Style: Progressive Metal, Avant-Garde Metal (Mixed vocals)
For fans of: The Agonist (early), Cradle of Filth, Diablo Swing Orchestra
Country: Norway
Release date: March 27, 2026
Music, regardless of genre and style, is at its core performative. Even the most sincere and vulnerable compositions, lyrics and so on are presented in an amplified, curated manner, designed to provoke an emotional impact on the audience. Metal, with all its myriad subgenres, is probably the most performative of all – just look at death metal, for example, a genre defined by horrific imagery and violence, performed by people who (hopefully) would never dream of committing such atrocious acts. We accept and enjoy these things because they represent maximal storytelling, severed from applicable reality. Theatricality is an integral part of the experience.
The Norwegians Ram-Zet know a thing or two about theatricality. Since the halcyon days of 2000, they have released a heap of eccentric prog compositions combining everything from grinding extreme metal, orchestral performances, djent-y breakdowns and jazz passages. Sapien marks the band’s return after a fourteen-year hiatus, and time hasn’t done much to curb their gonzo, kitchen-sink approach to progressive metal. So, one wonders: do these crazy Norwegians have an act worth seeing again, or is this show better left closed?
Despite the fact that Ram-Zet seem incapable of writing a song under seven minutes (“Peace25?” is the shortest, nearly six minutes) and that they fill every minute with all kinds of ideas, the band has done admirable work creating a sense of identity across many of the tracks on Sapien . The opening track “Zerocane”, for example, anchors around repeating motifs like a seething industrial riff, a short but witty prog guitar and dragging violins, all propped up by periods of strange synthesizers and some funky, Riverside -coded bass. Similarly, “Cranium” features similar touchstones through the guitars, violin and vocal melodies that stoke a sense of cohesion, despite the song’s unfortunate spiral into the trope of “circus music”. What’s most impressive about Sapien as a whole is how natural all of Ram-Zet‘s compositions sound – for the most part. One could reasonably expect to get whiplash as the band leaps from sunny folk into grinding metal, but through a studied application of elements, the transitions feel foreshadowed in ways that are approachable rather than foolish. Much of this can be attributed to Zet and Sareeta (guitars and violin, respectively), whose instruments often act as musical leylines to ground the compositions in specific tones and guide the listener through the labyrinthine constructions of Sapien .
Singer SfinX also does an excellent job conveying, yes, the voice of Ram-Zet . Her caustic growls and theatrical clean notes are handled with confidence, and she has a good sense of when and where to develop them across the album’s long tracks. Her vocal notes are also fun, as on “Sleepers” and “Bozzadevil”, adding touches of character and highlighting more of her abilities. Some may find her clean notes perhaps a little limited in range, but I appreciate the fact that she knows her levels and operates within them confidently, rather than pushing too far into unknown territory and risking both her performance and the song. Even the occasional difficult moments, like the tense harsh notes on “As Worlds Collide”, are saved by a smart transition into a gravelly clean note that enhances the song’s inner drama.
Where Sapien and the band as a whole have less success, however, is in the editing. As I mentioned above, almost every track runs over seven minutes, totaling over an hour of music across ten tracks. And, while the relatively relaxed instrumental “Peace25?” seems designed as a mid-way breather from Sapien’s mad course up to that point, the track doesn’t do much in hindsight but add to the exhaustion of listening to the whole album. Removing it and “Psychosis”, which merely wanders in a mid-tempo fog for most of its runtime, would help reduce listening fatigue – or perhaps trim each track a little. Whatever the solution, the current pace of Sapien makes one hour feel like two. With most of the material being enjoyable, one might assume this wouldn’t be such a big negative, but in the case of Sapien , the extended length makes sitting with the album start to feel like a chore after the first half. A shame, because “Catching Flies” and “Hangman’s Jazz” are very enjoyable. I wish I hadn’t dug so much when they started releasing.
Beyond these complaints, Ram-Zet’s return has largely yielded positive results in prog. Sapien is fun, full of lively performances and compositions with their eye on the prize, despite the storm of ideas swirling around. The editing and length are a problem, and not every track is as good as others, but considering we could have gotten some tiring, uninspired work, I’d say the fourteen years were rejuvenating for Ram-Zet . And although I’m a big fan of the creator’s boundless approach to creativity, I’d love to see what these silly Norwegians could do with a sharper pair of scissors and a deft hand at editing. Still, if idiosyncratic, eccentric prog metal is your wheelhouse, then Sapien is my recommendation. Just make sure you stay for a long ride.
Recommended tracks: Zerocane, Sleepers, Hangman’s Jazz
You may also like: Vitam Aeternam, Devil Doll, Sanguine Glacialis, Stolen Babies, Akphaezya, ÖxxÖ XööX
Final verdict: 6/10
Related links: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Record label: ViciSolum Productions Records
Ram-Zet are:
– Zet (guitars, vocals)
– SfinX (vocals)
– Küth (drums, percussion)
– Sareeta (violin, backing vocals)
– Lanius (bass, didgeridoo)
– Aazuu (keys)
