Ram - Forced Entry
Black Path Metal Recordings, BPMR003, 2006
By Katalin Sipos
Though most of my beloved Scandinavian groups are creating music on the extreme branches of metal, so far I have never been disappointed with any Scandinavian band, no matter which genre of metal they were playing in. Why do I say this in advance? Because Ram are playing old-school heavy metal, a musical style of which I have been really sceptical lately (well, have been for the last 10 years since countless bands have been born from the resurrection of the style). Basicaly this means, when it comes to heavy metal bands, they have to meet my (high) expectations. Lets see if Swedens Ram passed the test or failed.
When I said Ram was playing old-school heavy metal, I meant their music was a mixture of bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Manowar and Black Sabbath. And sometimes I can feel a slight touch of Queensryches and Geoff Tates influence as well. Their songs switch from slower to livelier tempos, have dynamic but catchy melodies, powerful guitar lines, nice solos and sing-along choruses. This explosive musical mixture is combined with a wide vocal range, from devilish gruntings to high-pitched screams; their singer really put his heart into the production. And of course, they cannot leave us without having a ballad at the end of the album. It is melancholic and semi-acoustic, a nice closure of such an energy-filled album. Productionwise, as it was mixed by Leif Larsson and mastered by Göran Finnberg, I do not have anything to complain about. They found the proper sound fitting to this music.
So, basicaly Forced Entry is nothing new, what is more, it is a fairly typical heavy metal album, at some points painfully similar to the bands influences, but they have a vibe which makes them stand out from the rest. Fans of the genre will love it for sure it will pass their test - no matter what I say about this album, which failed for me. But I am also sure, we will hear about Ram soon again.
6.5/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Ram website
Black Path Metal Recordings, BPMR003, 2006
By Katalin Sipos
Though most of my beloved Scandinavian groups are creating music on the extreme branches of metal, so far I have never been disappointed with any Scandinavian band, no matter which genre of metal they were playing in. Why do I say this in advance? Because Ram are playing old-school heavy metal, a musical style of which I have been really sceptical lately (well, have been for the last 10 years since countless bands have been born from the resurrection of the style). Basicaly this means, when it comes to heavy metal bands, they have to meet my (high) expectations. Lets see if Swedens Ram passed the test or failed.
When I said Ram was playing old-school heavy metal, I meant their music was a mixture of bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Manowar and Black Sabbath. And sometimes I can feel a slight touch of Queensryches and Geoff Tates influence as well. Their songs switch from slower to livelier tempos, have dynamic but catchy melodies, powerful guitar lines, nice solos and sing-along choruses. This explosive musical mixture is combined with a wide vocal range, from devilish gruntings to high-pitched screams; their singer really put his heart into the production. And of course, they cannot leave us without having a ballad at the end of the album. It is melancholic and semi-acoustic, a nice closure of such an energy-filled album. Productionwise, as it was mixed by Leif Larsson and mastered by Göran Finnberg, I do not have anything to complain about. They found the proper sound fitting to this music.
So, basicaly Forced Entry is nothing new, what is more, it is a fairly typical heavy metal album, at some points painfully similar to the bands influences, but they have a vibe which makes them stand out from the rest. Fans of the genre will love it for sure it will pass their test - no matter what I say about this album, which failed for me. But I am also sure, we will hear about Ram soon again.
6.5/10
UMs Review Rating Scale
Official Ram website
