RAM – Death

Just in case anyone forgot what real Heavy Metal was supposed to sound like, the gods have sent Ram as an unforgiving reminder. Ram is a five piece Power / Thrash band from Gothenburg, Sweden. They have unleashed their third full length album entitled Death. Ram was formed back in 1999 by guitarist Harry Granroth. The band’s original premise was to become a “real Heavy Metal band”, stating they were “sick of the misinterpretation of Metal that ruled the scene …” There is no question Ram certainly digs back to many classic formulas to create their sound. It also seems that Ram may have finally unlocked the secret recipe of success with this album as well.

Ram’s first two full length albums, Forced Entry (2005) and Lightbringer (2009), were very much works in progress. The albums were both genuine with loads of potential, but there was a significant lack of powerfully commanding material to make the albums stand out. Death is by far the bands best work to date, and now with the help of a major record label in Metal Blade, these guys are poised to take themselves to the next level.

The sound of Ram is like Guns N’ Roses meets Mercyful Fate. Lead singer Oscar Carlquist has a very dominant, rough, high tenor, which invokes the ruggedness of an early Axl Rose with the finesse of King Diamond. Additionally, there are varying styles of Metal on this album, some being more Groove-oriented, while others have a more distinctive Thrash feel to them.

Carlquist is the hero of Ram’s signature sound and his vocal ability has certainly evolved over the last couple of albums. He capitalizes on his raucous technique to give the songs an edge and intensity that a more technical vocalist could not pull off. This is actually an art, which has been lost in most of today’s Metal. Many bands make too much of an attempt to be precise and mechanical, and the element of sincerity is no longer there. The greatest example of this on Death is the track “Frozen”, which is an absolutely amazing melancholy song filled with genuine, heartfelt emotion. Carlquist gives this song so much power with his very candid vocals.

Also worth mentioning is the great dual guitar symmetry of Harry Granroth and Daniel Johansson. Like the vocals, there is no outstanding technical wizardry with the guitar playing, just simple heavy riffs that are in your face and empowering. These guys put out classic Power and Thrash accompaniments and give Ram its characterized ’80s sound.

That being said, the only downside to Ram may be its dated sound. Ram is easily comparable to many classic Metal bands of yesteryear, and they do not really offer much that is new and exciting material-wise. However, compared to newer contemporary artists that play a classic style of Metal, their methodology of being tough and robust is a breath of fresh air. These guys will only continue to get better and evolve into their own.