Half Past Human

CALIFORNIA’S MASTERS OF HEAVY METAL CHAOS, CIRITH UNGOL, STRIKE BACK
WITH A VERY SPECIAL EP ENTITLED HALF PAST HUMAN.

THE BAND DUG DEEP INTO THEIR ARCHIVAL CRYPTS, DRAWING BACK THE
VEILED MISTS OF HISTORY TO EXPOSE LONG-FORGOTTEN JEWELS FROM THEIR
STORIED PAST. IN SO DOING, THE BAND EXHUMED FOUR SONGS WRITTEN IN A
BYGONE ERA BUT NEVER PROPERLY INCLUDED AS PART OF THEIR FABLED
DISCOGRAPHY. CIRITH UNGOL SWEPT THE DUST OFF THESE PRECIOUS RELICS,
SUMMONING LONG-DEAD FORCES BACK TO LIFE. PRE-ORDER NOW!

THIS ALBUM WAS MADE TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME!

After our last album ‘Forever Black’ was released, the band received many requests to re-record a few of our original songs. At first, we wanted to forge ahead with all new material, however we decided to share with you a few early Ungol songs with some new fire breathed into them. We hope you enjoy listening to them, as much as we enjoyed reliving these past anthems! Stay tuned for more to come!

On May 28th, Cirith Ungol will release their new EP, Half Past Human, via Metal Blade Records. For a first preview, the new single, “Brutish Manchild” – where the EP can also be pre-ordered in the following formats:

• digipak-CD
• 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
• sheer violet marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 500 copies)
• orange aurora vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 300 copies)
• yellow marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – limited to 300 copies)
• picture disc (EU exclusive – limited to 500 copies)
• dark red marbled vinyl (US exclusive)

In addition there is even more:

• Ultimate Bundle
• Cassette (Red) – unreleased
• Cassette (Orange)
• Cassette (Transparent Green)

The globe was ravaged by pandemic in the wake of the release of Cirith Ungol‘s triumphant reunion album, Forever Black, in April 2020. As time stood still, the band dug deep into their archival crypts, drawing back the veiled mists of history to expose long-forgotten jewels from their storied past. In so doing, the band exhumed four songs written in a bygone era but never properly included as part of their fabled discography. Cirith Ungol swept the dust off these precious relics, summoning long-dead forces back to life. Each song was reimagined for today, injected with a fresh dose of power and vitality while preserving their trademark mysticism and remaining drenched in sinister, apocalyptic energy. Recorded under the watchful eye of producer Armand John Anthony (Night Demon / Bewitcher / Gygax) in the darkness of 2020, Half Past Human promises to be a treasured addition to the music collections of Cirith Ungol‘s loyal legions. In keeping with tradition, the package is completed by stunning cover art courtesy of acclaimed fantasy artist Michael Whelan, from the original Elric series.

Brand new Cirith Ungol EP available for pre order! Includes newly recorded versions of 1970’s rarities.

“Half Past Human” is Cirith Ungol’s third offering of newly recorded
material, since our reunion in 2016.

There has been a lot of interest in the bands early history and material.
We decided to dust off a few old Cirith Ungol classics and breathe new life,
and new energy into them!

All four songs have a common theme, a sinister beastly imagery which
flows all the way through to the cover art.

Sit down, strap in, and crank it up!!!

TRACK LISTING

• Route 666 (newly recorded version)
• Shelob’s Lair (newly recorded version)
• Brutish Manchild (newly recorded version)
• Half Past Human (newly recorded version)

Celebrating their 49th year as a band, Cirith Ungol will release a new EP, ‘Half Past Human’, this May. Once again the iconic cover painting was done by longtime collaborator, Michael Whelan, whose magnificent visuals remain inextricably associated with Cirith Ungol.

With ‘Half Past Human’, Cirith Ungol continues their enduring legacy in the classic metal pantheon, more than four decades after the band’s inception. It is a gift to the steadfast and growing legions of fans, old and new, who never faltered in their belief, who coaxed them out of retirement, and who have embraced them during the reunion years. It is a continuation of the Cirith Ungol mythology, a worthy and welcome addition to their daunting musical legacy. And it is a defiant fist to the face of any unbelievers who doubted Cirith Ungol’s unshakable resolve and burning dedication to their arcane and mysterious craft.

REJOICE! The new @CirithU EP, #HalfPastHuman is OUT NOW!

These legends keep churning out the highest quality jams! Do yourselves a favor and listen to this record. https://t.co/8UGHzdw3Np ⚔️#cirithungol #metalblade pic.twitter.com/NMhBt7Tm1t

— Metal Blade Records (@MetalBlade) May 31, 2021

The cover

The cover was painted by Michael Whelan in 1977 and is entitled White Wolf.

The painting was used for the DAW edition of Michael Moorcock‘s book The Weird of the White Wolf (The Elric Saga #3). The book was published in March 1977. There are various editions of the book, and not all editions has the same cover.

See more here:

Michael Whelan

Michael Moorcock – Elric 3. The Weird of the White Wolf

Bootleg and non CU:

Controversy: in the credits on Half Past Human, there is no mention at all of “Michael Moorcock”.

Review

As many of you know, I formed a vintage-style heavy rock band, Falcon, in late 2002 in collaboration with founding Cirith Ungol multi-instrumentalistj, Greg Lindstrom. Approximately half of Falcon’s output was comprised of my originals, the other half Greg’s old CU tunes that never got a proper release. Greg left CU in 1981, but returned to the fold in their revamped lineup in 2016. Ungol released a killer comeback album, Forever Black, in 2020, which I subsequently reviewed on this here blog. I suggest you check it out here:

https://unvanquishablefalcon.blogspot.com/2020/05/review-cirith-ungol-forever-black-2020.html

Rather than a typical review, this is going to be a view from the inside out. Why? Well, to put it bluntly it’s because of my friendship with Greg L., drummer Rob Garven and years of emailing with axeman Jim Barraza. I’ll tackle this topnotch EP song by song.

The opener, “Route 666” dates to 1977 or so. The original demo version was sung by Greg L. Falcon’s version appeared on our debut self-titled album, complete with the same intro of an Alfa Romeo engine revving as the original Ungol demo and this 2021 rendition. Vocalist Tim Baker does an admirable job of rendering Greg L’s lyrics – forceful and metallic. Baker’s voice is pitch-shifted to sound more demonic at several points. Barraza’s rhythm guitar tone is slightly more modern than Greg L’s, but it’s a perfect combination. Double tracked guitar solos abound – each slightly different than the other track. Barraza does plenty of justice to late guitarist Jerry Fogle’s axemanship. The tune closes with some atmospheric dive-bombing guitars.

A Tolkien-inspired number, “Shelob’s Lair” – was also resurrected by Falcon. It’s the tale of Frodo Baggins and Samwise’s battle with the giant arachnid, Shelob (spawn of Ungoliant). The new-fangled version sports some extra melody-lines during the pre-choruses. The guitar tones are warm and fuzzy, and the solos are nice ‘n’ wet with delay. For a track conceived in 1975 or thereabouts, this one is ultra-heavy. The bass could be a bit higher in the mix, but that’d be nit-picking.

“Brutish Manchild” saw a release as a free flexi-disc companion to a 2020 issue of Decibel Magazine. The lyrics revolve around the post-apocalyptic theme of man-ape’s fall from grace. Some awesome use of harmonised guitar fills abound, easily as provoking as Gorham/Robertson (Lizzy) or Denner/Shermann (Mercyful Fate). I have yet to hear a Seventies rehearsal or demo tape of “Brutish Manchild”. I wonder if one exists…

The title track, “Half Past Human,” further explores the doom of man-ape in Earth’s waning years of the distant future. Falcon put a spin on this one, as well, back in 2003. Lyrically, it reads like something out of Clark Ashton Smith’s necromantic tales of the dying continent, Zothique – or Jack Vance’s The Dying Earth. It opens with a lush, depressive acoustic passage and a plaintive theme-like lead backed with some inventive bass licks. The early demo versions of this track, dating to 1976, lack vocals. I had no guide in singing it in Falcon beyond Greg L’s lyric sheet. Tim Baker’s approach to the vocal lines is not very far-fetched from mine. Some cool human-voice synth pads are apparent in this take, aping (pun intended) the function of an old Mellotron. The wahed-out main guitar solo is glorious and Seventies-inflected. In true Ungol-fashion, the outro is lengthened out with a massive gong-infused crescendo, showcasing Garven’s triplet-heavy drumming.

– Perry

https://unvanquishablefalcon.blogspot.com/2021/06/cirith-ungols-half-past-human-insiders.html

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