I'm gonna be honest here: the first time I heard CIRITH UNGOL I couldn't stand them. This must have been some time in the latter half of the 80's when my internal Metal Detector was set on Speed'n'Thrash rather than original and groundbreaking Epic Metal-instigators. There was something so awkward and strange about them. The peculiar vocals of Tim Baker, the quirky riffing and unconventional song structures, that weird unpronounceable name!? I remember how alot of people (including the Metal media at the time) did more than just turn them a deaf ear, but went so far as to declare them "The Worst Metal Band Ever"(!). On the other hand, these were usually the kind of people who found bands like VAN HALEN, ANTHRAX, RATT and MEGADETH really exciting and worthwhile music, so there you go.
I think it was on my third try that it finally clicked for me and after 10-15 years of denial I finally had to surrender to the genius originality and songwriting skills of this seminal Heavy Metal act. In retrospect I shake my head at how I ever could fail to see the excellence and pure perfection in a record like, for instance, "King Of The Dead". Remember to kick my sorry, stupid ass the next time you see me, OK? I hereby humbly beg the Gods Of Metal forgiveness for my ignorance and hope that in publishing this interview (made by Jose Luis Cano a few years back) the Gods will show pity on me when my days of headbanging and writing clever intros are at an end...