Argus

Desolate Realm – Legions Review

Desolate Realm – Legions Review

“Formed by two members of Finnish death metal act, Decaying, Desolate Realm is an old school trve metal project firmly rooted in the classic sword and sandals style. Their self-titled 2021 debut was quite the pleasant surprise and made its way onto my year-end list with its strident, uber-macho blend of Manowar, The Gates of Slumber, Argus, and Visigoth. It was riff-forward, burly, beefy stuff that made my back hair angry and I still return to it when I need a good kick in the ass plate. 2023 sees the project’s twosome return to our realm with sophomore entry, Legions, and little has changed with their battle plan.” Realm whelmed.

Desolate Realm – Desolate Realm Review

Desolate Realm – Desolate Realm Review

“My thirst for epic doom has largely gone unslaked for too long now. I got a satisfying morsel of it with Servants to the Tide’s debut, but it merely served to arouse my appetite without bedding it back down properly. Now desperate, I stumble upon another 2-man epic doom project, this one called Desolate Realm and composed of 2 members of Finnish death metal act Decaying.” Deadlift doom.

Pale Divine – Consequence of Time Review

Pale Divine – Consequence of Time Review

“Generally speaking, bands don’t wait until their 25th year in existence to hit their peak. Don’t tell that to Pale Divine though. Pennsylvania’s best kept secret has been quietly churning out beefy classic doom albums since the turn of the century, basing their sound around Trouble, Black Sabbath and Pentagram, with a gritty biker rock edge making everything feel sturdy and muscular.” Time has been good to some of us.

Khemmis – Desolation Review

Khemmis – Desolation Review

“Perspective. It’s something even the most seasoned music fan and reviewer can lose sight of at times. Case in point, Colorado doom champions, Khemmis. They hit the scene like a ton of bricks in 2015 with their Absolution debut, awash in massive riffs, emotional vocals and a big dose of that X factor that makes a band stand out. Within a year they’d followed up with the massive Hunted, which showed an evolution and maturation as well as some new tricks. With such rapid fire successes, it’s easy to forget that Khemmis is still a young band.” Young and trve.

Professor Emeritus – Take Me to the Gallows Review

Professor Emeritus – Take Me to the Gallows Review

“Yes, I know what you are thinking, and no, this is NOT a Ghost spin-off act. Professor Emeritus is no one’s Papa I, II or III, and rather than getting their hands dirty with unwashed ghoul masks and slightly metallized Blue Oyster Cult ditties, these Chicago road scholars chose to major in epic trve metal at the olden learning institution, while also carrying a minor in doom.” The ivory tower is metal.

Procession – Doom Decimation Review

Procession – Doom Decimation Review

“Chilean doom metal act, Procession came out of left field and surprised me with 2013s To Reap Heavens Apart. It was an intriguing mixture of Candlemass, Primordial and trve metal acts like Visigoth and Argus, brought to us by members of such diverse acts as Destroyer 666 and the late, great In Solitude. It worked well despite being rough around the edges, gritty and unpolished, and made me eager to hear more. It’s been quite the wait, but late 2017 finally brings us their third album, Doom Decimation.” Chilean-fried doom.

Argus – From Fields of Fire Review

Argus – From Fields of Fire Review

“In the pantheon of epic and trve metal acts, the Argus wing isn’t far from the front foyer where legends like Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road reside. As one of the best of the current acts keeping the old ways alive, Argus has graced us with three top-notch slabs of backward looking metal that always managed to avoid sounding stale. The secret ingredient keeping their sound fresh was always the rich undercurrent of heavy doom they injected into the batter. This anchored their tales of myth and Manoantics to the Earth and kept things reliably weighty and mega-ballsy.” Machos supreme.

Arduini / Balich – Dawn of Ages Review

Arduini / Balich – Dawn of Ages Review

“You know all about our stance on so called “supergroups” at his establishment. The whole concept of a group of superlative (or at least well known) musicians coming together to form an exciting new project invites heightened expectations, and all too often the end product is a let down. Of course there are exceptions to the rule like Arch/Matheos and of course, that awesome Metallica / Lou Reed collaboration, but as a rule it’s best to approach these things guardedly. That brings us to today’s subject – a project by former Fates Warning guitarist Victor Arduini and Argus vocalist Brian Balich.” Big doom for big men and women.

Eternal Champion – The Armor of Ire [Things You Might Have Missed 2016]

Eternal Champion – The Armor of Ire [Things You Might Have Missed 2016]

“How did I miss an album with that cover, you ask? We didn’t get the damn promo, that’s how. If we did, I’d have seen the title (the same as a much beloved Sega Genesis brawler from my youth), taken notice of the art and the rest would be history. Now that I’m way late to the raiding party, I’m finding this thing the near-perfect companion piece to the awesome Sumerlands debut of earlier this year.” Obtain the Sword of Groupon and come with us!