They may be shorn of original members, but with Robert Garven still running the engine room with some fire, Tim Baker’s unique vocals giving the band their distinctive edge, and the dual pistons of Night Demon’s Armand John Anthony and Jarvis Leatherby driving the band ever forward, All The Shadows, the latest album by the legendary Cirith Ungol, bites as hard as anything they have ever written.
Cirith Ungol – All The Shadows
Release Date: 30 October 2026
Words: Paul Hutchings
Their history is well documented. Reborn in 2015 thanks to Leatherby, two excellent albums followed. Forever Black reminded us that there was very much room in the new world for these old masters, whilst 2023’s Dark Parade equalled the iconic Frost And Fire and King Of The Dead.
The statement in 2024 that they would be closing out the last chapter of live shows saw many sold-out shows, including a quite incredible set at a hotter-than-hell The Underworld in Camden when the band’s legions united in homage.
The fire clearly still burns deep within the Cirith Ungol homestead, for the band are back on the road in 2027, which includes a couple of UK dates.
But what of All The Shadows? Well, there is a traditional format for their seventh release. An absolute stormer in the title track to open proceedings, a couple of longer epics mid-album surrounded by a scattering of tracks that all ring every bell on the Cirith Ungol tree.
Back to the opener, High tempo, with Anthony’s guitar ripping away whilst Garven and Leatherby lock in tight. But it is the incredible vocals of Baker that always take the spotlight, and here he is in great form. Robust tales of blackened hearts and broken dreams. Echoes of madness, corruption, and sin all forged in the undeniable legendary style of this majestic band.
As Robert Garven says, “This is the band’s next chapter, describing mankind’s descent into darkness and despair! Tim Baker is the Nostradamus of our time.”
After the high-velocity start, Cirith Ungol drop the pace to a doomy thump. This Mortal Coil is dominated by a chunky riff and that typical off-tempo pattern that often forms the basis of classic tracks. Baker’s echoing vocals are sublime, whilst Anthony, not content with producing the album hits with an emotive, bluesy solo.
This tempo is maintained on the ambling Shallow Reflection, one of two six-minute-plus tracks and one that meanders for the first three minutes before launching into a classic Metal gallop, with Anthony again showing some fantastic fretwork.
The time changes and diversity of style are impressive. It is here that you realise that the grandfathers of traditional Metal are not just from Birmingham but from Ventura, California.
Empty Tomb is another darkened tale, with Baker’s vocal performance perhaps the best on the album, such is his power. It is followed by the melancholic On Broken Wings, which has more than an echo of Sabbath in their mellow times. A brooding beast of a song, it is definitely Ungol at their most vulnerable but also most creative. It takes some time to get used to, but it is now amongst my favourites.
Some albums drift towards the end, but Cirith Ungol finish with two face-melting slabs of Heavy Metal just to leave you wanting more. The sprawling might of Hollow Nimbus, with its grandiose passages and huge riffs, leads into the doom-laden Venus In Thirds, which stomps right to the end.
With more magnificent artwork by the equally legendary Michael Whelan, All The Shadows is likely to rank with the best in the Ungol catalogue.
Like a beast that refuses to die, Cirith Ungol stand defiant. There is still time. Join the legion.
Cirith Ungol release All The Shadows on 30 October 2026 via No Remorse Records. For pre-orders, head over to the band’s Bandcamp page.
