Album review: Battering Ram “Second to None”
Straightforward and catchy Swedish hard rock, driven by high energy and attitude.
Battering Ram is a rare bird in the crazy world of hard rock. This is a local band from the Swedish countryside, but that is not how they sound. They are a bunch of rockers that have played in local bands. And yet, somehow, they manage to sound like a band on the world stage. They’ve got the songs, the musical skills and the attitude that few local bands do. This is a fabulous band that ought to be big. Battering Ram was formed in Filipstad, Sweden in 2017 and released its self-titled debut album in 2020. The band consists of Tony Trust (drums), Joakim “Jocke” Ståhl (bass), Jonas Edmark (guitar) and Johan Hallström (vocals). I love the band’s new anthem “Battering Ram” (“the hard rock stage, will always be our home”) which is a fantastic ode to the band’s fans. This song, which no doubt will become a live favourite, sets the tone for an excellent hard rock album by a confident band. The band’s music is heavy, groovy, riff-happy and often catchy. In short, this is awesome hard rock above and beyond much of what else is out there. This is excellent high-energy hard rock that was created to get a party started. This is the same kind of straightforward hard rock driven by high energy and attitude played by Scandinavian bands such as Backyard Babies, Mustasch, Hardcore Superstar and D-A-D. But Battering Ram’s members are making this music their own and not just copying those that have riffed before them (although the track “Coming Home” certainly has a D-A-D-vibe to it). Battering Ram has the beginnings here of its own signature sound. “Ram it Down”, “Too Late” and “What I’ve Become” are other standout tracks on this solid hard rock album.
Battering Ram’s new album “Second to None” is out today via Uprising Records.
