It was a little over three years ago that amidst the darkest days of the pandemic, the mighty Cirith Ungol returned from their decades long slumber with the incredible Forever Black. A monolith of savage US steel and devastatingly epic doom, Forever Black made its way to the top of our 2020 best of list without contest. Not only that, but I’ve held it to be the finest metal album of the ’20s thus far. At least I did until the release of Cirith Ungol’s latest and potentially final album, Dark Parade.
The fact that Cirith Ungol was able to return after such a long absence with an album of equal quality as their flawless initial catalog was a feat in and of itself. Being able to do it again with a follow up reunion effort is damn near unheard of (unless you’re Satan). And yet 52 years into their storied career, Cirith Ungol manages to lay every modern traditional, power, and doom metal band to waste without contest. Seriously folks, why settle for a pale imitation when the originals are still going at it with the same conviction of yore?
True to its title, Dark Parade is easily the darkest album in the Cirith Ungol canon, which speaks volumes. This is a band who always incorporated slow, plodding riffage and lyrics of despair into their signature epic sound. On Dark Parade, these tropes take the forefront, making for an outing that’s bleak and crushing, yet undeniably powerful. Even those who often dismiss doom as a monotonous bore-fest (guilty as charged) will have their skulls split by the midtempo attack of “Relentless”, ungodly onslaught of “Sacrifice”, and grooving evil of the title cut.
As impressive as the songs themselves are the individual performances of Cirith Ungol’s members. At 66 years old, Tim Baker delivers what is perhaps the most unhinged vocals of his career, his barbaric shrieks, spits, growls, and howls making every gauge-eared posercore pig squealer cower in absolute fear. The dynamic guitar duo of Greg Lindstrom and Jimmy Barraza unleash unholy heaviness with their riffs and mesmerizing musical spells with their leads, the solo on “Looking Glass” specifically being perhaps the most impactful metal guitar solo in decades. Holding it all down is bassist Jarvis Leatherby and drummer Robert Garven: A rhythm section NOT to be reckoned with.
Together, these five have yet again done the Cirith Ungol name proud, adding another worthy entry to their storied catalog. Perhaps most impressive of all is that unlike Forever Black, whose songs could be stylistically referenced back to specific Cirith Ungol albums and eras, Dark Parade is largely its own beast. Sure, the more epic-oriented cuts like “Velocty (S.E.P.)” and “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” can be compared to King of the Dead (1984), but aside from that, what we have here may be the most epic and doomiest album in the history of epic doom. I’m not saying that for the second time, Cirith Ungol have secured “Album of the Year” honors, but you can make an educated guess. Long live the Legion!
10 out of 10
Label: Metal Blade Records
Genre: Epic Doom Metal
For fans of: Black Sabbath, Smoulder, Manilla Road