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: http://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.
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| L-R: Jarvis Leatherby (bass), Jim Barraza (guitar), Greg Lindstrom (guitar), Robert Garven (drums), Tim Baker (vocals) |
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