Dead (live) 06:57
12. Last Laugh (live) 04:24
13. Cirith Ungol (live) 08:21
14. Secret Agent Man (Johnny Rivers cover) 03:12
15. Ferrari 308QV 00:23 instrumental




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Forever Black (Digipak Edition) (2020)













Year : 2020
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 109 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

CIRITH UNGOL is a 5-Piece Doom Metal band from Ventura, California. This band was formed way back in 1972 and it’s one of the earliest Heavy Doom Metal bands out there with BLACK SABBATH. This is their first album in almost 30 years. They were reactivated in 2015 with almost all of the original members! The only new member is bassist Jarvis Leatherby, the frontman for the killer NIGHT DEMON band, a very old school Heavy Metal band.There are so many bands out there that were influenced by CIRITH UNGOL and the musical wealth they left behind when they first disbanded back in 1992 is amazing. Listening to this new album is like rediscovering yourself in the truest of forms. I had heard about the band for at least 20 years now but other than having a few songs on compilations, I never truly grasped their message, their sound. I was quite young back then and pretty much sticked to the basics of Heavy Metal and was not the open minded fellow that I am right now obviously.The music on this album seems timeless in a way, like 30 years passed by swiftly. The music is very faithful to the style of Heavy Metal like early BLACK SABBATH but also sounds like ICED EARTH in the Matt Barlow era. Tim Baker sounds like a mix of Matt Barlow, King Diamond and Bon Scott, he has a distinct voice and his raspy screeching vocals on songs like ‘’Legions Arise’’ are on point. The nasal voice just fits like a glove and he really has a unique style. His voice is like no other I have heard before.The backbone of the band is still Robert Garven, the awesome drummer. In an interview he always said that other than ‘’Frost and Fire’’, they have always wanted to do things their way, not trying to be someone that are not. I believe that this does mirror these comments quite well. It’s unlike anything I have heard in the genre, you got some old school Heavy Metal mixed in with the Doom elements obviously. It’s not easy to prove something after all that time gone and yet they were able to reinvent themselves and the album does not waste any time. It’s not the longest album but it has that sheer consistency you are looking for. It’s fast, it’s gloomy and it's very diverse. They don’t stray away from their roots yet the addition of Jarvis Weatherby gave them an added boost, his frenetic Bass work shines on this album.Some fans will appeal more to their first few albums but this album is ambitious and musically it’s the mark of accomplished artists and masters of their craft. CIRITH UNGOL are back and the monarchs of Heavy Doom Metal have come back to take their crown. The band is tighter than ever and still experimenting things even after all these years and thankfully the production was fine, not the best but it’s adequate enough to even out this album and make it glow.

Line-Up:

Greg Lindstrom - Bass (1972-1980), Guitars, Keyboards (1980-1982, 2015-present) - See also: Falcon, ex-Titanic
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic
Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Jim Barraza - Guitars (1988-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Prophecy
Jarvis Leatherby - Bass (2016-present) - See also: Night Demon, Jaguar (live), ex-Black Opal, ex-Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats, ex-No Motiv

Tracklist:

01. The Call 01:04
02. Legions Arise 03:19
03. The Frost Monstreme 05:15
04. The Fire Divine 03:51
05. Stormbringer 05:58
06. Fractus Promissum 04:08
07. Nightmare 05:59
08. Before Tomorrow 03:57
09. Forever Black 05:34




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Half Past Human (EP) (2021)













Year : 2021
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 42 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

With 'Half Past Human', Cirith Ungol continues their enduring legacy in the classic metal pantheon, more than four decades after the band's inception. It is a gift to the steadfast and growing legions of fans, old and new, who never faltered in their belief, who coaxed them out of retirement, and who have embraced them during the reunion years. It is a continuation of the Cirith Ungol mythology, a worthy and welcome addition to their daunting musical legacy. And it is a defiant fist to the face of any unbelievers who doubted Cirith Ungol's unshakable resolve and burning dedication to their arcane and mysterious craft.

Line-Up:

Greg Lindstrom - Bass (1972-1980), Guitars, Keyboards (1980-1982, 2015-present) - See also: Falcon, ex-Titanic
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic
Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Jim Barraza - Guitars (1988-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Prophecy
Jarvis Leatherby - Bass (2016-present) - See also: Night Demon, Jaguar (live), ex-Black Opal, ex-Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats, ex-No Motiv

Tracklist:

01. Route 666 05:05
02. Shelob's Lair 05:34
03. Brutish Manchild 03:43
04. Half Past Human 07:23




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - I'm Alive (2CD) (Digipak Edition) (2019)













Year : 2021
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 202 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

Few bands can compete with the storied history made by California’s CIRITH UNGOL.The band formed in 1971 – just one year after the almighty BLACK SABBATH released their self-titled debut kickstarting the genre we love so dearly.Taking influence from Prog and the harder side of Rock as well as the burgeoning Metal scene along the way, the band formed a powerful sound, one that inspired myriad musicians from both the Power Metal and Doom genres.CIRITH UNGOL have always been their own animal with a heady brew of Fantasy-inspired lyrics and gripping Metal that could be both fist-pumping and joint-rolling material at the same time. Plainly said, they have a certain niche carved alongside acts like PAGAN ALTAR and MANILLA ROAD - true pioneers of pure and true Heavy Metal. When the band released their first album, “Frost and Fire,” in 1981, they benefitted from the nascent NWOBHM movement. As the decade progressed, though, it was as if Metal split into two distinct and opposite directions with the MTV crowd at one end and the other occupied by heavier bands like METALLICA ( and of course, plenty of others, but METALLICA seemed a perfect choice to mention because of their stance prior to the release of the video for “One,” which was stoically anti-MTV). After having a difficult relationship with their label, Restless Records, the band split up in 1992. Thankfully, though, they reunited in 2016 and have been hard at work since playing festivals across North America and Europe. They even recruited Jarvis Leatherby from Traditional Metal heroes, NIGHT DEMON, to lay down his active, highly-melodic bass playing in the rhythm section.At twenty-two tracks, this is an album well worth its price tag. Sadly, though, all of the vinyl copies are sold out demonstrating the sheer demand for true Heavy Metal out there. On a personal note, though, my roommate did get a copy of the vinyl edition and I can therefore attest that it is truly a value-packed treasure trove of collectable goodness.After the swelling of audience rapture, the band enters the fray performing a regal intro that perfectly sets up the mood for the coming ceremony. They next launch into the title track with its old school swagger which is sure to ensnare the metalhead in all privileged to hear it. It is an open call for headbangers to become enraptured by truly top shelf Heavy Metal. “Finger of Scorn,” the ninth track is an epic masterpiece from “King of the Dead”. Leatherby’s bass playing truly shines here as he commands the neck of his instrument laying down creative lines underneath the main melodies and harmonies created by the guitars. Hearing both guitar players solo simultaneously and just making it work, especially while not specifically harmonizing is an accurate snapshot of the inherent talent the band retains. Few bands can really pull something like that off without sounding over-busy but CIRITH UNGOL are veterans, certainly members of the Heavy Metal elite. The highlight of the album, though, truly is how the band strings tracks twelve through fourteen (“Chaos Rising,” “Fallen Idols,” and “Paradise Lost”) together for it is the same order as on the “Paradise Lost” album as well thus giving fans the chance to hear how that sequence sounds live.The production is thoroughly live with little to no evidence of any major studio fixes or tricks. Tonally, the guitar is pure, undiluted overdriven Marshall JCM800, the staple of the ‘80s. It is a thick sound with plenty of girth and metallic rage. The drums are captured with a very lively sound, solid and organic. Tim Baker’s vocals are as lethal as ever as he still rules over the microphone like a despotic ancient warlord from a Robert E. Howard or Michael Moorcock story. Weatherby’s bass sounds huge. Though not particularly overindulgent, it is an articulate sound with plenty of presence that never gets buried in the mix.When a band has Michael Whelan, the famed artist who designed the covers for Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melnibone saga, one can rest assured that they are legit, the real deal. CIRITH UNGOL were essentially paving the way for bands like ICED EARTH and their collaboration with Todd McFarland on “The Dark Saga”. Everything about this album speaks to the professional aspect of this band. They were doing this since before most of you reading this (including me) were born. Because of that vital experience in the business, the band understands well what the fans want and caters to them particularly the die-hards. If you can find this for a decent price on vinyl: buy it! It is not only a solid investment, but genuine Heavy Metal magic.

Line-Up:

Greg Lindstrom - Bass (1972-1980), Guitars, Keyboards (1980-1982, 2015-present) - See also: Falcon, ex-Titanic
Robert Garven - Drums (1972-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Titanic
Tim Baker - Vocals (1976-1992, 2015-present)
Jim Barraza - Guitars (1988-1992, 2015-present) - See also: ex-Prophecy
Jarvis Leatherby - Bass (2016-present) - See also: Night Demon, Jaguar (live), ex-Black Opal, ex-Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats, ex-No Motiv

Tracklist:

CD1:

01. Intro ( Toccata in Dm ) 00:55
02. I'm Alive 05:03
03. Join the Legion 04:11
04. Atom Smasher 04:22
05. Edge of a Knife 04:54
06. Blood & Iron 04:03
07. Black Machine 03:57
08. Frost and Fire 04:35
09. Finger of Scorn 08:00
10. Chaos Descends 04:43
11. Doomed Planet 03:58
12. Chaos Rising 08:03
13. Fallen Idols 06:10
14. Paradise Lost 06:30

CD2:

01. Master of the Pit 06:58
02. King of the Dead 06:47
03. Cirith Ungol 07:22
04. Intro 00:50
05. War Eternal 04:15
06. Nadsokor 04:37
07. Fire 02:51
08. Death of the Sun 05:26




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Frost And Fire (40th Anniversary Edition) (2CD) (1981) (Metal Blade Records Edition 2021)













Year : 1981 (Metal Blade Records Edition 2021)
Style : Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 152 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

There are simply albums that never lose their charm.The debut album "Frost & Fire" of the legendary CIRITH UNGOL from 1981 is such an album. Even 40 years after the first release, the album still goes down like a good wine.Metal Blade releases "Frost & Fire" as 40th Anniversary Edition in artbook, double CD and various limited vinyl variations.Forty years ago, on Halloween of 1981, Cirith Ungol released their groundbreaking debut album, Frost and Fire, out into the world. Like proud fathers, the band is celebrating the album’s 40th anniversary with a special Frost and Fire reissue. Due out worldwide on December 17th.With Cirith Ungol’s resurrection in 2016, the band began a journey that they remain on today, introducing their one-of-a-kind brand of American heavy metal to new audiences and generations around the globe. This Frost and Fire reissue is an invitation by the band to take a trip back to the initial release of and experience it in new and diverse ways.

Line-Up:

Tim Baker - Vocals
Greg Lindstrom - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, E-bow, Bass - See also: Falcon, ex-Titanic
Jerry Fogle - Guitars (R.I.P. 1998)
Robert Garven - Drums, Vocals

Tracklist:

CD1 - 40th Anniversary Remix

01. Frost and Fire 03:35 Show lyrics
02. I'm Alive 04:58 Show lyrics
03. A Little Fire 03:46 Show lyrics
04. What Does It Take 03:37 Show lyrics
05. Edge of a Knife 04:29 Show lyrics
06. Better Off Dead 04:46 Show lyrics
07. Maybe That's Why 06:15 Instrumental

CD2 - 2021 Remaster From Original Tapes

01. Frost and Fire
02. I'm Alive
03. A Little Fire
04. What Does It Take
05. Edge of a Knife
06. Better Off Dead
07. Maybe That's Why




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade (Digipak Edition) (2023)













Year : 2024
Style : Epic Heavy Metal , Doom Metal
Country : United States
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 107 mb

Bio:

The band's name, Cirith Ungol, is taken from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and means "Pass of the Spider". It was a high pass in the land of Mordor where the monster known as Shelob lurked.Formed in California in 1972 and taking their name from Tolkien’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’, obscure avant-garde Metallers Cirith (pronounced Cee-rath) Ungol are a band for whom the word cult was practically invented. I remember being given some advice many moons ago by the staff of London’s legendary record emporium Shades that, if heeded, might tragically have left this band overlooked. The tip-off concerned the first of Brian Slagel’s ‘Metal Massacre’ compilation series and the assertion that Metallica were the only thing on there worth hearing. How fortuitous, then, that I chose to ignore their advice completely. For nestling within its coarsely hewn groove was nothing less than Ungol’s ‘Death Of The Sun’ - the soundtrack to hell itself! But just what in the world, I hear you cry, does Hell sound like? Well, try early Rush meets early Celtic Frost for starters. Favouring complex, some would say cumbersome arrangements, their music is oblique, challenging and at times a truly agonising howl. Bizarre and otherworldly, their short three-album career forms a triangle in terms of creativity as well as in number. Their ’81 debut is a delightfully off the wall affair in which the band lurch from dungeon dirge to Seventies monster Rock-out with nary a flicker. Once slated as ‘the worst Heavy Metal album of all time’ it laid the ground rules for their brand of Fantasy Metal which quickly came to fruition. ‘King Of The Dead’ (’84) really is the ultimate Cirith Ungol album, a masterpiece of originality which virtually defies description. Hear the very Earth crack beneath your feet; feel the frozen claws of the Northwinds tear at your skin as Pterodactyls soar against a crimson sun. In other words - prepare to shit yourself. Come their ‘One Foot In Hell’ swansong they were already making the fatal error of paying too much attention to what was going on around them musically, which in ’86 was Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. What in Hades could these bands, though each outstanding in their own way, teach Cirith Ungol? From Middle Earth to the middle way in the course of one album and yet still the stuff of nightmares.‘Chaos Descends’ in particular was a distinct nod to earlier works and the title track features one of their most leaden, crushing riffs ever. If you like Fantasy and Metal and like bands that like Fantasy and Metal, exhume these relics now and let chaos descend!

Album:

Coming off the encapsulated songwriting on 2020’s Forever Black and the trip down memory lane with 2021’s Half Past Human EP, Cirith Ungol takes a true step forward with Dark Parade. Despite “Velocity (S.E.P.)” kicking things off like a modern answer to “100mph,” this album just might be the band’s slowest to date with some of their heaviest riffs and most contemplative rhythms. It’s the sort of album set to remind one that their legacy is just as entwined with doom as it is epic metal.Fortunately, the songs convey enough variety and an oddly uplifting spirit at times to keep from feeling one-dimensional. “Relentless” keeps the momentum going from that fast opener with a hefty mid-tempo chug and hearty chorus that are echoed on “Looking Glass” and the title track. “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” and “Sacrifice” tap into the epic aspirations that were attempted on Paradise Lost, the latter’s western vibe is especially interesting, and there’s a somber overcast to “Distant Shadows” and the closing “Down Below.”The musicianship also sees the band in a pretty solid place, no doubt wizened by their experience but with enough mustered up energy to still feel impactful. With how desensitized we’ve all likely become to the oddball hollering at this point, the guitar work ends up being the most striking asset between the thicker tone and eastern-tinged leads. The echo on the drums is also a nice touch, giving them some extra old school oomph.While Dark Parade doesn’t quite have the same immediacy as Forever Black, it does similarly well in proving the long term viability of Cirith Ungol’s weirdo metal. Nothing could ever take away the band’s core traits and it’s certainly cool to see them applied to slower tempos and an almost nautical atmosphere. It may be unfortunate to see them start winding down in light of their recent announcements, but we were quite frankly lucky to ever have them back at all.

Line-Up:

Tim Baker - Vocals, Whistle
Greg Lindstrom - Vocals, Keyboards, Guitars, E-bow, Bass - See also: Falcon, ex-Titanic
Jimmy Barraza - Guitars, Vocals (backing)
Jarvis Leatherby - Bass - See also: Night Demon, ex-Jaguar (live), ex-Satan (live), ex-Black Opal, ex-Jeff Hershey and the Heartbeats, ex-No Motiv
Robert Garven Drums, Percussion, Vocals (backing) - See also: ex-Titanic

Tracklist:

01. Velocity (S.E.P.) 04:44
02. Relentless 04:28
03. Sailor on the Seas of Fate 08:10
04. Sacrifice 04:58
05. Looking Glass 04:25
06. Dark Parade 05:51
07. Distant Shadows 06:08
08. Down Below 05:21




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/