Cirith Ungol

Cirith Ungol were a Californian traditional heavy metal band that formed in 1972 and split up in 1992. The band members were all serious fans of sword and sorcery/high fantasy novels, drawing a great deal of musical influence from the genre. Their moniker was taken from Tolkien; in Elvish it means "Pass of the Spider" and refers to Shelob's lair, where Gollum attempts to lead Frodo to his death. Servants of Chaos was originally released back in 2001 and was available exclusively in Europe. Long out-of-print and quite rare, consistent demand caused Metal Blade to prepare this edition for a much wider release. Servants of Chaos includes many live, rare and demo songs, 31 tracks across two CDs, plus a DVD that captures the entirety of a live set from 1984 in Resada, CA. This is not the place to start with Cirith Ungol. By their very nature, the tracks are inconsistent, especially when it comes to recording quality. The value of this album is as a historical artefact: you can hear the group evolve from straightforward rock, gradually incorporating heavier elements and solidifying their aesthetic as an early metal band. It's particularly neat to hear variations on, and early versions of, beloved songs like "Frost and Fire." Hardcore fans will definitely want to get their hands on Servants of Chaos, as it serves as a fascination archive of Cirith Ungol's development and legacy, while genre historians will also enjoy the novelty.