'Argus' is a Dutch progressive rock group who released their debut album 'Tell Me!' in 2016 and it is with this new opus 'The Outsider' that I discover them. If you are a lover of long developments in the line of formations in the atmospheric rock movement of 'Pink Floyd', you are in the right place because they offer us 6 compositions between 7 and 11 minutes and take us on board for an hour of varied progressive rock highlighting remarkable instrumental sections.
The album begins with the longest track of the album, 'Depressed', which borders on 12 minutes and which takes us in a progressive maze of different atmospheres with first an instrumental introduction with a first melody taking us back to the 70s giving way to a part punctuated by a few repetitive piano notes which slowly gains momentum to bring the electric instruments preceding a more rhythmic sung section before a very beautiful atmospheric part with a magnificent 'Floydian' guitar solo which increases the tempo for a catchy finale in which the main theme sung returns. With 'Some Time', the atmosphere is more tormented with an theatral atmosphere reminding me of the English of 'Arena' with their penultimate album 'The Unquiet Sky' highlighting a very imaginative rhythm section throughout the title, then the title song 'Outsider' begins with a slow addictive melody with the two guitars that offer us a magnificent solo, each in a tone, the central part bringing alternations of tempos and intensities to return in the final to the starting theme with a remarkable change of tempo. The second part of the album continues in this atmospheric atmosphere with first of all 'Visions' which mixes in a very beautiful way Hispanic intonations with the power of electric instruments and with a deep bass, the guitar being always at the party with sumptuous 'Gilmourian' passages which offers us in the last third of the title a more energetic sung passage close to hard-rock bringing a nice variety to the whole. Follows 'Lost Girl' which begins with a long instrumental part with several captivating rhythm changes, then comes a sung part in which 'Frans Nooijen' offers us a very expressive and deep vocal performance alternating with magnificent guitar solos that leave room to a part beginning with a few piano notes and which ignites with a rhythm section overflowing with energy. The album ends with the instrumental 'Breaking Chains' which takes us through varied soundscapes alternating between tempos and intensities and which shows all the talent of each member of d'Argus'.
In summary, this new album from the Dutch Argus' is in every way remarkable with, icing on the cake, an irreproachable production highlighting excellent instrumental arrangements and a song still very mastered and 'The Outsider' is recommended for audiences who love 70s progressive rock, with 'Pink-Floyd' in mind, but also more recent bands like 'Arena', 'Pendragon', 'Mystery' or 'Millenium'... | |
