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 Troll
Cirith Ungol Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where he can t be seen.
Huddled under a bankside,
Staring into a stream.
Want to cross this bridge,
Well better be aware.
There is a brown hairy troll,
Yea, I'm the troll,
This is my bridge,
Go turn around,
Back through the ridge.
Yeah, I 'm the troll,
Don t you even dare,
Yea, I'm the troll,
Goin' get you there,
Monster from beneath.
Bastard of grief,
Such a sad sigh,
Does he want to die?
In a mind of fear,
The troll lives in my mind.
I must forget this fear of regret.
The Troll
The Troll
The Troll
The Troll will charge a toll,
That is, your life,
So this is it,
You better think Twice,
Don't cross the bridge,
Where he lives.
But, its too late
Cause here he is,
The lyrics to Cirith Ungol's song The Troll paints an eerie picture of a creature that lurks under a bridge, undetected by the naked eye. The first stanza describes the troll's hiding place under the bridge, where he can remain out of sight while watching over a nearby stream. For anyone attempting to cross the bridge, the lyrics warn of the troll's presence, describing him as a brown, hairy creature who is likely to cause fear.
The second stanza reveals the troll's domination over the bridge as he claims it as his territory. The lyrics clearly convey a sense of danger and fear as the troll threatens anyone who dares to cross the bridge. He enforces his warning through an aggressive stance, telling the listener to turn back towards the ridge.
The bridge suddenly becomes a metaphor for the fear that resides in the human mind in the third stanza. The lyrics suggest that the 'monster from beneath' is not only the troll, but also represents the feeling of sadness and regret. The troll becomes a personification of fear that threatens to consume, trap, and eventually destroy people if they do not tackle it head on.
Line by Line Meaning
Hides under a bridge,
The troll hides under a bridge to avoid being seen.
Where he can t be seen.
The troll chose to hide under the bridge to avoid being seen.
Huddled under a bankside,
The troll was crouched under the bank side.
Staring into a stream.
The troll was gazing at the water in the stream.
Want to cross this bridge,
If someone wants to cross the bridge, they need to be cautious about the troll.
Well better be aware.
It is important to be cautious when crossing the bridge.
There is a brown hairy troll,
The troll is brown and has hair.
Goin' give you a scare.
Encountering the troll may be frightening.
Yea, I'm the troll,
The troll is speaking.
This is my bridge,
The bridge belongs to the troll.
Go turn around,
The troll is telling someone to leave and not cross the bridge.
Back through the ridge.
The troll is telling someone to go back the way they came.
Don t you even dare,
The troll is warning someone not to cross the bridge.
Goin' get you there,
If someone crosses the bridge, the troll will do something harmful to them.
Monster from beneath.
The troll is being compared to a monster from beneath the ground.
Bastard of grief,
The troll is being referred to as a cruel and unpleasant creature.
Such a sad sigh,
The line is questioning whether the troll is feeling sorrowful.
Does he want to die?
The line is asking if the troll has a death wish.
In a mind of fear,
The troll lives with a mindset of fear.
The troll lives in my mind.
The line is saying that the fear of the troll is in the mind of the artist.
I must forget this fear of regret.
The artist feels they must overcome their fear of the troll.
The Troll
The title is referencing the troll.
The Troll
The title is once again referencing the troll.
The Troll
The title is referencing the troll for the third time.
The Troll will charge a toll,
The troll will demand payment for crossing the bridge, possibly in the form of a life.
That is, your life,
The toll the troll demands is the person's life.
So this is it,
The line indicates that there is no turning back once someone crosses the bridge.
You better think Twice,
The artist is urging caution and careful consideration before attempting to cross the bridge.
Don't cross the bridge,
The line is warning someone not to cross the bridge where the troll lives.
Where he lives.
The line is specifying where the troll lives.
But, its too late
The singer is stating that it is already too late to avoid crossing the bridge.
Cause here he is,
The troll has been encountered.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSEPH MALATESTA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind