Ram – 'Against' review: classic anthems from Gothenburg
Seven years after 'The Throne Within', the Swedes return with traditional heavy metal. METAL HAMMER gives it 5.5 out of 7 and wonders why they still play small stages.
Photo: S. Bollmann / Wikimedia Commons, Attribution (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · Metal Blade Records · youtube.com
Single: Ghost Emperor
Almost seven years after 'The Throne Within', 'Against' is the new album from Gothenburg heavy metal band Ram. It was recorded at Studio Recordia in Varberg with producer Johan Reiven, and singer Oscar Carlquist created the artwork. Some of the material goes back a long way, according to the label: 'Leaving' dates from 2006, while '1984' was inspired by Orwell's novel.
METAL HAMMER critic Marc Halupczok finds the band have lost none of their songwriting skill: 'The Gothenburg crew still writes dreamily beautiful, traditional anthems.' Carlquist's vocals, he says, lend something special even to the conventionally built half-ballad 'Leaving'. His conclusion: 'Why Ram aren't already playing bigger stages is a mystery.'
The video is the official music video for the single 'Ghost Emperor' – 'a straightforward classic heavy metal song', in Carlquist's words.