I like to think that I am fairly in touch with what is going on in the non-mainstream music scene here in Luxembourg, but when I first read about Argon around five months ago, I was completely unaware of their existence. But it turns out that they have been around for nearly a decade without ever getting on my radar…shame on me. Better late than never, I say, and that is why I have the immense pleasure of talking about their first full-length Vigor Sorority Decay today!
Not knowing anything about the trio, the first thing that caught my attention was that they were labelled post-hardcore, since it is one of my, if not the, favorite genres out there and there are barely local bands (left) that make that music. The second thing that stood out to me was the fact that all the songtitles are in Luxembourgish, which made me raise an eyebrow because I then wondered if they would also sing in the same language; which they do, but more on that a bit later.
Instrumentally, I would say that Argon are walking the fine line between aggression and melody, with elements of shoegaze being present as well. Just be warned: if you are looking for a ballad among these ten songs, you’re definitely in the wrong spot, but that doesn’t mean that it’s non-stop balls to the walls noise. Their music is fairly complex with a lot of fast-changing parts, especially the guitar work is very playful and has a lot of memorable riffs, spiced up with at times quite intricate licks.
This does not mean that the drums are any less well written, however. On the contrary: they have an almost hypnotic quality to them, where they manage to pull you in with, what feels to me like, always just the right amount of complexity and intensity without trying to steal the show. The bass also provides a very fitting backdrop for the more, for lack of a better word, noodly guitar parts and locks in well with the drums.
Now, coming back to what I mentioned a bit earlier: I haven’t timed it, but I would say that about twenty-five percent of the record’s thirty-five minutes is with vocals and the rest remains purely instrumental. And for the most part, the lyrics are indeed in Luxembourgish, but except for the gang shouts it is quite hard to make them out, and that is not a criticism; it just comes with the genre. Much like the entire production of the record, the vocals are not perfect, but therefore much more importantly: they are honest and real. Don’t get me wrong: nothing on here sounds bad, but it’s not sparkling clean and over-produced.
Vigor Sorority Decay really took me by surprise with every aspect it has to offer, and it is a truly great addition to the genre that every post-hardcore afficionado should check out. It will be available on Bandcamp on October 18th, along with a release party being held the same day at Rocas. So be sure to check it out and head to their Facebook page for more information.