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.
Master of the Pit
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the master of the pit
Violently stirring their brew of corruption
Lords of the dark summon certain destruction
Pray you never kneel
To the one who calls you slave
With the hearts and tongues of the gods in their hands
Bow down and kneel
To the master of the pit
Though the powers of chaos are those you abide
You raise your sword to cast him aside
You know there is no escape
When you see your sword in flames
As the hell rains pound the darkening land
Man and sword begin their last stand
You know you'll never kneel
To the master of the pit
Feverish prayers of life ever after
As your doom driven blade drinks the soul of the master
The song "Master of the Pit" by Cirith Ungol speaks of a demonic entity who rules over the underworld, referred to as "the master of the pit." The lyrics caution against submitting to this malevolent being, who lords over corruption and destruction, and who demands servitude from those who worship him. The song makes it clear that those who bow down to this master will be subject to his whims, even as they bear witness to the horrors that his minions perpetrate.
Despite the threats that the master of the pit poses, the song also expresses a sense of defiance in the face of evil. The singer vows to never kneel before this entity, and to fight until the end against the forces of darkness. The final verse suggests that, even as the singer faces almost certain doom, he remains steadfast in his resolve to resist the master of the pit, fueled by a desire for a life beyond death and an unwavering commitment to his cause.
Overall, "Master of the Pit" is a powerful song that speaks to the human experience of grappling with the vast, unknowable forces of evil in the world. It combines a sense of foreboding with a spirit of resilience, painting a vibrant picture of the struggle between light and dark that rages within us all.
Line by Line Meaning
Pray you never kneel
Beware of submitting yourself
To the master of the pit
Under the control of the evil being in charge of the abyss
Violently stirring their brew of corruption
Causing chaos and spreading immorality through aggressive means
Lords of the dark summon certain destruction
Leaders of the darkness are inviting inevitable ruin
To the one who calls you slave
To the one who subjects you to servitude
With the hearts and tongues of the gods in their hands
Using the powers of gods to their advantage
The legions of hell bellow forth their commands
The army of hell expressing their orders in full force
Bow down and kneel
Submit yourself completely
Though the powers of chaos are those you abide
Although you are loyal to the forces of disorder
You raise your sword to cast him aside
You will fight the master of the pit until defeat
You know there is no escape
You understand that fleeing is not an option
When you see your sword in flames
When your weapon is consumed by inferno
As the hell rains pound the darkening land
Under the onslaught of infernal precipitation in the gloomy earth
Man and sword begin their last stand
Man and sword embark upon their last attempt
You know you'll never kneel
You are determined not to submit yourself
Feverish prayers of life ever after
Frantic supplications for an eternal existence
As your doom driven blade drinks the soul of the master
While your cursed weapon devours the soul of the evil being
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JERRY FOGLE, MIKE VUJEA, ROBERT W. GARVEN JR., TIM BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bob Smith
Open with a solo. Solo in the middle. Solo at the end. The holy trinity of 80s metal.
Bob Smith
100% badass lyrics
Bludgeon
And all the solos are good!
steelerfreak1977
3:15-4:40 and 5:22-6:30 are the greatest solos I’ve ever heard. Jerry Fogle was a guitar master.
Simon Johansen
he was like a more focused and refined Ritchie Blackmore in that regard
Atmost11
Cirith Ungol is benediction, Cirith Ungol is elucidation, Cirith Ungol corrects us when we stray from the path too far, this song by Cirith Ungol The Master of the Pit is a stepping stone for crossing the Taeglin and slay Glaurung!
Nick Kubash Design
That bass and rhythm with the solo on top is just godly... How have I missed gems like this?
CombosThatCount
Learning this song on bass, this band is mostly the reason I fell in love with the bass it's loud and bizarre I love it.
user0272
this song has the best bass solo ever :D
Eric
+CombosThatCount Where do you find bass tabs of Cirith Ungol ? :) I'm currently learning I'm Alive (i'm still a beginner). My dream is to play Chaos Rising, have you seen any tab ? Thanks