Throughout the 1970s, the band generally played a style of heavy metal heavily rooted in hard and progressive rock. The band's first studio album, Frost and Fire (1981), featured a heavier sound, generally regarded as an early example of American power metal. By the band's second studio album, King of the Dead (1984), the band had solidified their power metal style of playing while gravitating toward a much 'darker' sound, with many considering the album among the first doom metal releases. 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. 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. 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.
Greg Lindstrom, Robert Garven, Jerry Fogle and Pat Galligan (later a guitarist in Angry Samoans) played in Titanic, 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. 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, with Tim Baker on vocals and songs written by bassist and guitarist Greg Lindstrom. Their second album, King of the Dead was released in on July 2, 1984 and contained lyrics primarily written by vocalist Tim Baker and drummer Robert Garven. The album was then followed by One Foot in Hell on August 12, 1986, and Paradise Lost on August 23, 1991.
They played their last live show on December 13, 1991 and disbanded in 1992, following frustration with their record label.
In 2001, Metal Blade Records released in Germany Servants of Chaos, a compilation album of unreleased demos and live songs. 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. Founding guitarist Jerry Fogle died from liver failure on August 20, 1998.
The band was reformed by members Tim Baker, Robert Garven, Jim Barraza, and Greg Lindstrom on October 8, 2016 at the 2nd annual Frost and Fire Festival in Ventura, California. 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). 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". Their latest record Forever Black was released on April 24, 2020.
Atom Smasher
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The future's here or haven't you heard?
The sons of man have fell from grace
Till the Smasher comes to save his race
Here it comes, there it goes
Just a flash in the sky
Atom Smasher, here he comes
He is the hero of the atom age
Born in a test tube, raised in a cage
A reaver king, his throne defiled
Roaming the streets to the call of the wild
As upstarts strive to rule the world
Against them chaos legions hurled
The Smasher's force has swept the land
Again begins the dawn of man
The opening stanza of Cirith Ungol's "Atom Smasher" seems to introduce a post-apocalyptic world. It is a "brave new world" where humans have lost their glory and greatness. There is a sense of despair and helplessness until the "Smasher" comes to save his race. The carefully selected words describe an impending doom, almost inevitable, as if there is no chance for redemption except through the intervention of the singer, the Atom Smasher.
The next stanza reveals that the Atom Smasher is a hero of the "atom age." He was not born in the conventional sense, but was raised in a container. There is a wildness about the Atom Smasher that makes him the king of the reavers, and he roams the streets in response to the call of the wild. The chaos around him is overcome by his strength and determination, and he becomes a beacon of hope for the world, ushering in a new era of humanity.
Overall, "Atom Smasher" seems to be about the end of the world and the emergence of a new order. There is a sense of hopelessness and despair in the beginning, but that is quickly replaced by a feeling of redemption, brought about by a powerful and unlikely hero, the Atom Smasher.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to the brave new world
Welcome to the future. A new world has arrived
The future's here or haven't you heard?
The future has arrived. It is already here
The sons of man have fell from grace
Mankind has lost its way and has been cast out of favour
Till the Smasher comes to save his race
Only the Atom Smasher can come to mankind's rescue
Here it comes, there it goes
This is a warning that something dangerous is about to happen
Just a flash in the sky
There will be a bright light that will appear then suddenly disappear
Atom Smasher, here he comes
The Atom Smasher is coming and he should be feared
Better run for your lives
People should find a safe haven or escape before it's too late
He is the hero of the atom age
He is a hero of a new era
Born in a test tube, raised in a cage
The Atom Smasher was created unnaturally and kept captive
A reaver king, his throne defiled
He is a king of destruction and his power has corrupted him
Roaming the streets to the call of the wild
He wanders through the streets in search of something uncontrollable and untamed
As upstarts strive to rule the world
Ambitious leaders want to rule the world
Against them chaos legions hurled
There are others who want to stop these leaders by any means necessary
The Smasher's force has swept the land
The Atom Smasher has unleashed his power across the land
Again begins the dawn of man
A new era of humanity is beginning
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GREG LINDSTROM, JERRY FOGLE, MIKE VUJEA, ROBERT W. GARVEN JR., TIM BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Metal Blade Records
Coming April 28, 2017 - The King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition digipak CD features a full re-mastering by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony, five bonus tracks, expanded packaging and a bonus DVD! The King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition LP will be released as part of the Metal Blade Originals series; featuring 400 g spine sleeves, a 12-page booklet and an A1 sized poster, the vinyl was also mastered and fully restored by Patrick W. Engel in January 2017. This version reflects the original sound of the 1st vinyl pressing, released on Enigma in 1984!
King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition track-listing:
1. Atom Smasher
2. Black Machine
3. Master of the Pit
4. King of the Dead
5. Death of the Sun
6. Finger of Scorn
7. Toccata in D minor
8. Cirith Ungol
9. Last Laugh (Live)*
10. Death of the Sun (alt mix)**
11. Master of the Pit (Live)*
12. King of the Dead (Live)*
13. Cirith Ungol (Live)*
* Live 1984 (bonus Track on original CD)
** alternative version (taken from Metal Massacre I)
* Live at Frost & Fire Fest II at the Majestic Ventura Theater in Ventura on October 8th, 2016
Bonus-DVD track-listing (Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA on January 19th, 1983):
1. Atom Smasher
2. I'm Alive
3. Black Machine
4. Master of the Pit
5. King of the Dead
6. Death of the Sun
7. Finger of Scorn
8. Cirith Ungol
Brian O'Neil
In 1988 I sent the band a fan letter. About a week later Rob Garven calls me up. Pre-cell phones. Long distance from California to Michigan. Let me also add that I hadn't put my phone number on the letter. He used my last name and address to get the phone number from information. He then proceeds to talk music, touring, family stuff and asks about the metal scene in my area, what I'm doing, my family and etc too. He talked to me for ninety minutes, long distance, because of a fan letter. I was already a huge fan bit became a fan for life after that.
tommy shuffield
Jim Baraza, the guitarist Is An old friend . We went through a few things together. You never know what life will bring you man. Nine years ago. I was in a different place but, last night, Jimmy Wrote to me on messenger for me to call him .He Just wanted to see how I was doing. So I called him and chatted for 20 minutes . Jim always has good advice. They will be playing a show at the Roxy in LA . October 10th, 2023. Looks like I'll be taking. My old lady there to go see them. I haven't seen him in a long time. It would be really cool to meet the rest of the band.
Almark
People were stand up back then, so amazing.
Metal Blade Records
Coming April 28, 2017 - The King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition digipak CD features a full re-mastering by Patrick W. Engel at Temple Of Disharmony, five bonus tracks, expanded packaging and a bonus DVD! The King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition LP will be released as part of the Metal Blade Originals series; featuring 400 g spine sleeves, a 12-page booklet and an A1 sized poster, the vinyl was also mastered and fully restored by Patrick W. Engel in January 2017. This version reflects the original sound of the 1st vinyl pressing, released on Enigma in 1984!
King Of The Dead - Ultimate Edition track-listing:
1. Atom Smasher
2. Black Machine
3. Master of the Pit
4. King of the Dead
5. Death of the Sun
6. Finger of Scorn
7. Toccata in D minor
8. Cirith Ungol
9. Last Laugh (Live)*
10. Death of the Sun (alt mix)**
11. Master of the Pit (Live)*
12. King of the Dead (Live)*
13. Cirith Ungol (Live)*
* Live 1984 (bonus Track on original CD)
** alternative version (taken from Metal Massacre I)
* Live at Frost & Fire Fest II at the Majestic Ventura Theater in Ventura on October 8th, 2016
Bonus-DVD track-listing (Live at The Roxy, West Hollywood, CA on January 19th, 1983):
1. Atom Smasher
2. I'm Alive
3. Black Machine
4. Master of the Pit
5. King of the Dead
6. Death of the Sun
7. Finger of Scorn
8. Cirith Ungol
Laughing Cadaver Films
Would be way cool if I was12 !!
Astraldeath
Nice song, legendary band. These vocals rules! Haters gonna hate.
David Pasch
Haters gonna never play d&d lmao this music is gr8
Coty Daniel
I get strong Rush vibes which I love.
DoomMetalSludge
Tim Baker's vocals fucking rule and this band is legendary!
Heavy Metal Heretic
Tim Baker's vocals are an inquired taste, like fine wine. He's really grown on me as a powerful commanding vocalist.