[Cover photo credit to Peter Beste]
Heavy Metal band Cirith Ungol will be releasing their sixth full-length album, Dark Parade, on October 20th, 2023 via Metal Blade Records and have revealed cover art, track listing, and a first single, “Velocity (S.E.P.)”.
Formed in Ventura, California in the early 1970s, Cirith Ungol created a unique sound that was “heavy, dark, and doom-filled.”
After their 2020 studio comeback Forever Black, the band started writing songs for Dark Parade as soon as Forever Black was released. During the pandemic period, they struggled with “illness, seclusion, grief, and depression” but continued by working on one song at a time. The first track composed was “Relentless,” which reinforced their confidence and clarity of vision.
Drummer Rob Garven shares:
Band members lost close relatives and we struggled as best we could through the pandemic which ravaged the earth‘s population and economies. As horrifying as it was, it was the perfect backdrop for our doom-laden message of a world on the edge of destruction.
With all eight demos finished, which are included on the expanded edition of the album, Cirith Ungol marched forth to record Dark Parade in October 2022.
The first single from Dark Parade is opening track “Velocity (S.E.P.),”.
Guitarist Jimmy Barrazza shares:
While talking with [vocalist] Tim [Baker] and Rob about what kind of song was needed, a decision was made to stop doing the galloping chugs, as done many times on previous albums, and start doing down-picking chugs while keeping some sort of tie to the CIRITH UNGOL sound. Straying toward a Sabbath or Priest vibe is not far off and happens subconsciously.
Tim Baker adds:
It‘s about what happens when we sell that which we hold dear. Our soul — if such a thing exists — our dignity, pride, and whatever else we have that will help seal the deal in an endless pursuit of money, power, glory and dominion over others.
Cirith Ungol will play a special record release show on October 20th, 2023 at The Roxy in West Hollywood, marking the band‘s first Los Angeles live appearance in thirty-five years. The performance will commemorate The Roxy’s 50th anniversary and find the band playing Dark Parade in its entirety followed by a full set of classic material. Additionally, the set will be filmed and recorded for a future live release.
CIRITH UNGOL Live:
10/20/2023 The Roxy – West Hollywood, CA * Record Release Show
