Forced Entry (Slip)

Reissue 2024, Along with the new album "Lightbringer" High Roller Records is also proud to release "Forced Entry" on vinyl. Finally! There have been rumors about a possible vinyl release of "Forced Entry" for years, so some people begand to doubt that it would ever happen. Ram's singer Oscar Carlquist explains why the publication took so long: "Because we could not agree with our partly owned label 'Black Path Metal Recordings'. Forces within that label did not want to press it on vinyl for economic reasons and not sell the rights to it either. We always wanted a vinyl release since we are vinyl fanatics. This time it worked out, thanks to AFM and High Roller." So where is the main difference between "Forced Entry" and "Lightbringer"? Oscar: "'Lightbringer' has some different dimensions to it that 'Forced Entry' did not have. It shows more facets of the sound. We try to do something different for every album and work with new concepts for every new song we make. I love both albums and I can't say that one is better than the other. I am just happy to be part of a band with such talented songwriters and musicians." Ram being such a busy live act, of all the bands they have played with, which one did they like most? Oscar reflects: "I suppose you mean which bands Ram have shared stages with. That's a hard question, but Raven really blew me away when we played with them in Holland. I also loved the most recent shows we did with U.D.O, when they played 'Midnight Mover' at the soundcheck in Gävle. It gave me the goosebumbs so bad that I started to cry. U.D.O still has it, no doubt." One of Ram's longterm aims is being able to live off their music: "Absolutley, we have no intention of making this some ultra underground cellar project. Don't get me wrong: I love the underground, being part of the underground means that the people who really love Metal music are your fans. But I love playing music too much to just be doing it part time, I want to be able to truly dedicate my life to Heavy Metal." So as they have just signed a new deal with German AFM label, they might have come one step closer to their dream. Oscar has high hopes: "I certainly hope they can push us up a level. We have a good deal with AFM that gives us a lot of freedom. They are not putting their noses in our business." Al least, that's always a good start... Matthias Mader