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A melodically charged, hard-hitting retro-metal unit from Gothenberg, Sweden, RAM was formed in 1999 by guitarist Harry Granroth, who was looking to create a band that evoked the old-school sonic mythos of benchmark hard rock outfits like Iced Earth, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, and Iron Maiden. Boasting a core lineup that includes vocalist Oscar Carlquist, drummer Morgan Pettersson, bassist Tobias Petterson, and guitarist Martin Jonsson, RAM issued an independent EP called Sudden Impact in 2003. The buzz began in earnest in 2005 with the release of their debut studio long-player Forced Entry, which garnered excellent reviews and helped the band land some choice gigs with the likes of Gamma Ray and Dark Tranquillity. 2009 saw the release of their sophomore effort, the AFM-issued Lightbringer, and in 2011 the group inked a deal with Metal Blade, who would go on to release the band's third and fourth full-lengths Death and Svbversvm in 2012 and 2015, respectively. ~ James Christopher Monger

Seen as the natural successor to Tiësto's King of Trance crown, producer, remixer, and DJ Richard Durand is one of the most well-respected artists to emerge from the prolific burgeoning Dutch dance music scene. Born in Amsterdam in 1975, he started playing the piano at a young age but after becoming immersed in the club scene of his hometown, he decided to pursue a career as a DJ, blending trance, techno, and electro in a series of increasingly popular sets that attracted the attention of Tiësto, who not only invited him to remix his tracks "Lethal Industry," "Flight 643," and "Break My Fall," but also championed him as his Tip to the Top in influential publication MixMag. Following a series of singles released under various guises including Cliffhanger, Cube Human, and G-Spott, he released his debut album, Always the Sun, under his real name in 2008. After reworking tracks by Armin van Buuren and Fragma, he headlined the Godskitchen Global Gathering, Trance Energy, and Planet Love festivals and toured with Cosmic Gate in the States. In 2010, he was asked by his label, Black Hole Recordings, to take over the fronting of successful dance compilation In Search of Sunrise, and following his first South Africa-themed compilation, he worked with the likes of BBMak's Christian Burns and South London folk-pop singer Ellie Lawson on his 2011 sophomore outing, Wide Awake. ~ Jon O'Brien