Ram–Zet - Intra
Tuba Records

file under different metal

Vera: Shall I be honest? The first impression of ‘Intra’ was: what is this a terrible mishmash! And that for a band like Ram-Zet, which is rather in high favour in limited circles. But do not get me wrong… this album needs time. Only then you will find any structure in this seemingly chaotic non-stylistic muddle. It is even not that strange if Ram-Zet chooses to follow their opinionated course. The band was founded in 1998 by multi-instrumentalist Flemming ‘Zet’ Rammseth and started as a one-man-project. After two albums on Spikefarm ‘Pure Therapy’ and ‘Escape’, the new album ‘Intra’ will be released on the Norwegian label Tabu Recordings. The musicians who surround Zet nowadays originates of different bands like The Kovenant, For My Pain and Asmegin. Drummer Küth (The Kovenant) knows how to handle his drumsticks in such a fickle sound pattern since long.

It remains music for the experienced listener, and it stays that way, even after many times listening. Yet those creepy, screaming vocals are a fine counterpoise for the serene female vocals of a Sfinx. The pithy, terse metal with lashings of rhythm changes is interlarded with slightly techno industrial sounding keyboards. The album was recorded at the Space Valley Studios and co-produced and mixed by Daniel Bergstrand (In Flames, Meshuggah, Soilwork, Strapping Young Lad). Well, sometimes the schizophrenia of this last mentioned artist is not that far on ‘Intra’.

Most of the songs have brutal parts, but that turbo engine falters at a certain moment, it stops and then we got the monarchy of a violin. This instrument, played by Sareeta (also active in Asmegin) gives a surplus value on this album. I admire the musicians since they are able to lead this psychotic mix into something, yet it remains very impervious. Thrash-alike pulverising riffs are the ruthless base, also in ‘Enchanted’, while a moment later it seems we are listening to a tender song for children, with childish female vocals. Here we got a bit more space for keyboards, while the riffs maintain their imperturbable patterns. There are some fragments when I knit my brows critically, in particular the vocals are a disputable matter on ‘Intra’. On the other hand, those who persist will have a challenging album.

Rating 76/100 (details)

http://www.ram-zet.com