With a genre aptly titled sludge rock, expectations are never really going to be high. You would think, in the 21st century music industry, record label executives would have learned that anything with the word sludge in it is never going to be associated with the positive.
Despite this rather slushy mistake in the offing, Brighton based three-piece Ragweed deliver a quite enjoyable debut album in Parerga. Certainly not for those fresh from ear surgery or with a nervous disposition, this work is loud, angry and very, very aggressive.
Kicking things off with the deliciously dark ‘Black & Scaly’, the agenda is set out from the beginning. Drudging guitars, morose lyrics and a thumping, if slightly disjointed percussion section combine for an effective mood. Tom Adamson’s vocals are perfectly off-set by the clay footed music, painting images as dark as a black hole’s rear-end. Indeed, this is very much music from where the sun doesn’t shine.
‘Dermol Dispenser’, ‘Nip the Bud’ and ‘Gun Fever’ continue this journey into damnation. Choppy guitar work and a surprisingly wide vocal range from Adamson gel nicely throughout the album. A refreshing surprise, given the band’s own admission to a “revolving door” membership in the past 12-months.
The way in which this line up combines is creative and effective. While the music itself is abrasive and deliberately gloomy, it’s clear to see that these three musicians know their instruments and their audience.
Perhaps not one for a bright, summer’s afternoon. But that shouldn’t matter. For the legions of black metal and heavy grunge/punk rock fans out there, Parerga is a staple entry into their collection.
