REVIEW: RAM – Under the Scythe

 

RAM – Under the Scythe EP (2011)

High Roller Records

Miracles do happen, after all — or perhaps, as James Bond would put it, one should "never say never." Until this release, I was no particular fan of RAM. I had heard plenty of praise for the Gothenburg outfit over the years, yet the band's sound had never quite won me over. Then came this 7-inch single, and it made me sit up with genuine enthusiasm.

Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, RAM has spent nearly two decades building a reputation as one of the most steadfast torchbearers of traditional heavy metal, a band frequently likened to a younger, more forceful incarnation of Judas Priest. On "Under the Scythe," that comparison rings truer than ever. Fronted by Oscar Carlquist, with Daniel Johansson and Harry Granroth trading twin-guitar leads, Tobias Petterson on bass and Morgan Pettersson behind the kit, the band delivers exactly the kind of heavy metal that demands to be played loud: soaring, high-pitched vocals, passionate musicianship and an inspiration that never runs dry.

The title track, "Under the Scythe," seizes the listener from its very first note. Built on unmistakably Judas Priest–informed foundations, it is the sort of song engineered for head-banging and singing along in equal measure — so effective, in fact, that RAM would later revisit it as the title track of their 2012 album Death, released through Metal Blade Records.

The single's second offering, "Evil," is where the band truly proves its mettle as musicians. Far from a simple album cut, this is a cover of Mercyful Fate's classic from the Danish band's landmark 1983 album Melissa — and RAM does not tackle it alone. The track features guest vocals from Hellbutcher of the Swedish cult black metal act Nifelheim, turning the song into a genuine duet and adding a raw, unexpected edge to the performance. The result plays like Mercyful Fate colliding with early Iron Maiden, and it is nothing short of exhilarating.

Released on 13 May 2011 through the ever-reliable High Roller Records, Under the Scythe stands as one of the finest EPs of recent memory — a compact, potent statement of everything that makes 80s-influenced heavy metal worth returning to.

Nick Parastatidis