Description

Ultimate edition with 4 bonus tracks and a bonus dvd

King of the Dead, Cirith Ungol’s second album, is actually something of a step backwards from Frost and Fire; the production sounds a little muddier, the song structures less focused, and the hooks less apparent. “Hooks,” of course, refers mainly to the guitar riffs, because vocalist Tim Baker still hardly ever steps out of his shrill sing-speak delivery, which listeners generally find either deliciously evil or overdone and irritatingly silly. Cirith Ungol is actually a pretty ambitious band, but they’re also somewhat amateurish and cartoonishly over-the-top. Those aren’t necessarily reasons to dismiss their music, since bands like Venom and Celtic Frost — who were generally critically reviled during their existence — actually planted the seeds of the death metal revolution; however, Cirith Ungol doesn’t have Venom’s extremity or Celtic Frost’s restless experimentation going for them, and they don’t have the songwriting chops to make up for those deficiencies. It’s apparent on King of the Dead that Cirith Ungol had a great deal of potential, but they don’t bring it together here. 1999 cd release with one bonus track

Track listing:
1. Atom Smasher
2. Black Machine
3. Master Of The Pit
4. King Of The Dead
5. Death Of The Sun
6. Finger Of Scorn
7. Toccatta In D
8. Cirith Ungol
9. Last Laugh
10. Death Of The Sun
11. Master Of The Pit-live
12. King Of The Dead-live
13. Cirith Ungol-live

Dvd listing: Live At The Roxy West Hollywood January 19, 1983
1. Atom Smasher
2. I’m Alive
3. Black Machine
4. Master Of The Pit
5. King Of The Dead
6. Death Of The Sun
7. Finger Of Scorn
8. Cirith Ungol