Has it really been eight months since I’ve written an actual review for this site? Maybe it just took that long for some old school metal to rear its head and shake my bones in their skin bag as ferociously as Dark Parade, the newest from heavy metal legends Cirith Ungol. Screw innovation and throw evolution out the window. I want to see Elric, the Eternal Champion, emblazoned on an album cover. I want meaty, chunky riffs that could have come straight out of 1984 when King of the Dead was released. And most of all I want that singular throaty roar that could come from the quavering vocal cords of Tim Baker.

I don’t want to shock you, dear reader, but Dark Parade delivers all that. I’d usually add “and more,” but that’s the point. Cirith Ungol give you exactly what you want and no more. There’s no need to.

For the foolish, the naive, the young…a small bit of history. Formed in the early 70s in Ventura, California the band took a while to get moving, not releasing their debut until New Year’s Day 1981. Frost and Fire had all the earmarks of what the band would come to stand for: galloping riffs courtesy of guitarist Greg Lindstrom, the mighty vocals of Tim Baker, and an amazing cover depicting Elric with the mighty Stormbringer held aloft done by album cover god Michael Whelan. Think NWOBHM with a side of 80s doom and the extravagance of classic rock. That formula was refined perfectly on 1984’s King of the Dead. 86’s One Foot in Hell kept the motor running, and despite taking on more of the sound of the day 1991’s Paradise Lost is a perfectly fine metal record, even if it lost a little of the luster of the previous releases.

And then, nothing. For almost 30 years.

So the arrival of 2020’s Forever Black was a shock on two fronts: not only did the band return, but they righteously kicked ass. The songs were more than solid, they had a bite and swagger that many bands emulating the past try to grasp but fail to attain. if it were simply a one-off I would have been completely satisfied, but the beauty of Dark Parade is that not only does the quality continue, but this is heavier, catchier, and just all around more massive. It’s their 21st century King of the Dead, and it rips.

The album kicks off with “Velocity (S.E.P.)” which is a driving down-picked rager that wouldn’t be out of place on a Judas Priest record, except Priest doesn’t normally play this doomy or heavy. The whole of Dark Parade is awash in darkness and the pain that came (and still comes?) with the global pandemic that locked everyone in their homes. But nothing about Dark Parade sounds like it was recorded in isolation – the songs are tight, indicative of a band that has played together for decades.

Highlights? I’d be hard pressed to name an album that opens better than the first three tracks here. Besides the above-mentioned opener we have “Relentless” which gets even darker and heavier, a doom storm with Middle Eastern melodies in the guitar licks and a set of lyrics that revel in the wallowing of fear, of lessons never learned. But the pinnacle for me is the seven and a half minute “Sailor on the Seas of Fate” which gloriously dances about the theme of Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King” with abandon. It’s the kind of song 13-year-old me would kill for on a metal record, usually found late in the sequencing. Putting it right up front in the classic “hit single” spot is a killer decision, showing the band firing on all cylinders.

Even better, Dark Parade remains pretty consistent through its lean and mean 44 minutes. “Sacrifice” is crazy heavy, even with a cow bell. The title track opens with a triumphant riff recalling the best of the NWOBHM before swirling into an almost funky groove that just as quickly devolves into murky doom. It’s a showcase of every style Cirith Ungol can pull out if its hat, and that it all works seamlessly is a testament to a band 100% committed to making the second half of its existence even better than the first.

Long may they reign.

— Chris

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Dark Parade will be available October 20th from Metal Blade Records. For more information on Cirith Ungol, check out their Facebook and Instagram pages.