Frost & Fire

With their name culled from the pages of J.R.R. Tolkein, and their cover art (by Michael Whelan) with images from Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné series, Cirith Ungol could be a nerd's dream band. When their debut album, Frost And Fire, was released way back in '81 it was met with derision and scorn by the critics and magazines, most likely the same folks who, today, call it a "masterpiece" or "a forward-thinking metallic milestone," you know how writers are. Upon first listen it's somewhat easy to see why people didn't get it the first time, it's clunky and awkwardly performed, and compared to something as great as say, Iron Maiden's Killers, released the same year, it seems even more so. But fuck that shit, Cirith Ungol weren't Maiden, and weren't trying to be. Cirith Ungol were American Heavy Metal, Southern Cali stoners with an obvious love of all things NWOBHM and '70s hard rock. Tim Baker's voice brims with a naive enthusiasm as he sings lyrics like "I got My Rock n' Roll Haircut, I got my Rock n' Roll Jeans" which brings to mind Saint Vitus' "Born Too Late," another anthem for the burnout throwback kicking and screaming into the slick and rather soulless '80s. Only the title track speaks of the fantasy themes suggested by the band's name and cover imagery. The rest of the songs seem to be about working class angst and frustration (again like Vitus.) Producer Randall Jackson (pictured in the liners looking like Barry Gibb complete with gold chains resting on a bed of chest hair) captured the vibe of Cirith Ungol perfectly with a dry upfront sound. Perhaps the metal press of the day couldn't wrap their heads around anything so honest yet so flawed. The standard of the time seemed to be an emphasis on musical ability over passion, and Cirith Ungol were just too strange, too real. Now Cirith Ungol enjoys the posthumous success afforded to only the most cult of cult bands. The term "cult band" here means that nobody gave a fuck when they were around, people even hated them, but now everyone claims to have been on board since the beginning. Such was the case with Pentagram, Saint Vitus, and now, Cirith Ungol. But I think it's never too late to discover a great album, and I believe their are so many albums that deserve another listen years later, and Frost and Fire is a perfect candidate. Here