Cirith Ungol

Half Past Human

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Genre: Metal.
Released: 28/05/2021
Via Metal Blade

EP Review: Cirith Ungol – Half Past Human

LA Metalheads Cirith Ungol are back with a new EP titled ‘Half Past Human’. The metal veterans have made quite the name for themselves since the release of their debut album ‘King of the Dead’ back in 1984 and they will be hoping to catch the hearts of the younger generation of metal fans with this new release. I cannot wait to see what these guys have in store so without any further adieu, here are my thoughts on Cirith Ungol’s ‘Half Past Human’.

Opening track ‘Route 666’ instantly caught my attention with its old school metal sound. The band have perfected their craft over the years and this song is a shining example of just how good the original style of heavy metal can sound. Powerful riffs and impactful vocals litter the duration, and it culminates in one hell of a song. 

‘Shelob’s Lair’ has a distinctive intro that is very AC/DC esc and it works really well for the band. The utilisation of melodic phrases on the guitar gives the track depth and the predominant drumming ties everything together nicely. I found myself wanting to replay this song over and over again so I highly recommend this track!

Following that is the track ‘Brutish Manchild’ and I think this may be the weakest track on the EP, which caught me off guard as it’s the only song on the EP to be released as a single. I found the song quite jagged and cluttered at times. Unfortunately, the song comes across as a little clumsy and there are points where things sound out of time and jumbled together.

Fortunately, the final track ‘Half Past Human’ manages to get the EP back up to speed right at the death. The song comes in at 7:23 yet it seems to fly right by. Great flow and progression are on display through the track and the instrumental will have you grooving along for the entire duration of the track. A really solid ending to the EP.

Cirith Ungol has not missed a beat with this release and the majority of the EP sounds just as impressive as the bands earlier work. It’s great to hear this kind of metal still being produced at this high of a standard to this day. I highly recommend checking this release out if you get the chance.