Swedish Heavy Metal Goodness
A five-piece band based in Gothenburg, Sweden, RAM have apparently been a going concern in one form or another since 1999. An EP called "Sudden Impact" was put out in 2003 but "Forced Entry" is their debut full-length release. RAM's website is at pains to stress the band's supposed originality and points out that they're not just a synthesis of their influences but have created their own identity. They're possibly deluding themselves a little bit, however, and they're certainly fooling no-one when they say that "Forced Entry" 'does not sound retro neither does it sound modern'. Even their press bio isn't convinced by such claims, and it pretty much hits the nail on the head when it states that RAM will appeal to you if 'you are one of the persons that rather looks back on classic Heavy Metal than looking forward to something completely new' (sic). Judas Priest, Dio, Accept, Mercyful Fate, Iron Maiden: RAM quite literally wear their influences on their patched denim jacket sleeves.
Note that this isn't power metal; it's a more 'authentically retro' collection of songs, recalling a time before cheesy 'orchestral' keyboards, zillion note a second guitar solos and unintentionally hilarious band member pseudonyms became de rigueur. The twin lead guitars of Harry Granroth and Daniel Johansson are more laid back than the flashy, finger-knotting style cranked out by the Herman Lis of this world and service the songs admirably enough without straying into wank for wank's sake. Vocalist Oscar Carlquist (who also provided the cool old-school cover artwork) can certainly hit the high notes when required, but he doesn't make the all too common mistake of screeching his way through the entire album in ear-shredding falsetto. Although Rob Halford is an obvious reference point, Carlquist's voice is also very reminiscent of slap-headed fellow Swede Ethereal Magnanimus, now former vocalist for "Highlander"-obsessed homoerotic nutjobs Lost Horizon - and this is certainly no bad thing. Lyrically, RAM tend to tackle fairly typical metal themes (scan your eyes over the song titles and you'll get a fairly good idea of what they're about) but manage to pull back from the brink of all-out fantasy/sci fi ludicrousness.
They're not re-inventing the wheel; they're not even re-inventing the hubcap. You've heard each of RAM's riffs, guitar solos and vocal melodies dozens of times before - but Christ, you've probably drunk a thousand pints of beer in your life and each one still goes down as smoothly as the last. RAM's songwriting may not be quite as sharp as their heroes', but there's plenty here to please anyone who hasn't had a haircut since 1986.