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.
Better Off Dead
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
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I speak with a whisper and feel with a shout
I feel out of tune, I feel out of key
I feel like I'm missing a part of me
I've got a lot on my head
And my condition's read
I think I'm better off dead
Some people say that lightning never strikes twice
But I've been hit more than once in my life
I've been taken in so many times
A thousand promises, a thousand lies
I've got a lot on my head
And my condition's read
I think I'm better off dead
Sometimes, sometimes
Sometimes I take a look at the world
And sometimes I take a look at the girls
I'm just a spectator, I don't get involved
I've got too many problems of my own to solve
I've got a lot on my head
And my condition's read
I think I'm better off dead
Sometimes
I've got a lot on my head
And my condition's read
I think I'm better off dead
Sometimes, sometimes
In "Better Off Dead," Cirith Ungol gives voice to feelings of isolation and hopelessness that many people experience at some point in their lives. The singer is tired of feeling like an outsider, unable to fully connect with others because he speaks in a whisper and feels with a shout. He describes feeling out of tune and out of key, like something vital is missing from his life. The weight of his problems is so heavy that he wonders if he would be better off dead.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's struggles, referencing the pain he has experienced in relationships. He has been taken in by false promises and lies so many times that he has lost faith in people. He feels like he has been struck by lightning multiple times, suggesting that he has endured more than his share of painful experiences. Despite his struggles, the singer acknowledges that he sometimes observes the world around him and is aware of the attractive qualities of others. However, he does not feel like he can join in or take part because he has too many problems of his own to solve.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm tired of being the odd man out
I feel left out and excluded from the group
I speak with a whisper and feel with a shout
I have a lot to say, but I don't feel comfortable expressing myself loudly
I feel out of tune, I feel out of key
I feel like I don't fit in and I'm not on the same wavelength as those around me
I feel like I'm missing a part of me
I feel incomplete and like something important is missing from my life
I've got a lot on my head
I have a lot going on in my mind
And my condition's read
My mental state is not well
I think I'm better off dead
I feel like it would be easier to not exist anymore
Sometimes
Not always, but occasionally
Some people say that lightning never strikes twice
Many people believe that rare events only happen once
But I've been hit more than once in my life
I've experienced rare and unfortunate events multiple times
I've been taken in so many times
I've been deceived and misled by others numerous times
A thousand promises, a thousand lies
I've been promised many things, but they were all false
Sometimes I take a look at the world
Occasionally, I observe the world around me
And sometimes I take a look at the girls
Occasionally, I find myself checking out women
I'm just a spectator, I don't get involved
I prefer to stay on the sidelines and not participate or intervene
I've got too many problems of my own to solve
I have personal issues to deal with and can't take on additional problems
Sometimes, sometimes
Not always, but occasionally
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GREG LINDSTROM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind