CD: “Parerga” by Ragweed

This Brighton three piece started shattering eardrums and sticking two fingers up to everyone about a year and a half ago. This seven track album has a very varied feel about it as it keeps throwing my mind back to days past when I was watching Mudhoney tear the Astoria a new one in 1991. And in my opinion there is a real early Grunge feel to the music, mixing rock, punk and to a certain extent hardcore together to create a discordant sonic attack that doesn’t take any prisoners. Abrasive riffs and jarring vocals abound as album opener “Black & Scaly” gets us underway and as “Dermol Dispenser” opens up and demands to be played loud there is no let-up in the aural barrage.

Track three, “Nip The Bud”, has a real Melvins feel to it, starting off with a funky beat and cool riff then the spoken words degenerate into screams during the chorus. Halfway through now, and as “Strange Colour” kicks in I’m still feeling the Grunge effect. I suppose that Sludge is the new Grunge now but I can’t help hearing the influence on this music. “Divorce Reality” is a little break from the norm with a very catchy little hook very and cool riff that harks back to British punk in the vein of The Damned. Next up is “Gun Fever”, possible my favourite track, as it is a full on pogo-your-arse-off number that makes you want to thrash around like a wild thing. To round things off the album closes with “George Moshington”. It’s the shortest song on the album but packs a mean punch.

All in all a good first effort, probably not to everyone’s taste but I can see them on a Sludge/Doom bill and equally just at home on a punk one.

Line Up
Tom – Guitar/Vocals
Joe – Bass
Dave – Drums

Track Listing
Black & Scaly
Dermol Dispenser
Nip the Bud
Strange Colour
Divorce Reality
Gun Fever
George Moshington

Link
https://www.facebook.com/Ragweedrock

Words: Dan O’Gara