Ragweed - Parerga
Ragweed are a three-piece band from Brighton, and they have set out their musical manifesto in the clearest terms possible: "We want to be a punk band for metal heads, and a metal band for punks". That's setting the bar pretty high, but amazingly Ragweed has succeeded in reaching that bar with their debut album Parerga. Room Thirteen streamed the new album last month, and it absolutely repays further listening. The band cite some of their influences as including Slipknot, Down, and Fugazi and it has to be said, this makes for a very exciting and powerful set of songs.
The second track on the album Dermal Dispenser sets out the bands punk credentials. It has a great bass groove and awesome central riff, with a Clash style lead guitar line. Like the best punk, it's edgy and crushing, and feels like it might fall apart at any point. Great stuff! Strange Colour, sounds like the great Bob Mould and Sugar, crossed with some evil sounding metal! There are some brilliant melodic touches, with sections where everything goes all extreme. A really well conceived and exciting track, love it!
Gun Fever displays some influences close to the likes of Slipknot, in the fact that it is the most directly metal influenced song on the album - with perhaps even a dash of death metal in there. The riffs are massive and the vocals suitably scream like. There is also lots of dynamic rhythm play going on in this fine song. George Moshington (what a great title!) is the marvellously sludgy and heavy closing track, and very Down like. There is a nicely quirky middle section with rolling drums and bass, before the song careers back into the heaviness. The vocals are completely and utterly overwhelmed during the song. Just as it should be with sludge music!
This is an excellent debut, and it is hoped that the band line up is finally settled and in the groove; and they can ride the wave of a great set of songs, which are going to be explosive live. Intriguingly, the album title seems to mean a work that is supplementary to a main work. Loads of potential to be fulfilled then guys!!