| Ram-Zet | |
| Background: | group_or_band |
| Origin: | Hamar, Hedmark, Norway |
| Genre: | Avant-garde metal, progressive metal |
| Years Active: | 2015–present[1] 1998–2013 |
| Label: | Spikefarm, Century Media, Tabu, Ascendance Records |
| Associated Acts: | Mortal Love, Solefald, Unexpect, The Kovenant, Ride the Sky, Viper Solfa |
| Website: | Official page Official Myspace |
| Current Members: | Zet Sfinx Küth Lanius KA |
| Past Members: | Solem Jon Daniel Magnus Østvang Sareeta |
Ram-Zet is a progressive metal band formed in Hamar, Norway in 1998.
Ram-Zet's music is very diverse ranging from black metal to thrash metal. It has industrial sounds, progressive structures, and traditional instruments forming a style which some people, including band mastermind Zet, have called "schizo-metal". Their music contains many rare time signatures, unconventional harmonies, and unusual violin parts. They can be regarded as an avant-garde metal band, because of the wide range of genres influencing them.
Ram-Zet's lyrics are strongly linked to a schizophrenia theme. The lyrics of Pure Therapy, Escape, and Intra all revolve around this mental disorder. Forming a story which runs through all three albums, they feature two main characters: a schizophrenic patient in a dubious mental institution (sung by Zet), and a nurse trying to help him evade (sung by Sfinx).
Ram-Zet began in 1998 as a one-man project by singer and guitarist Zet (Henning Ramseth), which later evolved into a full-grown band with the arrival of Küth (drums) and Solem (bass), leading to the release of Ram-Zet's debut album Pure Therapy in September 2000.[2]
On 17 March 2007, in the official Ram-Zet forum, Sfinx stated that Ram-Zet is working on new material and would be performing live soon.[3] Later that month it was confirmed further on the official news section of the Ram-Zet website. The news stated that the band has been rehearsing six new songs and working on many more.[4] [5] It was rumored that the album would be coming out sometime in late 2007 but was put on hold when Zet went on tour with Ride the Sky as guest keyboardist/guitarist.[6] According to the band's official MySpace, recording of the new album began on 1 March 2008. It was also stated that the new album would be heavier and slower than previous albums but still would retain some faster moments in their music.
In October 2008 the band took 10 of their songs and re-arranged them for an acoustic concert in their hometown of Hamar. Approximately 200 people got to see this one-time event. The concert was filmed and is expected to be released on DVD in February/March 2010.
In 2013, after releasing five studio albums and 14 years of existence, Ram-Zet took a break indefinitely, before the departure of some of its leading members; in particular, the guitarist Zet became part of the melodic death metal band Vardøger. That same year, Sfinx joined Viper Solfa, as the female vocalist.
The band ended it's hiatus in late 2015 after the band started to record new material and plan future touring. They are planning on releasing their first studio album since Freaks in Wonderland (2012) since reforming in 2015.[7]