Cirith Ungol (band)

Cirith Ungol is an American heavy metal band formed in late 1971 in Ventura, California.[1] This early doom and power metal group is known for lyrics based on fantasy (particularly sword and sorcery).[2] The band took their name from the mountain pass Cirith Ungol in J. R. R. Tolkien's epic fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings.

Cirith Ungol
Germany 2019
Germany 2019
Background information
OriginVentura, California, U.S.
Genres
Years active1971–1988, 1989-1992, 2016–present
LabelsMetal Blade, Liquid Flames, Restless
MembersTim Baker
Robert Garven
Greg Lindstrom
Jim Barraza
Jarvis Leatherby
Past membersNeal Beattie
Jerry Fogle
Michael Vujea
Bob Warrenburg
Vernon Green
Websitetruemetal.org/cirithungol

Throughout the 1970s, the band generally played a style of heavy metal heavily rooted in hard and psychedelic rock. Its first studio album, Frost and Fire (1981), featured a heavier sound,[3] generally regarded as an early example of American power metal. By its second studio album, King of the Dead (1984), it had solidified its power metal style while gravitating toward a much "darker" sound, with many considering the album among the first doom metal releases.

History

Titanic

Greg Lindstrom, Robert Garven, Jerry Fogle and Pat Galligan (later a guitarist in Angry Samoans) played in Titanic,[4] their first band in junior high school. With a desire to play heavier music similar to that of Mountain and Grand Funk Railroad, the rest of the band parted with Galligan and founded Cirith Ungol in late 1971.

Early years

After forming in late 1971, the band played their first gig on January 1, 1972, at an anti-Vietnam war peace rally.

In 1980, they were signed by Liquid Flames Records, and released their first album, Frost and Fire,[4] with Tim Baker on vocals and songs written by bassist and guitarist Greg Lindstrom.[5] It was described by some music journalists as 'The Worst Heavy Metal Album of All Time'.[4] Their second album, King of the Dead was released in on July 2, 1984,[4] and contained lyrics primarily written by vocalist Tim Baker and drummer Robert Garven.[6] The album was then followed by One Foot in Hell on August 12, 1986 and Paradise Lost on August 23, 1991.[4]

Disbandment

They played their last live show for twenty-five years on December 13, 1991 and disbanded in 1992 following frustration with their record label.[7]

Inactivity

In 2001, Metal Blade Records released in Germany Servants of Chaos, a compilation album of unreleased demos and live songs.[8] With old tapes and assistance from Lindstrom and Garven, it was an attempt to give fans a wealth of archival and previously unheard material before the tapes deteriorated beyond retrieval. This double-CD was later re-released worldwide, with a rare 1984 live DVD recorded at Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club in California.[9]

Lindstrom now plays with Falcon, who perform some Cirith Ungol songs.[10]

Founding guitarist Jerry Fogle died from liver failure on August 20, 1998.[11]

Reunion

The band was reformed by members Tim Baker, Robert Garven, Jim Barraza, and Greg Lindstrom on October 8, 2016, at the second annual Frost and Fire Festival in Ventura, California.[12] Throughout 2017, the band had set out to headline and co-headline several European and US festivals, including Keep It True (Germany), Up the Hammers (Greece), Defenders of the Old (US), Chaos Descends (Germany), Psycho Las Vegas (US), Days of Darkness (US) and Hammer of Doom (Germany).[13] In April 2018, Cirith Ungol performed at the Hell's Heroes Festival in Houston, Texas and at the NYDM Spring Bash in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

In August 2018, Cirith Ungol released the single "Witch's Game". The full-length album Forever Black followed in 2020. [14]

Retirement

In October 2023, Cirith Ungol announced that they will retire from performing live at the end of 2024.[15]

Name

The band took their name from the mountain pass Cirith Ungol in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.[16] The name is Elvish and means "Pass of the Spider". While the place in Tolkien's book is pronounced "kirith ungol", the band pronounced it "sirith ungol". The band said:

Greg Lindstrom and I met at an English Literature class where the teacher was reading Lord of the Rings... and Greg and I read it and it had an influence on our music and feelings. In retrospect I wish we had picked something easier to remember because a lot of our trouble has been over our name. People couldn't pronounce it or remember it, but we figured once they did they wouldn't forget it! We've humorously been called "Sarah's Uncle" and "Serious Uncool," for example!

— Robert Garven[17]

I remember some other possible band names we were considering: Minas Tirith, Khazad Dum, and Uruk Hai, all names from "The Lord Of The Rings". Rob and I both liked J.R.R. Tolkien and Enzo Ferrari, so we knew our songs would cover both those subjects!

— Greg Lindstrom[18]

Album cover art

Each studio album's cover art is taken from the cover of a DAW Books edition of a book in Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné saga; the art is by Michael Whelan.[19]

Members
  • Tim Baker
    Tim Baker
  • Jim Barraza
    Jim Barraza
  • Robert Garven
    Robert Garven
  • Jarvis Leatherby
    Jarvis Leatherby
  • Greg Lindstrom
    Greg Lindstrom

Current
  • Tim Baker – lead vocals (1976–1988, 1989-1992, 2016–present), keyboards (1975-1976), backing vocals (1974-1979), touring member (1974-1978)
  • Jim "Jimmy" Barraza – guitars (1987-1988, 1989–1992, 2016–present), backing vocals (1989-1992, 2016-present)
  • Robert Garven – drums (1972–1988, 1989-1992, 2016–present), lead vocals (1976-1979), backing vocals (1974-1976, 1979-1982)
  • Greg Lindstrom – guitars (1976–1982, 2016–present), bass guitar (1972–1980, 1987), keyboards (1976-1982), lead vocals (1976-1979), backing vocals (1979-1982, 2016-present)
  • Jarvis Leatherby – bass guitar (2016–present) backing vocals (2016-present)

Former
  • Jerry Fogle – guitars (1972–1987; died 1998)
  • Neal Beattie – lead vocals (1972–1976)[20]
  • Michael "Flint" Vujea – bass guitar (1981–1987, 1988)
  • Bob Warrensburg – bass guitar (1987–1988, 1989-1991), backing vocals (1989-1991)[21]
  • Vernon Green – bass guitar (1991–1992)

Timeline

Discography

Studio
Year Album Album details Chart performance
US
 		 CAN
[22]		 GER
[23]		 SWI
[24]
1981 Frost and Fire
  • Released: October 30, 1981
  • Label: Liquid Flames Records (self-released)
 — — x x
1984 King of the Dead
  • Released: July 2, 1984
  • Label: Enigma
 — — x —
1986 One Foot in Hell — — x —
1991 Paradise Lost
  • Released: August 23, 1991
  • Label: Restless
 — — — —
2020 Forever Black — 130 11 25
2023 Dark Parade — — — —
"—" denotes that the recording did not chart, was not released in that territory, or is uncertified.

"×" denotes periods where charts did not exist or were not archived.

EP
Year Album Album details Charts
US
 		 GER
[23]
2021 Half Past Human — —
"—" denotes that the recording did not chart, was not released in that territory, or is uncertified.

Live
Year Album Album details Charts
US
 		 GER
[23]
2019 I'm Alive — 42
"—" denotes that the recording did not chart, was not released in that territory or is uncertified.

Compilation

Box set

  • The Legacy (Metal Blade Records, 2017)

Mixtapes

Singles
  • "Witch's Game" (Metal Blade Records; 2018) in the film Planet of Doom
  • Brutish Manchild (Metal Blade 2021)

Other appearances
  • Metal Massacre (compilation appearance, 1982)
  • The Metal Machine (compilation appearance, 1984)
  • Best of Metal Blade, Vol. 2 (compilation appearance, 1988)
  • Double Whammy (compilation appearance, 1999)
  • Metal Blade 20th Anniversary (compilation appearance, 2002)

Bootlegs
  • Cirith Ungol (bootleg EP, 1979)
  • Live (bootleg single, 1996)

Notes
  1. Colloquially referred to as "the Orange Album".

References
  1. Locey, Bill (September 24, 2018). "Ventura's Cirith Ungol plays for music fans who like their metal heavy". Ventura County Star. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  2. "Cirith Ungol". Metalunderground.com.
  3. "Frost and Fire". Sputnikmusic.com.
  4. Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 99. ISBN 0-7535-0257-7.
  5. "Frost and Fire". Discogs.com.
  6. "Cirith Ungol". Darklyrics.com.
  7. "Cirith Ungol Comeback". Truemetal.org.
  8. "Cirith Ungol". Metalhead.it.
  9. "Cirith Ungol". Truemetal.org.
  10. "Falcon Bio". Falconband.net. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  11. "Jerry Fogle". Metal-archives.com.
  12. "Night Demon - Frost and Fire". Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  13. "Cirith Ungol". Facebook.com. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  14. "Forever Black". Metal Archives. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  15. "CIRITH UNGOL Announces Retirement From Live Performances At The End Of 2024". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. October 12, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  16. Locey, Bill (October 7, 2016). "Cirith Ungol grows fan base without really trying". Ventura County Star. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
  17. "Cirith Ungol Interview 2000". Metal Nightmare Webzine. Archived from the original on February 23, 2005. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  18. Harris, Jym (2006). "Hard Announcements: Cirith Ungol". BallBusterHardMusic.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  19. "Cirith Ungol". Metal-archives.com.
  20. "Cirith Ungol – Encyclopaedia Metallum". The Metal Archives. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  21. "2017 Interview". Nocleansinging.com. May 22, 2017.
  22. "The legions arise as [Cirith Ungol]'s Forever Black climbs the Canadian Billboard Charts this week!". Looters News. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
  23. "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". GFK Entertainment. Retrieved May 3, 2020.
  24. "CIRITH UNGOL – FOREVER BLACK". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
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