Argus  by Wishbone Ash

The third album of the British band Wishbone Ash, Argus, has been a pioneering album or rather a transitional album in terms of its sound, as in its seven compositions one can hear what emerges when someone combines progressive rock and English folk-rock music, pushing these two towards hard rock. The thematic content of the album's songs also moves and draws inspiration from the realm of mythology (medieval and ancient Greek).

Argus was released in April 1972. It was produced by the Englishman Derek Lawrence, while Martin Birch worked as the sound engineer. The iconic album cover featuring the warrior was an idea from the design team Hipgnosis. The warrior in the image seems to be looking towards the Verdon Gorge in France. The album has been a major influence on the sound of many other British bands that would dominate the British metal scene a few years later. Among them, Iron Maiden holds a prominent position, something openly admitted by their founder, Steve Harris.

Argus had a huge discrepancy in its chart success in the United Kingdom and the United States. Wishbone Ash reached No. 3 in their homeland, while on the other side of the Atlantic, Argus went up to No. 169 on the Billboard (!)