Cirith Ungol have announced their sixth studio album, Dark Parade, arriving October 20th via Metal Blade. Lead single and album opener “Velocity (S.E.P.)” can be heard now.
The Cali vets are cult heroes among ’80s metal circles, and “Velocity (S.E.P.)” harnesses the band’s definitive power metal sound. Spiraling leads and melodic riffs lay the foundation, while frontman Tim Baker’s vocals echo ominously throughout all corners of the mix. It’s a surefire ripper with an air of evil, and as guitarist Jimmy Barraza explained, there are some specific musical quirks under the hood that are new to the Cirith Ungol formula.
“While talking with Tim and [drummer] Rob [Garven] about what kind of song was needed, a decision was made to stop doing the galloping chugs, as done many times on previous albums, and start doing down-picking chugs while keeping some sort of tie to the Cirith Ungol sound,” Barraza said via the band’s press release. “Straying toward a Sabbath or Priest vibe is not far off and happens subconsciously.”
Writing for Dark Parade began immediately after the release of Cirith Ungol’s 2020 comeback album Forever Black. The lyrical content and stark mood of the new record was informed by the worldwide and personal suffering caused by the pandemic.
“Band members lost close relatives and we struggled as best we could through the pandemic which ravaged the earth’s population and economies,” Garven said. “As horrifying as it was, it was the perfect backdrop for our doom-laden message of a world on the edge of destruction.”
Dark Parade is set to drop the same day (October 20th) as their previously announced concert at The Roxy in West Hollywood — the last of three select 2023 US shows. You can pick up tickets here.
Pre-orders for the CD edition of Dark Parade can be found here, and the vinyl pre-order can be found here. Stream “Velocity (S.E.P.)” and see the album art and tracklist below.
Dark Parade Artwork:
Dark Parade Tracklist:
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
