Mauricio Guerrero, a name that might ring unfamiliar to many, has been making waves in the music industry with his recent releases. The Peruvian stoner-doom band Illwind, featuring Guerrero's lead guitar, dropped their debut album, 'The Unfolding at the End of Light', in early July, and it didn't take long for it to catch the attention of music critics. Now, just two months later, Guerrero is back with another stoner/doom debut, 'Soledad & Orgullo', under the band name Argul. This album, released on August 21, 2026, through Personal Records, is a collaboration between Guerrero and Jose María Venturi, with the addition of Peruvian scene veterans Jian Holmes on bass and Alonso Guerrero on drums. The question on everyone's mind is whether this new release will live up to the success of its predecessor.
The album's cover art, with its sylvan visual aesthetics, immediately hints at the band's primary influence: early Black Sabbath. However, the music itself is a blend of doom and stoner rock, with a nod to Master of Reality. The guitar lines are dark, slow, and bluesy, with occasional livelier boogies that get the head bopping. The production is spaciously organic, with a well-curated live band feel, and the interplay between the guitars, Holmes' exploratory bass runs, and the backbeat drumming is refreshingly present. The album's sound is a perfect match for its open, earthy music.
Vocally, Argul avoids the bombast and coarseness often found in doom and stoner metal. Instead, they utilize ethereal lilts, frequently harmonizing with one another. This approach is reminiscent of bands like Windhand and REZN, who create ghostly atmospheres through their singing, emphasizing the somber, resigned aesthetics of the genre. While the vocal duo is compelling, it could be further enhanced with more attention to memorability.
The album can be divided into stronger and weaker cuts. The epic opener, 'Ritual', is a strong track, with an instantly striking descent that's harmonized to Pallbearian heights. 'Hor Hodin', a shorter track, also triumphs, developing delectable Iommian shuffles. However, 'Engendro' and the closer 'Animal Dog' are comparatively weaker tracks, though they aren't bad by any means. The album's songcraft can be knocked for its occasional overdone nature, with 'Animal Dog' dragging at times. Nevertheless, the album runs for a reasonable 31 minutes, with a bonus track, 'Kamog', adding a whopping 15 minutes to the runtime.
Despite some issues, 'Soledad & Orgullo' is a consistently enjoyable album. Guerrero and Venturi are a talented duo that knows how to dress irresistible riffs in morose guitar melodies and gossamer vocal harmonies. While the songwriting is a bit hit-and-miss, the band possesses a captivating sound out of the gate that bodes well for the future. Argul should be proud of this debut, which fans of doom and stoner metal should certainly sample. The album is a solid offering from Guerrero, and it's worth checking out for those who appreciate the genre.
Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Personal Records (https://www.personal-records.com/)
Websites: Bandcamp (https://argul.bandcamp.com/album/soledad-y-orgullo) | Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/argul__doom)
