Three years after their first album, the band is back with a much more solid effort than 'Frost and Fire', with stronger production and tighter vocals. There are still elements of 70s rock and roll, but a metal direction is far more prevalent. The song opens with the anthemic "Atom Smasher" and proceeds to barrel into classics like "Black Machine", "Death of the Sun", and a groovy space rock-ish tune bearing the band's own Tolkien-drawn moniker. Armed with their Michael Whelan cover work (ala Michael Moorcock's fantasy 'Elric' novels) and some serious rock and roll, Cirith Ungol seemed destined to leave their mark on the metal world, and with some class. This is when bands would wear tye-dyed shirts and leather and spikes at the same time. If you liked their first album or any of their later efforts, you'll certainly want the bridge between the two.

© 2000 pizarro