Few bands can claim that, beyond their cult status, they still have a genuine reason to exist after so many decades. Cirith Ungol is one of them. The reason is simple: the band not only made a dynamic comeback in 2020, after more than 30 years of inactivity, but has also been quite active in writing new material ever since.
After all, who would have believed back in the ’90s when the Americans hung up their songwriting gloves that they’d experience a second youth and wouldn’t just be one of those bands coasting on past glories? But no, Cirith Ungol returned with work that looked their classic albums straight in the eye.
“All The Shadows” is the third album since their reunion. There’s a big bet to win in this album. The guitars of Jim Barazza and Greg Lindstrom are a thing of the past. I needn’t mention just how important that duo was to the band’s success. I was very curious to see how the otherwise highly talented Armand Anthony (Night Demon) would fill that void.
As an album “All The Shadows” once again features all the elements that made the band’s sound so unique. It’s dark, chaotic at times, and just as heavy as it needs to be. Backed by production that really helps it (it’s meticulously sloppy) it shows that the band has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.
It’s perhaps their most ambivalent album compositionally since their reunion. Divided roughly in the middle, it presents two distinct sides. The first part is somewhat more “contained” and conventional, while in the second part the band seems to be experimenting more intensely. I’d say it’s clearly a return to their early days and their first creative period.
Don’t expect to hear anything shockingly progressive. Why should you, anyway? We’re talking about an album that honors the band’s history without smelling of mothballs. Once again, Tim Baker invites us into his dark world.
