Argus - Beyond The Martyrs

Another artist on the Cruz Del Sur label is the band Argus. Their new release “Beyond The Martyr” is set to become a classic in the world of underground metal. At first, I saw the artwork on the cover, and thought this was going to be some brutal death metal. Then I put the cd in and got the surprise of my life. Though, I will admit, it was a pleasant one. This was some pretty damn fine progressive/power/thrash metal. With influences all over the place. This album was a great surprise to me and it just goes to show that there is truth in the saying that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

Influences are amok here and include the likes of: Iron Maiden, Sabbat(uk), King Diamond, Iced Earth, and Hammerfall. As far as the guitars go, the band sticks with the traditional way of doing things. With slightly chuggish riffs on certain parts to riffs that take you off into the horizon in others, the guitar work here is nothing out of the ordinary but its integration with other elements and influences make the work done here is what gives it a unique edge. The drum work, is pretty standard as well but the changes from slow to mid-tempo are precisely on point and give each tune the continuity and fluency they need to deliver the desired effect.  I notice on this album that the drums and the guitars complement each other on this album in a way that I don’t believe I’ve heard on any other release. It’s like the band has the drum tracks first and wrote and constructed the riffs around the drum tracks, creating a veil of intrigue that is just begging you to look deeper into the music. I have listened to a lot of metal in my day and I do not ever remember hearing anything similar to this process before. Maybe it’s just more prominent on this cd than on others, but nonetheless, it is there and it will leave you questioning what you will find if you dig deeper.

The vocals really compliment the music nicely. It’s like the vocals from Iron Maiden, King Diamond, Sabbat(uk), are mixed together with a slight “grittiness” thrown in for added effect. They definitely fit with the music and really reach down and grab you by the soul. I sense a lot of emotion in the delivery of the vocals and this causes me to wonder how the band came to decide on this particular vocal pattern and delivery and if they tried others before deciding on this one.

This is another cd that I am glad I had the opportunity to review and it’s bands like this that peak and maintain my interest. I’m not sure if these guys have done a headlining tour yet. But, you can be sure that if they haven’t that they will in the near future.  I could even see these guys playing some of the major metal fests all over the world. They would most definitely captivate the audience with their style and delivery.  Any and all metal heads should keep an eye out for this band and it is highly recommended that you get this cd as soon as humanly possible. You do not want to miss out on one of the most powerful releases of this year that this genre has to offer.


  1. By Endurance We Conquer
  2. No Peace Beyond The Line
  3. The Hands Of Time Are Bleeding
  4. Trinity
  5. Four Candles Burning
  6. The Coward's Path
  7. Cast Out All Raging Spirits
  8. Beyond The Martyrs