Argus

Wow, I can't believe there isn't already a review for this little gem here. Imagine a boiling cauldron with a mix of the finest delights of Atlantean Kodex, Slough Feg, Sinister Realm, Grand Magus, Briton Rites and a spot of classics Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. This potent cauldron mix would then be poured into a vial and delivered to five bros in Pennsylvania...

This is what they recorded after drinking that said vial of awesome.

Holy mother of riff does this album smoke, glorious epic doom metal spliced with good old balls to the wall heavy metal. Everything from the front cover to the performances reeks of awesome, but especially the riffs. This album is all about the power of the riff, and every song packs a good few skull crushers, I really can't emphasize the quality enough here, and any self proclaimed fan of the riff should get this album quick.

Not content to rest on their badass riffing the band also boast a great vocalist in Butch Balich who commands excellent power and a range perfect for the music on offer. The lead guitar work is also very nice, and fitting for the music and theme. Not too flamboyant, but enough to make you take notice. The bass is great and is nicely audible, although I would have preferred more low end, which could have really set the album off. The drum work serves as a great back bone, nothing to flashy but nice use of fills and cymbals helps keep the meat and potatoes style more individual.

Tracks such as "Devils, Devils" and the incredible "From Darkness Light" both show Argus doing what they do best, the former being the perfect introduction to the band and the latter serving as a veritable riff buffet. "The Damnation of John Faustus" shows the band can get real mean and doom laden when the need be. The massive "The Outsider" is one of the finest tracks on Argus and again shows exactly what this band are capable of .

For a debut this is one hell of an impressive release, and for fans of epic doom and true metal I'd say this was nigh on mandatory, although doom purists should probably give this a try before purchasing. Argus set the bar quite high here, and this was one of the unsung treasures of 2009.