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Argus > Demo 2007 > Reviews > gasmask_colostomy
Argus - Demo 2007

Bold first strides - 80%

gasmask_colostomy, July 14th, 2016

However reckless it seems for a usually stoic doom fan to get excited, Argus have recently been capturing my imagination in ways that have seen me cracking smiles and sighing wistfully. Their most recent album (though we're still looking three years back to find Beyond the Martyrs) was a rip-roaring effort of trad metal taste and chops spliced with the genes of doom metal's more reverent pace. Breath is baited to discover where they will go next. This demo isn't quite up there with that, nor does it fully embrace the shades of classic metal that the later full-lengths would, but 2007 was no mean year for the Pennsylvanians either. This is better than most EPs in terms of production and quality, so it comes as little surprise that all songs barring 'Sleeping Dogs' appeared on the debut LP in similar form.

It should be quite clear from the tone of this release and the Argus album that these guys were stuck slightly at a crossroads early in their career regarding whether they should pursue the overt doom heard on 'The Damnation of John Faustus' and 'Bending Time' or whether the sprightlier likes of 'Beyond' and 'Sleeping Dogs' were more deserving of their attention. In this respect, the demo bears a lot of similarities to early Revelation, though with a much better vocalist. In time, it has been revealed that Argus can marry the two styles in a stately epic trad sound as promoted by Brocas Helm and Cirith Ungol but ultimately carried on by the likes of Solitude Aeturnus and DoomSword, finding its more accessible home in the output of Grand Magus. Here, it makes Demo 2007 feel better thought-out than your typical demo material, yet it also splits the songs into parts where the different influences are apparent to some degree. 'John Faustus' clearly has the greatest assets in the doom stakes, as that opening riff is quick to reinforce, sounding like Penance knocking the door down for Grand Magus to barge through. The closing song, 'The Effigy Is Real' has a great doomy weight to its conclusion too, yet doesn't have any reason to be an instrumental, wasting its first half with mediocre riffing, feeling like Butch Balich's voice could have done the job more thoroughly.

It is Butch Balich indeed that has proven to be the band's secret weapon, with a set of pipes that should put any Scotsman to shame and worry the other infamously loud-mouthed double B, Brian Blessed. He didn't quite have the enormous courage to belt out everything with utter conviction on these songs, though he still gives a good go at 'Bending Time' even if the production is a bit distant. On the faster songs, he almost nails it, while the weighty bass-driven rumble of the instruments gives more inspiration and epicness to elevate his soaring tones, plus providing plenty of solo action after the verses are swept to one side. The guitarists play leads in a tasteful fashion, going for placement more than technicality, while there's a very straight-faced bass solo that rears its head during 'John Faustus'.

As demos go, this is a great listen despite not proving consistently fascinating and certainly points the way towards Argus's development into a metal band of great force. It's available for free, so I definitely recommend that you search it out online.