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RAM “Against”
RAM “Against”
By Theron Moore
Sweden’s RAM are dropping their new record, “Against”, October 9 via Metal Blade Records, their follow-up to 2019’s “The Throne Within””. Let’s kick this off with a quote that pretty much nails the record in a nutshell—and what RAM are all about.
As vocalist Oscar Carlquist puts it: “We do not give a fuck about all these new strange subgenres popping up. We try to play heavy metal in its purest form. We try to hang on to the center of that energy, and we are completely uninterested in 99% of the metal scene.” “Against” reflects that sentiment to a tee. No additives, no fillers, just a good old-fashioned iron fist full of metal up your ass. Get the gist of where we’re headed?
Track one, “Ghost Emperor,” lays down the blueprint. “One Vs All” and “Abbatoir,” are solid one-two punches to the midsection, leading up to the hard driving “Out Of Control” (think MAIDEN’s “Wrathchild”). By this point, if you’re a poser who stumbled upon this band, you’re either dead or converted into a real-deal rivet head. If you got converted, welcome.
I like this record a lot. RAM has never boasted about being anything other than true-blue metal warriors, and “Against” drives that home, leaving no doubt about how good this band is 27 years in. The best song on the record that demonstrates this? The title track,“Against.” Down and dirty, with a middle finger in the air. Next favorite? “Rising Again.”
There’s a difference between ripping off PRIEST or MAIDEN (even W.A.S.P. here and there) and writing songs that celebrate them. “Against” is all about reverence for this music, this genre, and its community. Seventy-five percent of the time (or less) I’ll skim a record and play select songs to see where the strengths and weaknesses are. I didn’t do that with “Against”. I listened to it from start to finish, and I’m glad I did.
There’s a sense of anger and aggression to this record that serves it well. I don’t care if you stream it first then buy it—just get it and add it to your collection. “Against” is required metal listening and full on rock worship.
4/5 Stars
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