Gareth reviews the upcoming release from these veterans of the scene…

I have been very fortunate recently to review some tremendous albums from some legendary bands, and I don’t think they came any more legendary than Cirith Ungol. To think as little as 6 or 7 years ago, the band was completely dormant, with literally little to no chance of getting back together, and if someone had said that Cirith Ungol were to be reunited even, let alone release 2 new albums and an EP, that people, including the band themselves, would have looked at that said speaker as if they were mad. Well, that is what has come to pass, coaxed into a reunion by current bassist and Night Demon main man Jarvis Leatherby, an absolutely massive Ungol fan, these veteran Californians haven’t looked back since and are about to release their sixth full length album, the vastly anticipated ‘Dark Parade’ a mere three years after the comeback release ‘Black Forever’’ back in 2020. 

Starting off this brand-new collection of eight anthems, is ‘Velocity (S.E.P.)’, which comes hurtling out of the blocks with real purpose, trademark riffing and a superb melodic guitar motif, that will stick in your head for days, before Tim’s unmistakable banshee like voice, propels the song ever forward. Honestly the band sounds just as vital as they did back in the 80’s, perhaps even more so, and Baker’s unique vocals are untouched by time. The guitar work from Greg Lindstrom and the sadly now departed Jim Barraza (we wish you all the best with your health and future Sir) is nothing more than stunning. ‘Relentless’ lives up to its name with a crunchy unrelenting riff and a remorseless rhythm, the bass from Leatherby adding both bottom end and a melodic counterpoint to the guitars, there’s an eastern theme to the melodies and a great incessant chorus. ‘Sailor on the Seas of Fate’ is the first half’s epic number, starting with sounds of the shoreline, including waves and gulls, before an acoustic guitar cuts in to set the sombre atmosphere, the riffing is both heavy and epic, Rob Garvin’s immense drumming, rolling in like the inevitability of the tide, the song embracing the band’s more doomy aspects, although it’s no sludgy crawl, more of a remorseless battering ram, the middle eight takes off and again the guitar solo soars, before a heroic outro. After its flamenco into ‘Sacrifice’ is a chugging, monolithic, hymn with more epic leads and soloing. The second half of the album is taken over lyrically with Tim’s own dark concept of the destiny of the human race (spoiler alert, it’s not looking good for mankind) and takes me back to the ‘Paradise Lost’ trilogy (Chaos Rising/Fallen Idols/Paradise Lost) from the 1991 album of the same name. Starting with the prophetic ‘Looking Glass’, shattering glass sets the scene before an ominous riff takes us on a dark and uncompromising ride into a dystopian future. The title-track is a real tour de force, an epic with a tremendous grandiose feel and structure, and a huge chorus. The last two tracks ‘Distant Shadows’ and ‘Down Below’ segue together to form one enormously ambitious two punch conclusion, there’s lots of different sections and the band switches between different tempos and parts with consummate ease.

Once again, the familiar and heroic artwork of the bands good friend Michael Whelan adorns the cover, this time it’s the evocative ‘Elric and the Sinking City’, these covers are now almost as synonymous with Cirith Ungol as they are with Elric of Melniboné. The production once more has been handled by Armand John Anthony (guitarist with Night Demon) at his Captain’s Quarters studio, and he’s given them a timeless sound, grounded in the 1970’s, but with contemporary values, so the guitars are thick and full, and Robert Garvin’s drums have a wonderful brightness to them.

Some might say the albums strength is also it’s only real weakness, but not I, this is such a brilliant continuation of the Cirith Ungol sound and vision, there’s little room for any new ideas or influences, and this album could easily have come out in 1987 as 2023, the band have always shunned trends and fashions and mercilessly tread their own path and thank the heavens for that. This is a more than worthy addition to an almost flawless back catalogue, ‘Black Forever’ was as brilliant a resurgence as one could hope for, and ‘Dark Parade’ is even better. I’m really hoping these guys come over to the UK in support of this fantastic album, and let’s hope they continue for many years to come, because the ‘Dark Parade’ is a real treat, and easily an album of the year contender.

Cirith Ungol, Dark Parade is out via Metal Blade Records tomorrow the 20th October!