Boldly Stride the Doomed

Occupying the dark void between genres, Argus are half doom, half heavy and all brilliant. Though they take clear influence from the likes of Iron Maiden and Candlemess, they still manage to produce their own distinct and unique style of doom.

The songs are mostly riff driven, with the two guitarists performing the usual lead/rhythm duties, often breaking out into some great Maiden-esque harmonies, with the drums and bass occasionally getting their own moments in the spotlight. To top it off the vocalist delivers a powerful and professional perfomance, sounding like Bruce Dickinson sacrificed an octave off his magnificent range to grow some massive balls.

The album is brilliantly paced, beginning and ending with a soft, melodic acoustic guitar theme. The faster and slower tracks are perfectly placed for effective contrast, as are the faster and slower moments in each song. The mid-paced epic doom tracks "Curse On The World" and "Wolves at Dusk" Get you pumped up and ready for action and lead you into the slower "The Ladder" and "Durendal." Before reprising the original acoustic theme, the 12 minute long "Pieces Of Your Smile," - somewhat reminiscent of Warning - slows the album almost to a stop, and near tears out your heart; one quality that rarely goes astray in the genre.

Though their influences from multiple genres are clear throughout, some songs are straight out mid-paced heavy metal and others are your standard doom metal fare, but the ones that combine them are where Argus excel. Their second release; Boldly Stride the Doomed proves that Argus are a powerhouse of modern doom metal, and shows great promise for the future.

Originally written for www.ultimate-guitar.com

Retro-kitsch heavy/doom metal bands are a dime-a-dozen and their numbers have seen considerable increase since the millennium began. It takes a lot for a band to stand out and few groups work beyond the confines of trend and all too obvious influences. While they aren't part of the hipster trend, Argus' style is a grand statement of old school heavy metal. The boys from PA have been one of the few in the genre who would stand out in the crowd since their inception, offering up mid-paced heavy metal. The 2007 demo and self-titled album were gems in their own right, though the full-length was too ambitious on a couple of songs and felt less distinct than the demo. Argus have outdone themselves on this new album. "Boldly Stride the Doomed" is a masterpiece of epic, doom-tinged heavy metal.

While not always as storied or popular as European counterparts, the U.S.A. has long been home to the strongest traditions of heavy metal. Groups like Manilla Road, Brocas Helm, and Pentagram (arguably) offer some of the most interesting and influential discographies within the genre of heavy metal. Argus is cut from a similarly epic cloth, but on "Boldly Stride..." the band more closely resembles "Age of Creation"-era Candlemass. Alternating mid-to-slow paced heavier sections with galloping heavy metal and a brilliant vocal performance from Butch Balich (ex-Penance). Balich's vocals are engaging, professional and drive the tracks to their fullest potential. This strongly contrasts with (the otherwise comparable) Grand Magus vocalist, who has amped up the cheese vocals too much for my taste in recent years.

I wouldn't have listened to this disc fifteen times in a row,for two days straight, if it didn't have ripping guitar performances throughout. Whether they are whipping it up full speed ("A Curse On the World", "Boldly Stride the Doomed") or pensively clawing across the floor ("The Ladder", "42-7-29") the guitarists' twisted classic-rock influenced riff style is far more developed compared to the self-titled album. Song elements here feel more complete this time around, with each song's "hook" well placed and fleshed out just enough. My personal favorite track "Durendal" shows off fine attention to detail and offers a highlight in the middle of the album that keeps the pace going steady. Where the album hits shaky ground for me is the sluggish final track "Pieces of Your Smile", while it is a nice way to end the album (and features some of the best guitar solos on the album) shortening the track by a couple of minutes could have elevated it to the level of the other tracks. This gripe gets more evident after repeated listens but doesn't cripple the overall experience.

The production here is spacious, organic and sounds great overall. Stylistically the tone of "Boldly Stride..." is a cross of the previously mentioned Candlemass album with the adventurous pure metal of Manilla Road's "Open the Gates." or if you're not familiar with those releases think Iron Maiden meets "Thunder and Lightning"-era Thin Lizzy. Argus has produced one of the strongest, most memorable heavy metal albums in recent memory. The album gets the highest recommendation I'll give this year, a rewarding album for fans of heavy and doom alike.