Cirith Ungol seemed very mysterious and enigmatic to me as a metalhead growing up in the 80s. Their earliest output sounded like it came from a bygone age when Iron Butterfly and Alice Cooper were in their primacy, and no one else sounded anything like them. They were the most cult of bands and that made them all the more interesting. From the clumsy acid rock meets metal of 81s Frost and Fire to 84s massive, doomy, and epic King of the Dead, there was just something odd and fascinating about them. 1986s One Foot in Hell was more traditionally metal but the band’s unique character remained in full force. After a 5 year absence, they dropped the somewhat lackluster Paradise Lost1 and then vanished completely. Thus concluded the strange case of Cirith Ungol. Or so we thought. It was a huge surprise when they got their shit back together after almost 30 years and released 2020s Forever Black, and it was even more shocking that they rediscovered their better selves for a righteous platter of high-octane trve metal. Now a mere 2 years and change later we get treated to another surprise release which dropped into the promo sump out of the blue without any forewarning. Can Cirith Ungol work their arcane magic one more time on Dark Parade?
They certainly bring all their best siege equipment for massive, muscular opener “Velocity (S.E.P.)” which is as vibrant and aggressive as anything from their 80s heyday. It makes my rusty metal heart happy to hear these ancient war dogs sound this alive and the song makes me want to throw a loaded chariot at a rampaging war elephant. This is prime Cirith with its heavy cavalry gallop brilliantly undergirding Tim Baker’s one-of-a-kind “pig stuck in a slow-motion sausage grinder” bellow. The long-form “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” packs a large punch, with a winning blend of epic doom and classic heavy metal stamped with Cirith Ungol’s intrinsic oddness. “Sacrifice” sounds like something that crawled out of the King of the Dead recording sessions, with Tim bellowing harder and more intensely than ever, borderline on death metal vocals. “Looking Glass” is much the same as “Sacrifice” with that classic Cirith sound paying big dividends so late in their career and Timmy once again blowing the doors off vocally.
Being a jaded reviewer, I spent my first run-through of Dark Parade waiting for the wheels to come off the Cirith Ungol wagon in spectacular fashion, but that just doesn’t happen. From start to finish they deliver beefy, weighty trve metal with their trademark sound and quirks on full display. They even surprise by going extra heavy at times and throwing in new bells and whistles like the female choral vocals that counterpoint Tim’s massive vocals on the excellently doomy denouement “Down Below.” I’m especially taken with this plodding, powerful closer which just crushes with heavy chugs and a 10-ton atmosphere that feels like kicking an anvil with bare feet (don’t do that). The 44 minutes actually ends up feeling like considerably less and when the album ends I’m surprised by how fast the voyage was. No track feels like filler, though not every cut is as massive and meaty as the opener or “Down Below.”
With 3 original members still on board, Cirith Ungol maintain their original sound better than most bands in the 4th decade of existence. I’m unsure exactly how Tim Baker still sings the way he does after so many years, but he sounds exactly the same as he did in the early 80s. If anything, he sounds MOAR intense here than he ever did! He’s the secret sauce on the Cirith Ungol sammy and he sounds great, pushing into new territories and trying new things with good results. Original guitarist Greg Lindstrom and long-time member Jim Barraza capture that odd but awesome Cirith riffing and atmosphere and add a satisfying dose of melodic noodling that never gets in the way of the sword rattling and banner raising. Night Demon’s Jarvis Leatherby mans the bass and ensures there’s a big bottom-end to the sound, while original kit man Rober Garven pounds the war drums in a way that even Manowar would appreciate.
Somehow this new era of Cirith Ungol continues to rival their 80s glory days, and this is not what I was expecting prior to 2020. The band remains as mysterious as ever, and I’m increasingly sure they are powered by some dark, eldritch force beyond human understanding. Whatever gets them out the door, if they can keep dropping platters like Dark Parade, we are all the better for it. Drop your phone and pick up the black sword. It’s time to rejoin the Legion.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade
Websites: cirithungol.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/cirithungolofficial
Releases Worldwide: October 20th, 2023
