Cirith Ungol is an American heavy metal band formed in late 1971 in Ventura, California. The group is known for lyrics based on fantasy (particularly sword and sorcery) and is an early doom and power metal band. Throughout the 1970s, the band generally played a style of heavy metal heavily rooted in hard and progressive rock. The band's first studio album, Frost and Fire (1981), featured a heavier sound, generally regarded as an early example of American power metal.