Argus - S/T

Argus are a band that gets lumped in with the Doom Metal scene but they are a band that has so much going on as far as influences are concerned. There is the odd Candlemass, Trouble and Sabbath worshiping moment but there is also a nod towards bands like Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy. I would compare them to Pale Divine but they also have a Solitude Aeturnus type of sound in some of thier tracks. Check out "Devils Devils" for one hell of a catchy tune with some great twin guitar riffing, chunky grooves and some solid solo work. Ex -Penance frontman Butch Balich handles the vocals and does a commanding job and other band members are equally up to the task. The guitar duo of Jason Mucio and Erik Johnson do a remarkable job, hardly what you would call ground-breaking but very tight and with a certain amount of class. Tracks like “Bending Time” show off their skills with some impressive guitar chops and the rhythm section of Kevin Latchaw and bassist Andy Ramage add some real solid metallic backbone. At times a couple of songs sound a little messy like in "From Darkness Light" where the arrangement of riffs seems to get a little lost at times but complaints like that are rare on this album. “Eternity (Beyond, Part I)” has a real 70's hard rock feel that is like a long lost Thin Lizzy gone Doom track and on “The Damnation of John Faustus” they give birth to a Doom monster of a track. The powerful production on this album really helps a track like this along and pushes the tune to its full potential. The song is a jaw-dropping slow to mid-tempo Doom track with riffs and rhythm that totally slay's the listener, this gets my vote as the best track on the album. “The Outsider” is about as solid as a hammering 10 minute Doom track can get and on “The Effigy is Real” the band really stretch out instrumentally. “None Shall Know The Hour” is another highlight with another killer twin guitar riff and a solo section in the middle of the song that is as close to perfection as you will hear anywhere. While this a great album, there is still room for improvement which is kind of scary considering how good this album is. The main faults is in some of the songwriting which at times sound like a mish mash of riffs rather than a cohesive piece of work but when it works it is awe-inspiring. The artwork on the album is stunning and like previously mentioned, the production is amazing. 8.5/10

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