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.
The Frost Monstreme
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gift from each, to each, of death
Bodies shatter, bones will scatter
Frozen flesh draws frozen breath
The frost monstreme
I feel the freeze
The frost monstreme
Ships are freezing, muscles seizing
Fires burn in vain
Nightmares lurk, in icy murk
Cold bones in depths are lain
The frost monstreme
I feel the freeze
The frost monstreme
Inside of me
Ships are sinking, eyes unblinking
Icy breath that heralds death
Numbing cold flows through your soul
Frozen flesh draws frozen breath
The frost monstreme
I feel the freeze
The frost monstreme
Inside of me
The lyrics to Cirith Ungol's song "The Frost Monstreme" paint a chilling and grim picture of a frozen and desolate landscape. The song begins by describing a gathering of ships and heroes, where the exchange is not one of joy or celebration, but rather a gift of death. The use of the word "frost" in the title and throughout the lyrics sets the tone for the entire song, evoking a sense of extreme coldness and bleakness.
As the song progresses, the imagery becomes even more haunting and unsettling. Bodies shatter and bones scatter, emphasizing the destructive power of the frost. The frozen flesh draws in frozen breath, perhaps signifying the victims succumbing to the frigid environment. The repetition of the phrase "The frost monstreme" becomes a mantra, emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of the freezing cold, both externally and internally.
The second verse continues the theme of freezing and the inability to escape its grip. Muscles seize, fires burn in vain, and nightmares lurk in the icy murk. The mention of cold bones in depths suggests that even in death, there is no respite from the freezing cold.
The final verse brings a sense of doom and imminent death. Ships are sinking, eyes unblinking, icy breath heralding death. The numbing cold flows through the soul, drawing attention to the internal torment and suffering caused by the frost. Once again, the frozen flesh draws in frozen breath, completing the cycle of the freezing cold.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Frost Monstreme" create a bleak and chilling atmosphere, portraying a cold and desolate world where death and suffering are inescapable.
Line by Line Meaning
Ships are meeting, heroes greeting
The convergence of various challenging situations and individuals who are ready to face them
Gift from each, to each, of death
An exchange of fatal consequences that each person willingly accepts
Bodies shatter, bones will scatter
Physical forms breaking apart and disintegrating into fragments
Frozen flesh draws frozen breath
The numbing coldness causing even one's breath to freeze
The frost monstreme
The overwhelming and relentless grip of extreme cold
I feel the freeze
Experiencing the chilling effects of the frost monstreme
Inside of me
The frost monstreme affecting one's inner being
Ships are freezing, muscles seizing
The vessels of progress succumbing to the paralyzing effects of extreme cold, along with bodies experiencing involuntary contractions
Fires burn in vain
Efforts to generate warmth and light become futile under such icy conditions
Nightmares lurk, in icy murk
Terrifying visions manifest within the dark and mysterious depths of the frozen environment
Cold bones in depths are lain
Lifeless remains settle at the bottom of the frigid abyss
Ships are sinking, eyes unblinking
Vessels descending into the icy abyss while the gaze of those aboard remains fixed and unchanging
Icy breath that heralds death
The frigid exhalation that serves as a forewarning of impending demise
Numbing cold flows through your soul
The all-encompassing coldness penetrates deep within one's very essence, rendering them emotionally desensitized
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Gregory G Lindstrom, James Gilbert Barraza, Jeffrey Hershey, Robert W Jr Garven, Timothy Allen Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind