Review: The Armageddon Rag by George R.R. Martin

Onetime underground journalist Sandy Blair has traveled far from his radical roots in the ’60s until the bizarre and brutal murder of a millionaire rock promoter draws him back. As Sandy sets out to investigate the crime, he finds himself on a magical mystery tour of the pent-up passions of his generation. For a new messiah has resurrected the once legendary rock band Nazgûl but with an apocalyptic new beat that is a requiem of demonism, mind control, and death only Sandy may be able to change in time. . . .

(plot summary from Goodreads)

The Armageddon Rag by George R.R Martin is a novel that begins with a fairly typical and regimented structure- the protagonist Sandy Blair travels across the US in his sports car Daydream, seeking out the members of a Sixties rock band called the Nazgul, as well as his old friends from the era. The novel adopts the form of a stereotypical mystery story, in which conversations with each of the people involved reveal information, gradually leading up to the Poirot style grand reveal at the end.

However, as one progresses further into the novel, it becomes apparent that there is more to this story than meets the eye. Without giving too much away, the supernatural element to the narrative is greatly increased in the latter half of the novel, as Sandy becomes immersed in the world of rock and roll once again and begins to experience disturbing visions.

Many people have criticised the sudden change in the direction of the story, which is understandable because it does come as quite a surprise to the reader. Despite this, I would argue that the heightened supernatural devices only serve to reinforce the real theme of the tale: the idea that we have wasted our youths and revolutionary potential, only to become passive and ‘mature’ adults, just like every other generation before us. As this implies, there is also a political aspect to the novel, which draws upon American politics of the Sixties and makes the story a more accurate portrayal of a man who is struggling to deal with the idea that he has given up all the radical zeal of his youth for life as a failing novelist. 

Another thing which sets the narrative apart from others is the stunning description of the band’s music, particularly towards the end, and even the creation of the band itself is a masterpiece. The references to the Lord of the Rings (the term ‘Nazgul’ refers to the servants of Sauron, and the lead singer is nicknamed ‘the Hobbit) appeal to fans of the trilogy like myself, and even for those who are unfamiliar with the series, they make the band seem extremely realistic. Throughout, I could imagine the songs being played, and the atmosphere of a rock concert was captured perfectly.

Overall, I would give this book four stars because I found it to be a very different read from what I originally expected, which I consider to be a positive thing, and I found that I actually quite liked the narrator, despite his unreliability. However, if rock music, politics and Lord of the Rings aren’t your thing, you may find that this mishmash of themes and genres can get quite confusing.