Photo by: Sanna Bäckström
Official press release:
Swedish heavy metal titans RAM will release their new full-length, titled Against, on October 9th through Metal Blade Records.
It has been nearly seven years since The Throne Within, an album defined by its spiritual and metaphysical themes. With Against, RAM takes a more grounded approach, focusing on the experience of being pushed beyond reasonable limits and refusing to comply. The album captures that moment of resistance “that fire of defiance, which ultimately defines its title and message,” as the band collectively states.
For the production, RAM reunited with their longtime collaborator Johan Reiven, who had previously worked with the band on Lightbringer (2009). Without their own studio – having sold Black Path Studios – the band recorded at Studio Recordia in Varberg, Sweden. Singer Oscar Carlquist admits:
“At first, I wasn’t really comfortable not being in my own domain. But Johan is a far better sound tech than me and he did a wonderful job. We recorded the solos in a cool new way, as we set up two amps, one wet with a lot of effects and one dry with no effects. They were both mic’d up separately and they played into the enormous recording room in Recordia that is 150 square meters, where we placed two room mics (left and right).”
The approach resulted in a rich, organic sound that enhanced the album’s overall character.
Musically, both guitarists continue to favor bridge pickups, maintaining a sharp and aggressive tone. The equipment used on Against reflects a classic approach, contributing to a sound that feels both timeless and direct. Sonically, Against was conceived as a return to classic recording philosophies. Drawing inspiration from the early works of Dio, MSG, and Sweet, the goal was to create an honest and unpolished sound. What you hear is what you get! In a music landscape increasingly divided into countless subgenres, the band positions itself deliberately outside of categorization. The title Against itself reinforces the band’s longstanding identity as nonconformists, viewing heavy metal as a form of sonic rebellion. Carlquist asserts:
“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.”
As a precursor to the release, RAM delivers the record’s lead single, “Ghost Emperor” and an accompanying video. Carlquist comments:
“This is the opener of the album, a straightforward classic heavy metal song and pure RAM. Lyrically, it deals with how our power structures exist to conceal the true rulers, the ones we will never see or know, pulling the strings behind the curtain and controlling us all.”
RAM’s Against full-length will be released on CD and digital formats as well as vinyl in the following color variants:
- 180g Black
- Clear Lilac Marbled
- Purple Melt (Ltd. 300)
- Crystal Clear Blackdust (Ltd. 300)
- Silver Black Splatter (Ltd. 250)
Find pre-orders at MetalBlade.com/RAM.
Against track listing:
- “Obsession”
- “Ghost Emperor”
- “One Vs. All”
- “Abattoir”
- “Out of Control”
- “Leaving”
- “Against”
- “Night Blade”
- “Rising Again”
- “1984”
- “The Final Hour”
