L.A.’s The Aggrolites have made a nearly decade long career out of revivalist ska anthems, flying the Dirty Reggae banner high and proud for all to see. Laced with upbeat, syncopated riddims, a gritty recording atmosphere and an overall good time feel, Rugged Road is essentially a continuation of the band’s excavation deeper and deeper into the Studio One archives. Anyone who didn’t like The Aggrolites before probably won’t be won over by this album. However, fans of The Aggrolites’s previous work (such as myself), as well as fans of early Jamaican ska and the late 70’s UK skinhead scene, will find plenty to love within these ten gems seething with unrivaled energy and dedication to a sound that’s become far too rare in modern reggae music...
- Chris Castro