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.
Fallen Idols
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
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How the pride of man has fallen, crowning lust their only king
Heaven screams in anguish and the world cries out in pain.
Unleash the final terror- man begins his now doomed reign.
False prophets spread their cursed rule across the poisoned land,
Why must we always choose to put our fate in reckless hands?
Fingers poised on Armageddon, dare they make the fatal move,
Broken leaders mark the twisted path that mankind chose.
Final judgement is upon us, vengeance rains its fearful blows.
So we hurl our prayers toward heaven, surely they will heed the call -
But soulless skies just echo with the screams of mankind s fall.
The lyrics to Cirith Ungol's song, "Fallen Idols," portray a dark and foreboding future for humanity, characterized by a world where the pride of man has fallen and given way to putrid lust, causing heaven to scream in anguish and the world to cry out in pain. The ominous melody sings of false prophets spreading their cursed rule across the land, leading us down a twisted path where Armageddon's finger is poised at the trigger. The dying planet, according to the lyrics, may soon come hurtling headlong to the tomb.
The lyrics suggest that our fate is in our own hands, yet leaders have broken and twisted the path that humanity has chosen. The final judgement, symbolized by a fearful downpour of vengeance, is upon us. The chorus of the song seeks redemption, by hurling our prayers towards heaven, hoping that they will be heard and mankind's fall can be averted. However, the soundless skies echo back their screams, suggesting that all may be lost.
Overall, the lyrics speak to the idea of the end of times and act as a cautionary tale about the consequences of not taking responsibility for our actions. They warn us against giving into our baser instincts and putting our faith in false prophets who may not have our best interests at heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Moving toward the evil song that fate will sadly sing.
We are headed towards a terrible destiny that will bring pain and sorrow.
How the pride of man has fallen, crowning lust their only king
Humanity's arrogance has led to our downfall, with our obsession with pleasure and desire as their leader.
Heaven screams in anguish and the world cries out in pain.
The divine realm and our earthly domain are both suffering and in agony.
Unleash the final terror- man begins his now doomed reign.
We've initiated our downfall, and our reign is now at an end.
False prophets spread their cursed rule across the poisoned land,
Imposters are taking over our diseased world, spreading their corrupt influence.
Why must we always choose to put our fate in reckless hands?
Why do we continuously trust in reckless people who will lead us to ruin?
Fingers poised on Armageddon, dare they make the fatal move,
We stand on the brink of ruin, and yet some still gamble with our fate.
And send this dying planet hurling headlong to the tomb.
We will destroy our planet with our recklessness, accelerating its inevitable end.
Broken leaders mark the twisted path that mankind chose.
Our leaders are flawed, reflecting humanity's twisted path.
Final judgement is upon us, vengeance rains its fearful blows.
We are facing the ultimate reckoning, and justice is being served with great wrath.
So we hurl our prayers toward heaven, surely they will heed the call -
We plead with the divine for mercy, hoping that they will hear our cries for help.
But soulless skies just echo with the screams of mankind's fall.
There is no answer, only the empty echoes of humanity's downfall.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JAMES BARRAZA, JOSEPH MALATESTA, ROBERT GARVIN, ROBERT WARRENBURG, TIMOTHY BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind