A while ago this Swedish metal piece called RAM released their second work upon the world. They called it Lightbringer, and this cd was released in june 2009. Because of this and because of they embark on a headlining tour in october 2009 we decided to ask singer Oscar some more information about the band.

Here we go:

Can you give a small history of the band? What's the story behind the name of the band, how did you meet?
The band is called RAM mainly because of the verb meaning of the word, we want to RAM Heavy Metal down your throat! RAM should not be possible to ignore, but also the word has some occult and symbolic meanings so I prefer to let the fans find out for themselves.

Harry started making Heavy Metal music that would turn out to be RAM. Back in '99 he started working with Daniel and in '01 I met Harry on the bus. We were both on our way to a Heavy Metal gig and started talking. We were both very frustrated about the fact that nobody was producing hard Heavy Metal anymore, and after hearing a demo I became part of the band. I asked Morgan to join. I knew him from working as a roadie on a tour with his old band B-Thong. Leif Larsson was also an old friend of mine who I also met while working on the road. Our current Bass player Christian Strömblad is also an old friend of mine from way back when we used to hang out at metal gigs as kids here in Gothenburg.

Any important facts from the past we need to know about the band?
We released a 6 track E.P back in '03 called "Sudden Impact" and a full length album in '05 called "Forced Entry". We are Heavy Metal Tyranny incarnate!

How did it feel to sign a deal with a label like AFM Records? How did you get in touch?

AFM contacted us for the first time back in '05 but at that time we decided to focus on our partly own record label Black Path Metal Recordings and refused to sign a contract with any label. But when the time had come to release our new album "Lighbringer" we decided that the business part of RAM was taking to much of our time and we wanted to license the album to a bigger label. At that time we had quite a few offers to consider but we decided to go with AFM because their offer suited us best. AFM have done an outstanding job so far!

Are there any plans to play shows outside Sweden?
We have over the years played far more gigs abroad than in Sweden and we will continue to go were ever people want to bang their heads to real Heavy Metal. We are going on a mini tour in Germany and Slovenia in August and in October we embark on a longer European tour, check our website for details!!!

I heard about you the first time when the Belgian band After All released a split 7” (it was 2006) with a band called RAM. How do you look back on that release?
That release came about since I had a talk with Tobi from Metal Coven records and told him that we really wanted to be a part of his awesome vinyl 7” collection. So we recorded an alternative version of the song, “Sea of Skulls” and a Venom cover “In league with Satan”, and I am very happy with the result.

Are there any important things we need to know about the record? Are there special lyrics, some strange stories behind the artwork,... 
The lyrics on this album revolve around a few different topics but they are similar in the celebration of the individual and the seeking of ones inner path, the truth lies within, seek it!!!

So far the serious part of the interview, we also added some more less serious questions. Here's what Oscar answered to them.

What's the most stupid rumour you heard about the band RAM?
That we are trying to be "rockstars" and that we do not have our feet on the ground, nothing could be further from the truth! We are creating this legacy from our own sweat and blood, and believe me times have been hard, but nothing can stop us!

Biggest disaster that overcame the band?
The story of RAM is a thorn bestowed black path, disasters have strook us but we have stood tall through them and they have strengthened us and made us what we are today, so I welcome the hardship that tests and hardens the soul of the band.

Best tip you can give to vocalists to destroy their voices?
Sing RAM covers!