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.
One Foot in Hell
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're choked by the grip of the iron hand
The sting of the whip the toll of the bell
We ravage the world with one foot in hell
Up from the darkness the cauldrons of hate
The vengeance of old the sealing of fate
The screams of the damned the souls that fell
The savior we worship won't lead us astray
The unholy masses have seen the last day
The howl of the jackal the beast's evil stare
With one foot in hell do you think that we care?
In the song "One Foot in Hell," Cirith Ungol explores the theme of living in two worlds - one of heaven and one of hell. The cry that arises across the land is one of desperation and oppression, as people struggle under the grip of an iron hand. The image of the sting of the whip and the toll of the bell suggests a society that is both physically and mentally oppressed, perhaps indicating a larger struggle against a tyrannical system.
The cauldrons of hate that rise up from the darkness suggest the powerful forces of evil that are at work in the world, and the vengeance of old speaks to a history of violence and conflict that has brought us to this point. The screams of the damned and the souls that fell add a note of horror to the narrative, emphasizing the extreme brutality of the world of hell.
Despite this, the savior that is worshipped will not lead us astray, suggesting a glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak landscape. The unholy masses have seen the last day, and the howl of the jackal and the beast's evil stare are meant to suggest that we have nothing left to lose. With one foot in hell, the implication is that we are willing to do whatever it takes to fight against the forces of evil.
Overall, "One Foot in Hell" is a powerful exploration of the tension between good and evil, and the hope and despair that exist in the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
The cry has arisen across the land
There is a loud outcry heard everywhere.
We're choked by the grip of the iron hand
We feel oppressed and restricted by a powerful authority.
The sting of the whip the toll of the bell
We suffer under physical punishment and the constant reminder of our mortality.
We ravage the world with one foot in hell
We destroy and plunder the world while being on the edge of damnation.
Up from the darkness the cauldrons of hate
From a place of despair and anger arise the tools of destruction.
The vengeance of old the sealing of fate
We seek revenge for past wrongdoings and seal our own fate.
The screams of the damned the souls that fell
Those who are condemned scream and fall into eternal torment.
With one foot in heaven the other in hell
We are torn between good and evil, and stuck between salvation and damnation.
The savior we worship won't lead us astray
We trust our holy leader to guide us correctly.
The unholy masses have seen the last day
All those who are sinful and impure will meet their end.
The howl of the jackal the beast's evil stare
We are faced with terrifying and demonic creatures.
With one foot in hell do you think that we care?
We are so close to damnation that we no longer care about our actions or consequences.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JERRY FOGLE, MIKE VUJEA, ROB GARVEN, TIM BAKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind