▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Argus ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: From Fields of Fire █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2017 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-05-05 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Heavy Metal ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Cruz del Sur Music ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ Draped in a warm, crystalline production job, █ █ ôFrom Fields Of Fireö is kicked off by the unchy █ █ and stout ôDevils Of Your Timeö. ôAs A Thousand █ █ Thievesö sees the band going full gallop, evoking █ █ the glory days of IRON MAIDEN, while the dueling █ █ twin-guitar harmonies on ô216ö captures the █ █ instant chemistry between Mucio and Watson. █ █ Elsewhere, the pounding ôYou Are The Curseö; █ █ soaring ôInfinite Lives, Infinite Doorsö and █ █ nimble ôHour Of Longingö offer up a degree of █ █ range and diversity emblematic of a band who has █ █ long come into its own as songwriters. However, █ █ ôFrom Fields Of FireÆs undisputed highlight is the █ █ somber ôNo Right To Grieveö. Perhaps the bandÆs █ █ darkest song to date, ôNo Right To Grieveö was █ █ born out of a song Balich and Watson thought would █ █ be better served in a joint project outside of █ █ ARGUS. However, it was simply too good to be left █ █ off ôFrom Fields Of Fireö. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ Argus was born on the thin line between doom and █ █ traditional metal but theyÆve gradually minimized █ █ their associations with all things slow over the █ █ course of their twelve year long career. This is █ █ especially true of their fourth full-length album █ █ and first since 2013Æs Beyond the Martyrs. While █ █ there are still a couple slower moments, the █ █ majority of songs on here like ôDevils of Your █ █ Timeö and ôYou are the Curseö utilize the █ █ fast-paced guitar gallops, babbling bass, and █ █ howling choruses of a downtuned Iron Maiden. █ █ But this album still has a dark overcast feel █ █ throughout despite the emphasis on speed and █ █ upbeat riffs. While past efforts mixed in the odd █ █ introspective lyric with the abundant supernatural █ █ and historical themes, there arenÆt as many █ █ fantasy elements this time around, as songs like █ █ the climactic doom ballad ôNo Right to Grieveö hit █ █ even harder thanks to their forlorn lines. █ █ ôInfinite Lives, Infinite Doorsö is also worth █ █ noting as its eleven minute runtime sees its █ █ upbeat verses offset by a melancholic extended █ █ instrumental segment. █ █ As expected from a band of ArgusÆs caliber, the █ █ musicianship on From Fields of Fire is stellar. █ █ The songs were composed with the perfect balance █ █ of memorable guitar harmonies and catchy vocal █ █ lines in mind and the surging rhythm section helps █ █ make these songs among their most energetic to █ █ date. Particular props must also be given to █ █ vocalist Butch Balich as his Tim ôRipperö Owens █ █ after a carton of Marlboros approach continues to █ █ give the band the perfect mix of grit and melody. █ █ ItÆs good to know that he still had some energy █ █ left over after the Balich/Arduini collaboration █ █ earlier this year. █ █ Overall, ArgusÆs fourth full-length album isnÆt █ █ too dramatically different from what theyÆve done █ █ before but offers noteworthy tweaks and excellent █ █ songs to go with them. There are more faster songs █ █ and the lyrics seem more melancholic than usual, █ █ but thereÆs nothing that will alienate established █ █ fans of the band. It may be one of the strongest █ █ traditional metal albums of 2017 and █ █ heavy/doom/power metal fans whoÆve yet to check █ █ them out are especially advised to give this a █ █ listen. █ █ Highlights: ôDevils of Your Timeö / ô216ö / ôYou █ █ are the Curseö / ôNo Right to Grieveö █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Into the Fields of Fire 1:49 ░ ░ 2. Devils of Our Time 6:27 ░ ░ 3. As a Thousand Thieves 5:36 ░ ░ 4. 216 6:41 ░ ░ 5. You Are the Curse 6:23 ░ ░ 6. Infinite Lives, Infinite Doors 11:13 ░ ░ 7. Hour of Longing 7:04 ░ ░ 8. No Right to Grieve 7:15 ░ ░ 9. From the Fields of Fire 2:31 ░ ░ 54:59 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░