25.04.2020 - 23:47Rating: 8
Posts: 40

Never listened to Cirith Ungol before today, except for a few bits and pieces (I think

), but the news that a band that hadn't released anything new in nearly three decades just put out a record kinda piqued my interest. However instead of starting with their latest album, I decided to go to the beginning. Get a little context for what this band was or is. It's sorta what I do anyway when I get into a new band (new for me, of course), regardless of whether they just put out a new album or not.
...and to be honest it was a pleasant surprise, even though I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting; perhaps I expected a little bit more doom than what it actually had, which is to say practically none. It's a record that is certainly showing its age, both in terms of production and composition, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in quality. A couple of the songs around the middle of the album perhaps don't fit very well with the rest, but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it. I guess this is what would've been labeled 'heavy metal' back in the day, but today I'd call it an honest hard rocking record with a few metal flourishes here and there.
I'll give it 7.5 swords out of 10.
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My subjectivity is better than yours.