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.
Nadsokor
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sworn to serve but taught to hate the unseen masters of your fate
Nadsokor
Mighty balance in the sky determines who's the next one to die
The black sword drinks on the souls that fell
And sucks it with it down to hell
Nadsokor
The lyrics to Cirith Ungol's song Nadsokor are poetic and full of imagery that can be interpreted in a few different ways. On the surface, it seems to be a call to arms for a warrior to fight against a chaotic and unknown enemy. The warrior is taught to hate those who control their fate, which could be interpreted as either a higher power or perhaps a ruling class that the warrior feels oppressed by. The mention of Nadsokor seems to be a location or entity that the warrior is fighting for or against. There is a sense of grim determination in the lyrics, as the warrior faces a possible death at the hands of the enemy.
However, there is another layer to the lyrics that goes beyond the literal interpretation. The mention of the "mighty balance in the sky" and the "black sword" suggest a supernatural or cosmic power at play. It could be that the warrior is fighting against not just physical enemies, but the forces of the universe itself. Nadsokor could then represent a place of great significance in the unknown reaches of space or time. The lyrics are a call to fight against the terror of the unknown, to stand up against fate itself and embrace one's own will.
Line by Line Meaning
Mighty warrior raise your sword against the seething chaos horde
Brave fighter, unsheathe your sword and fight against the chaotic army
Sworn to serve but taught to hate the unseen masters of your fate
You pledged allegiance to serve, but were indoctrinated to hate those controlling your destiny
Nadsokor
Name of a place or entity, possibly associated with death or destruction
Mighty balance in the sky determines who's the next one to die
The great equilibrium in the heavens decides who will perish next
The black sword drinks on the souls that fell
The dark weapon feeds on the souls of the fallen
And sucks it with it down to hell
Dragging the souls with it into the fiery depths of hell
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JERRY VOGLE, MIKE VUJEA, ROB GARVEN, TIM BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind