Cirith Ungol was formed in Ventura, California, in the early 1970s, long before the rigid tropes and ironclad traditions that define today’s heavy metal genre had taken shape. Also known as Medieval obscure Epic True Heavy Metal heroes which Bart Gabriel described them. There was no rulebook, no template to follow, so Cirith Ungol simply made it up as they went along. According to drummer Robert Garven, even in those early days, the band’s burning ambition was to play “the heaviest metal known to man.” Cirith Ungol’s lyrical approach was profoundly influenced by the high fantasy literature of J.R.R. Tolkien (from whose Hobbit and Lord of the Rings opus they derived their name) and Michael Moorcock. It was probably the first time on both on music – the name Cirith Ungol on 1971 (writer Tolkien), fantasy antihero Elric on 1981 (cover art Whelan/writer Moorcock), the symbol of Chaos Star and Praying Skeleton. Between 1981 and 1991, Cirith Ungol released four acclaimed full-length albums, including the legendary King of the Dead (1984) and One Foot in Hell (1986). Despite amassing a passionate cult following on both sides of the Atlantic, commercial and financial success eluded Cirith Ungol, prompting Garven and vocalist Tim Baker to lay the band to rest in May 1992.

On 17th Oct 2015 they reformed for the Meet and Greet and signing session on the first Frost and Fire Festival.

On 8th Oct 2016, Cirith Ungol officially returned to the stage by headlining the Frost and Fire II Festival at the Majestic Ventura Theater, playing to a packed house of fans who had converged on the band’s hometown of Ventura, California to witness the kings of the dead rise from the grave. This night was vindication. In Garven’s words, “When the ancient stars aligned, Cirith Ungol crawled out of its ancient slumber, to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world.” Two days later, fresh off their Frost and Fire triumph, the band were honored by the City of Ventura, which proclaimed October 10, 2016 to be Cirith Ungol Day.

As Robert Garven is fond of saying, Cirith Ungol remains “A Churning Maelstrom of Metal Chaos Descending!” Long may they reign!