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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 - Forever Black + │
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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......2020 Khz/Bitrate..44.1 / VBR kbps ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper....Anthem Songs........9 ║ │
│║ Source....CD Covers.......Yes ║ │
│║ Url.. ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Cirith Ungol ║ │
│║ Album : Forever Black ║ │
│║ Label : Metal Blade Records ║ │
│║ Cat.No : 3984-15708-0 ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In this present age of miraculous comeback stories, a ║ │
│║ consequential band from a bygone era getting back into the ║ │
│║ swing of things as though theyÆd never left is still a rare ║ │
│║ occurrence, particularly when the consensus dictates that ║ │
│║ said bandÆs heyday was more than 30 years ago. Such is the ║ │
│║ story of CaliforniaÆs black sheep of the heavy metal family ║ │
│║ Cirith Ungol, a band that paid their dues and developed ║ │
│║ their sound in the 70s during metalÆs more hard rocking ║ │
│║ days, only to not truly hit their footing until well into ║ │
│║ the 80s where their sound would clash noticeably with the ║ │
│║ glam crowd of the Sunset Strip and the thrashers of the Bay ║ │
│║ Area. It would be an understatement to say that the ║ │
│║ majority of metalÆs fan base of the day that saw epic, ║ │
│║ doom-laden opuses in King Of The Dead and One Foot In Hell ║ │
│║ unleashed didnÆt fully appreciate or even really comprehend ║ │
│║ what they were hearing, to speak nothing for the label and ║ │
│║ production personnel that unwittingly caused the bandÆs ║ │
│║ initial demise, but 2020 is a new year with an audience ║ │
│║ that is all the wiser. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ To the uninitiated, the brand of old school flair that this ║ │
│║ band deals in has an unapologetically retro character to ║ │
│║ it, and did so even at the time when they were at their ║ │
│║ creative peak. Though presenting largely as an early 80s ║ │
│║ epic heavy metal act with an eye for literary fantasy that ║ │
│║ dovetails quite closely with the seminal works of Manilla ║ │
│║ Road, Brocas Helm and even Manowar at times, theyÆve always ║ │
│║ stood apart by having far more of an overt 70s rock ║ │
│║ character that points noticeably to the exploits of Black ║ │
│║ Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Dio-era Rainbow. The release of ║ │
│║ their newly forged LP Forever Black sees this tendency not ║ │
│║ only continued, but accentuated to the point of sounding ║ │
│║ even more 70s-influenced than their 1981 debut Frost And ║ │
│║ Fire. While much of this owes to vocalist and over-the-top ║ │
│║ impresario Tim Baker unleashing a truly wicked performance ║ │
│║ still indicative of that exaggerated Brian Johnson ║ │
│║ rendition he brought forth in the old days, the ║ │
│║ re-acquisition of original mastermind and ║ │
│║ multi-instrumentalist Greg Lindstrom is the most auspicious ║ │
│║ element in play, and his impact on the songwriting is ║ │
│║ impossible to miss. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Everything about this album speaks to a quintet of ║ │
│║ musicians who are still living in the same era that birthed ║ │
│║ them; a fitting eventuality given that the past several ║ │
│║ years has seen the ongoing rise of a number of prominent ║ │
│║ retro bands sporting a similar sound. From the very onset ║ │
│║ of ôThe Callö, the visual of a lone, sword-wielding warrior ║ │
│║ trudging the endless wastelands becomes apparent as a lone ║ │
│║ horn call and distant wind gusts give way to a march of ║ │
│║ military snare rolls and haunting guitars, and the promise ║ │
│║ of a mighty sonic battle isnÆt far behind. Firing on all ║ │
│║ cylinders emerges a galloping fit of old school rage in ║ │
│║ ôLegions Ariseö that listens like a more amped up ║ │
│║ descendant of ôBlood & Ironö with a slightly less shrieking ║ │
│║ vocal display. This riff-happy and fairly compact anthem ║ │
│║ points to the more streamlined version of this band that ║ │
│║ emerged on One Foot In Hell, and is not alone as driving ║ │
│║ yet slightly less chaotic anthems such as ôThe Fire Divineö ║ │
│║ and ôBefore Tomorrowö see a fairly straightforward rocking ║ │
│║ formula with some catchy hooks carrying the day. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Then again, Cirith Ungol is not a band that lives only by ║ │
│║ moderate length bangers alone, and makes a few auspicious ║ │
│║ occasions to mix things up and bring their epic side to the ║ │
│║ fore. True to their affinity for classic doom tropes, the ║ │
│║ slower paced ôThe Frost Monstremeö proceeds from a dank ║ │
│║ march of heavy guitar work into an up tempo homage to ║ │
│║ ôElectric Funeralö, complete with a correspondingly retro ║ │
│║ bluesy lead guitar display. A similar, more mid-paced nod ║ │
│║ to Black Sabbath is found in the title track ôForever ║ │
│║ Blackö, resting somewhere between a slower ôChildren Of The ║ │
│║ Graveö and a quicker ôSnowblindö. Truth be told, the vast ║ │
│║ majority of the guitar solos found throughout this album ║ │
│║ have a far more blatant Toni Iommi vibe to them than this ║ │
│║ bandÆs seminal 80s offerings. Even lofty semi-ballad ║ │
│║ offerings like the Manowar-tinged ôStormbringerö see this ║ │
│║ traditional blues rocking sentiment permeate its dense, ║ │
│║ atmospheric fringes. When this tendency is deviated from, ║ │
│║ it is often in favor of fleeting harmonized leads ║ │
│║ reminiscent of a UFO and Thin Lizzy as occur on the ║ │
│║ otherwise stomping doom machine ôNightmareö. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ItÆs a given that the small yet very committed flock of ║ │
│║ core fans that were hoping for the Cirith Ungol of the ║ │
│║ mid-80s to make another appearance before all was said and ║ │
│║ done will be quite satisfied with this, as it all but could ║ │
│║ have been released a year or two after One Foot In Hell hit ║ │
│║ the shelves in 1986. The formula is one of unapologetic ║ │
│║ nostalgia, and is sure to be a welcome listen to the ║ │
│║ growing number of traditional metal enthusiasts in the ║ │
│║ current generation who proudly showcase their Slough Feg ║ │
│║ and Eternal Champion t-shits and patches. Likewise, much of ║ │
│║ what is heard on here could pass for the album that Black ║ │
│║ Sabbath should have released back in 1998 when they ║ │
│║ originally reunited with Ozzy and opted to keep everyone in ║ │
│║ suspense for 15 years before finally offering up a tired, ║ │
│║ bland rehash of their glory days. The decade may change, ║ │
│║ but the golden glow of a classic array of Michael ║ │
│║ Moorcock-inspired heroic tales set to heavy metal music ║ │
│║ with the art of Michael Whelan along for the ride will ║ │
│║ never lose its luster. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Originally written for Sonic Perspectives ║ │
│║ (www.sonicperspectives.com) ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 1. The Call 1:04 │
│ 2. Legions Arise 3:19 │
│ 3. The Frost Monstreme 5:15 │
│ 4. The Fire Divine 3:51 │
│ 5. Stormbringer 5:58 │
│ 6. Fractus Promissum 4:08 │
│ 7. Nightmare 5:59 │
│ 8. Before Tomorrow 3:57 │
│ 9. Forever Black 5:34 │
│ │
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│ Total Length : 00:39:05 │
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│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
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│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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