Cirith Ungol is an American heavy metal band formed in late 1971 in Ventura, California. The group is noted for lyrics inspired by fantasy themes, particularly sword and sorcery, and is recognised as one of the early contributors to the doom and power metal genres.

During the 1970s, Cirith Ungol performed a form of heavy metal rooted in hard rock and progressive rock. Their debut studio album, "Frost and Fire," was released in 1981 and marked a shift toward a heavier sound, often regarded as an early example of American power metal. Their second album, "King of the Dead," released on 2 July 1984, established the band’s power metal style and introduced a darker tone, leading many to consider it an early example of doom metal.

The band's name is taken from the mountain pass Cirith Ungol in J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." In Tolkien’s Elvish language, the name means "Pass of the Spider" and is pronounced "kirith ungol," though the band uses the pronunciation "sirith ungol." Each of their studio albums features cover art by Michael Whelan, originally created for DAW Books editions of Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné series.

Greg Lindstrom, Robert Garven, Jerry Fogle, and Pat Galligan first played together in a junior high school band called Titanic. Seeking to pursue heavier music influenced by bands such as Mountain and Grand Funk Railroad, the group parted ways with Galligan and founded Cirith Ungol in late 1971. Their first live performance was held on 1 January 1972 at an anti-Vietnam War peace rally.

In 1980, Cirith Ungol signed with Liquid Flames Records and released "Frost and Fire," with Tim Baker on vocals. The songs were primarily written by Greg Lindstrom. "King of the Dead" followed in 1984, with lyrics written mainly by Tim Baker and Robert Garven. The band subsequently released "One Foot in Hell" on 12 August 1986 and "Paradise Lost" on 23 August 1991.

Cirith Ungol played their final live show on 13 December 1991 and disbanded in 1992 due to dissatisfaction with their record label. Founding guitarist Jerry Fogle passed away from liver failure on 20 August 1998.

In 2001, Metal Blade Records released the compilation album "Servants of Chaos" in Germany, which included unreleased demos and live recordings. The project was supported by Lindstrom and Garven using archived material. A worldwide reissue followed, featuring a live DVD from a 1984 performance at Wolf & Rissmiller's Country Club in California.

On 8 October 2016, Cirith Ungol reunited at the second annual Frost and Fire Festival in Ventura, California, with returning members Tim Baker, Robert Garven, Jim Barraza, and Greg Lindstrom. In 2017, they performed at several European and American festivals, including Keep It True, Up The Hammers, Defenders of the Old, Chaos Descends, Psycho Las Vegas, Days of Darkness, and Hammer of Doom. In 2018, the band played at Hell's Heroes Festival in Houston, Texas, and the NYDM Spring Bash in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In August of that year, they released the single "Witch's Game."

Their most recent studio album, "Forever Black," was released on 24 April 2020.