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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
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│ + Cirith Ungol - Paradise Lost + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
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│║ ║ │
│║ Rls Date..2020-06-05 Encoder......LAME 3.100 ║ │
│║ Genre.....Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year......2016 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........14 ║ │
│║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │
│║ Url.. ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Cirith Ungol ║ │
│║ Album : Paradise Lost ║ │
│║ Label : Metal Blade Records ║ │
│║ Cat.No : 3984-15462-2 ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Whenever an unpopular stance is taken, it is necessary to ║ │
│║ lend at least some credence to the prevailing position and ║ │
│║ take a quasi-apologetic tone when making one's case. ║ │
│║ Wherein one of the most enigmatic bands of the early epic ║ │
│║ heavy metal movement is concerned, not to mention one ║ │
│║ highly regarded by a vocal subset of the community, few ║ │
│║ topics are as controversial as the status of the final ║ │
│║ studio offering of their original run. It is the textbook ║ │
│║ definition of swimming against the tide to heap praise upon ║ │
│║ an album that has been publicly condemned by one of the ║ │
│║ very musicians that helped create it, and drummer and ║ │
│║ co-founder Robert Garven was quite specific in his ║ │
│║ recollection of Paradise Lost, the long awaited and heavily ║ │
│║ delayed fourth LP of steadfast purveyors of things ║ │
│║ metallic, fantastical and retro Cirith Ungol. To state that ║ │
│║ this is an outlier in relation to its predecessors would be ║ │
│║ an understatement, much of it owing to a massive shakeup in ║ │
│║ the band's classic lineup, but different doesn't ║ │
│║ necessarily translate into bad and there is still enough of ║ │
│║ the band's signature sound in place to make it relatable to ║ │
│║ the raw, long-winded grandeur of King Of The Dead and One ║ │
│║ Foot In Hell. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Despite the past protests of Garven and the ongoing ones of ║ │
│║ this band's cult following, the chief flaw of this album is ║ │
│║ the year that it was released. Given that some of this ║ │
│║ material has been noted by the former as having been ║ │
│║ composed when classic era guitarist Jerry Fogle and bassist ║ │
│║ Michael "Flint" Vujejia were still in congress circa 1987, ║ │
│║ it logically follows that the original target date of this ║ │
│║ album's release would have been 1988 or '89, and the ║ │
│║ correspondingly compressed and slickly mixed sound ║ │
│║ definitely conforms more to a late 80s production as ║ │
│║ opposed to an early 90s one. Indeed, the often cited ║ │
│║ friction between the band and producer Ron Goudie would ║ │
│║ seem to indicate that the latter was attempting to pull ║ │
│║ things away from the band's looser, retro-70s rock-based ║ │
│║ feel towards something tighter and more in line with ║ │
│║ mainstream metal sensibilities, particularly that of ║ │
│║ certain thrash and power metal acts of the time such as ║ │
│║ Sacred Warrior, Vengeance Rising and Gwar, whom Goudie and ║ │
│║ his primary engineer Robert Feist were working with at the ║ │
│║ time. This also explains the approach of having each ║ │
│║ musician brought in separately and playing to a click-track ║ │
│║ alone, as it would work as a disincentive against the Ward ║ │
│║ and Butler-inspired jam-band approach that Garven was keen ║ │
│║ to take and force a more unified sound. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Be all of this as it may, the exodus of this band's seminal ║ │
│║ bassist and guitarist duo from the fold also speaks to a ║ │
│║ change in priority in songwriting and style that shines ║ │
│║ through in these songs regardless of the radically ║ │
│║ different production, a shift that brings things closer to ║ │
│║ where metal was at the time of its likely intended year of ║ │
│║ release. The entrance of guitarist Jim Barazza of the ║ │
│║ recently defunct and fellow Ventura, California-based metal ║ │
│║ outfit Prophecy brings in more of a flashy metallic ║ │
│║ flourish into the mix, not all that dissimilar to what ║ │
│║ Herman Frank brought to Accept back in 1983. He was ║ │
│║ originally intended to share lead Jerry Fogle to bring in a ║ │
│║ dueling soloist element, according to Garven's account of ║ │
│║ things, and even in their former ax-man's absence this ║ │
│║ approach is maintained in the studio via overdubs and ║ │
│║ occasional input by otherwise unknown session guitarist Joe ║ │
│║ Malatesta. Combined with a bass performance out of newly ║ │
│║ recruited Vernon Green that is highly reminiscent of Steve ║ │
│║ Harris, much of this album finds itself in territory ║ │
│║ comparable to the likes of Iron Maiden's Powerslave and ║ │
│║ Accept's Russian Roulette almost as much as it manages to ║ │
│║ maintain an affinity with the band's 70s roots. Even ║ │
│║ vocalist Tim Baker's flamboyant banshee howls have been ║ │
│║ notably toned down to a more measured roar, occasionally ║ │
│║ even morphing into something resembling a human singing ║ │
│║ voice. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ To state that this album comes off as more disciplined and ║ │
│║ more controlled may suggest that it is less intense, but ║ │
│║ the exact opposite proves to be the case when these songs ║ │
│║ rampage through the stereo speakers. Riff-happy, almost ║ │
│║ power metal-like crushers like "Join The Legions" and the ║ │
│║ gallop-happy epic "Heaven Help Us" don't pull any punches, ║ │
│║ employing recurring gang-choruses and layered vocal ║ │
│║ harmonies normally avoided on previous outings and balance ║ │
│║ this band's tendencies towards instrumental elaboration ║ │
│║ with some truly infectious hooks. The punchy grooves of ║ │
│║ "Before The Lash" lean to more of a Balls To The Walls vibe ║ │
│║ and see Baker's raw snarls melding perfectly with a ║ │
│║ mid-paced, catchy anthem. "Go It Alone", a song that was ║ │
│║ originally conceived for Barazza's previous band Prophecy, ║ │
│║ has a tad more of a happy-go-lucky, Twisted Sister/Quiet ║ │
│║ Riot feel to it, but maintains the heaviness factor ║ │
│║ sufficiently and proves to be only a slightly weaker link ║ │
│║ in an otherwise unbreakable chain. On the other hand, the ║ │
│║ harrowing stomp of "The Troll" and the metallic remake of ║ │
│║ The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown's "Fire" present a darker ║ │
│║ and more forbidding character more in line with what fans ║ │
│║ of Cirith Ungol's older offerings were likely expecting, ║ │
│║ albeit presented in a more powerful arrangement that could ║ │
│║ stand toe to toe with the likes of Crimson Glory and King ║ │
│║ Diamond. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Barring the previously mentioned longer offering "Heaven ║ │
│║ Help Us", much of what is brought to the table on this ║ │
│║ album is of a far more streamlined and symmetrical nature, ║ │
│║ but this changes during the final third of its duration. ║ │
│║ While the general air of tightness and organization ║ │
│║ persists, a sizable return to the more unconventional and ║ │
│║ doom-steeped days of yesteryear emerge with "Chaos Rising". ║ │
│║ This longer running composition spends much of its time in ║ │
│║ gloomy territory comparable to Candlemass, with Tim Baker ║ │
│║ even switching out his shrieks on occasion for a dreary ║ │
│║ baritone that's pretty close to Johan LΣngquist, though it ║ │
│║ kicks things up to a swift pace and peppers on the flashy ║ │
│║ guitar solos enough to make Tipton and Downing fairly ║ │
│║ quickly. A similar tale are told in the more consistently ║ │
│║ down-tempo yet still bombastic epic doom trudge of "Fallen ║ │
│║ Idols", which arguably veers the closest to being a ║ │
│║ holdover from One Foot In Hell with Green even channeling ║ │
│║ some of Flint's Geezer Butler influences amid a more ║ │
│║ heavily layered production. The closing hurrah and title ║ │
│║ song "Paradise Lost" sees things kicked back up to an ║ │
│║ faster, more power metal-like stride, with the riff set ║ │
│║ almost sounding like a more Sabbath-infused take on ║ │
│║ something Queensryche or Fates Warning might have done back ║ │
│║ in mid-80s, yet it still feels quite appropriate in the ║ │
│║ context of this band's previous works. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The passage of time has an ability to heal most wounds, and ║ │
│║ with Metal Blade Records finally acquiring the publishing ║ │
│║ rights to this album in 2016 for a proper reissue, it is ║ │
│║ safe to say that bygones have become bygones insofar as the ║ │
│║ now reformed Cirith Ungol's attitude toward this album is ║ │
│║ concerned. Nevertheless, this album's greatest strength is ║ │
│║ that it defies the otherwise consistent underground ║ │
│║ demeanor of this band's sound and gives it a greater ║ │
│║ crossover appeal to those not bound to epic heavy metal ║ │
│║ purism. It shouldn't be regarded as a wholly commercial ║ │
│║ beast, though it is far more accessible, but rather as an ║ │
│║ accidental catharsis of a raw, untamed intensity with a ║ │
│║ forced sense of structure that emerges all the stronger ║ │
│║ despite the massive friction that existed during its birth. ║ │
│║ For those that it may lose due to its more polished and ║ │
│║ slick demeanor, it ought to gain two or three-fold that ║ │
│║ number among those who enjoyed the USPM with occasional ║ │
│║ progressive flashes that defined Crimson Glory and early ║ │
│║ Queensryche, alongside the grittier offerings of early Omen ║ │
│║ and Helstar. It may still be an acquired taste relative to ║ │
│║ a lot of the better known material of the 80s, but it is ║ │
│║ far easier to acquire while also possessing a greater ║ │
│║ degree of technical flair and staying power. Potential ║ │
│║ accusations of contrarianism and the contemptible practices ║ │
│║ of Restless Records aside, this is the best that Cirith ║ │
│║ Ungol has to offer, and it deserves far more credit than it ║ │
│║ has received. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 1. Join The Legion 4:32 │
│ 2. The Troll 3:51 │
│ 3. Fire 3:02 │
│ 4. Heaven Help Us 6:25 │
│ 5. Before The Lash 4:41 │
│ 6. Go It Alone 4:27 │
│ 7. Chaos Rising 8:43 │
│ 8. Fallen Idols 6:47 │
│ 9. Paradise Lost 6:15 │
│ 10. Join The Legion (Alt Mix) 4:32 │
│ 11. The Troll (Alt Mix) 3:52 │
│ 12. Before The Lash (Alt Mix) 4:34 │
│ 13. Chaos Rising (Alt Mix) 8:44 │
│ 14. Paradise Lost (Alt Mix) 6:12 │
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│ Total Length : 01:16:37 │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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