Band:	Cirith Ungol
Album:	Dark Parade
Style:	Doom metal, Heavy metal
Release date:	October 2023

01. Velocity (S.E.P.)
02. Relentless
03. Sailor On The Seas Of Fate
04. Sacrifice
05. Looking Glass
06. Dark Parade
07. Distant Shadows
08. Down Below

Having been on the scene for an astonishing fifty-one years, at a time when even heavy metal was unheard of, could this Dark Parade signal Cirith Ungol's final act? If so, then these warriors of heavy metal are going out in true heavy/doom style.

Ladies, gentlemen, and metalheads alike, what you have here is Dark Parade, the sixth full-length release by the legendary American heavy/doom metal veterans Cirith Ungol. This is a band that shouldn't really need an introduction, unless you're completely new to 80s traditional heavy metal of course, or have simply never paid much attention to heavy metal bands outside the NWOBHM scene (i.e. Iron Maiden and Judas Priest). Now, we all know that many big-name heavy metal acts try to live up to the standards of their heyday, but more often than not, they find trying to cling on to their glory days a difficult task, maybe even impossible for some, as the musicians themselves age. I mean, none of us want to accept that we'll eventually be over the hill at some point, right? Occasionally you'll find that this is simply not the case for certain bands, and Cirith Ungol could well be one of those rare exceptions. One thing you can say about this band is they've retained a consistent discography, beginning with their impressive 1980 debut Frost And Fire, through to Paradise Lost (1991), before disbanding and making a staggering comeback with Forever Black (2020). This now brings us to the band's latest offering, Dark Parade. So, does this release follow suit in terms of quality?

Well, let me tell you, and no real surprise there, that Dark Parade certainly does follow suit in quality, both performance-wise and in the songwriting department. With a reasonable 8 tracks in total and a running time just shy of forty-five minutes, this release offers everything you'd expect from a traditional heavy metal release of this band's calibre. To start with, Tim Baker shows, once again, that he is not shy of delivering a top-notch vocal performance. The guitar work is, again, top-level from Greg Lindstrom and Jim Barraza, with more than enough memorable riffs to keep you hooked and headbanging throughout. The solos are an outstanding feature, and arguably the most well performed you'll hear in the whole genre this year. And, let me tell you, drummer Robert Garven and bassist Jarvis Leatherby are no slouches on this release either.

The album begins with the appropriately titled "Velocity (S.E.P.)". From the opening seconds of this track you can tell exactly where the album is heading, with the familiar striking leads, traditional galloping riffs, heavy bass lines and great rhythmic drum beats driving the album's instrumentation. Then, Baker comes in with his trademark vocal style. The following track "Relentless" follows suit from the opener, again being nothing out of the ordinary, but simple, yet memorable and catchy songwriting utilising great galloping melodic riffs, striking leads and more wonderful musicianship performances all around. However, the third track is where things start to get fascinating. Here, you're met by what can easily be considered the album's most epic track, "Sailor on the Seas of Fate". It being just over eight minutes long makes it the longest featured track by some margin. This track is more along the lines of traditional doom than heavy metal, especially from the mid-tempo doom, slogging riffs. The epic lead guitar work here is the most striking element, and the powerful wailing vocals also add a dramatic effect to the track's dynamics. The only minor downside here to this track is that towards the end, where the solos go a tad overboard, perhaps, and the doomy riffs become a wee too much of a slog for their own good, making one maybe lose interest in what was up to then one of the band's best ever written tracks.

From here on the album never really lets off steam. I'm sure you'll be happy to know that each track contains no shortage of quality riffs, from traditional doom mid-tempo slogs to traditional heavy metal gallops, only helped the more by the impressively meaty guitar tone. Each track is also never short of a highly impressive solo or two, and it's not like you can really miss the solos either, because they're purposefully mixed to be thrown right in your face. That being said, the vocals sound as if they're maybe held back a tad in the mix, which may not necessarily be a bad thing as such as it certainly allows the instrumentation to shine. The next stand-out track would have to be the title track, as it goes through several noticeable tempo and rhythm changes. The first half of the track is a more mid-tempo doomy slog that then half-way erupts into a highly melodic riff led by an energetic rhythm section before then going back into the doom mode featured in the beginning. The closing track "Down Below" begins with a soft acoustic passage before the highly memorable doomy riffs that have been present throughout the album once again come into play. The raspy, shouting vocals continue in the same passionate manner, whilst the solos continue to outshine all other elements. The track then closes out with the same short acoustic passage with which it began.

Overall, I'd say Dark Parade does more than enough to impress the majority of long-time Cirith Ungol fans far and wide, and traditional heavy/doom fans alike. They have continued doing what they do best; that not being venturing into unknown territory but producing catchy, memorable tracks with plenty of exciting hooks that'll keep old-school heavy metallers satisfied. For how much longer this band can keep it up is anybody's guess, but even if this is to be Cirith Ungol's final release, they'll surely go out in satisfaction, knowing they've done a grand job for their audience.