Our review of Against, the seventh full-length from Swedish heavy metal band RAM, is now live — and we gave it an 8/10. The album arrives this Friday, October 9, via Metal Blade Records, seven years after The Throne Within.
Reviewer Ryan Thompson hears a record that hits the ground running: aggressive, fast, riff-heavy songs that swing between catchy traditional heavy metal anthems and blistering old-school speed metal, all inside a punchy runtime of about 42 minutes. His standouts are "One Vs. All," "Abattoir" and "Night Blade." His one reservation is that a few mid-tempo songs bleed together in memory after a couple of listens, though he suspects that might just be what 42 minutes of relentless headbanging does to you. He calls the spirit of the record fun, sleazy, raw and fiercely energetic, and his verdict is short: crank that glorious noise up.
The band describe Against as more grounded than its predecessor, a record about being pushed beyond reasonable limits and refusing to comply — "that fire of defiance, which ultimately defines its title and message." Vocalist Oscar Carlquist calls "Abattoir" "pure speed metal" and says "Night Blade" marks "the return of the riff," built on "a typical super simple oldschool riff." Carlquist also made the cover himself, putting the band's ram-horned skull front and center.
Against is also the last RAM album with bassist Tobias "Tobbe" Petterson. He steps down after 17 years and plays his final show with the band at the record release show in Gothenburg on October 9. Desekrator (VOODUS, STORMDEATH) takes over on bass.
We covered the "Abattoir" video in September. Here is "Night Blade":
Order & Stream "Against": Metal Blade Records
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