Avatar - Avatar

Release Date: November 11th, 2009
Label: SonyBMG/Gain Music

TRACK LISTING

1.  Queen of Blades
2.  The Great Pretender
3.  Shattered Wings
4.  Reload
5.  Out of Our Minds
6.  Deeper Down
7.  Revolution of Two
8.  Roadkill
9.  Pigfucker
10.  Lullaby (Death All Over)

Total playing time:  43:04

April 25, 2010

Reviewer: The Stream

If you think you're going to read a review of a movie about eight foot tall aliens please hit the back button on your browser. The Swedish melodic death metal quintet Avatar has been going by the same name since 2001. Although these young Swedes are getting some unintentional publicity due to their band's name, their latest release, also entitled Avatar, definitely deserves some serious attention.

Fans of Gothenberg-style bands such as In Flames and Soilwork will definitely be able to identify with Avatar. The sound on this album is very melodic and similar to Colony-era In Flames with added rhythmic accents provided by drummer John Alfredsson. In addition to the high octane drumming, singer Johannes Eckerström has a wide vocal range. Check out the single "Queen of Blades" on YouTube to hear his falsetto. He utilizes growl vocals in tracks like "The Great Pretender" and clean vocals in "Out of our Minds".

Eckerström's versatility is further enhanced by the guitar skills of Simon Andersson and Jonas Jarlsby. These guys are extremely skilled guitarists. I highly recommend listening to "Reload" and "Out of Our Minds" to hear the technical nature of their playing. It's safe to say that their influences include Martin Henriksson of Dark Tranquility, Jesper Stromblad of In Flames, and Michael Amott of Arch Enemy, among others. Solo breaks are riddled with hammer-ons, double tapping, and sweep picking, sure to please melo-death devotees.

Avatar isn't another fly-by-night young band on the Gothenberg scene. This album in particular defines itself within the genre through numerous musical merits. First off, the production is excellent. Tobias Lindell knows what he's doing and Avatar is definitely testament to that. John Alfredsson's drumming skills are also worth mentioning.  He introduces Mediterranean/Middle Eastern-style rhythms to certain songs as well, and there is a prominent conga drum in "Reload". There's a Hammond organ in multiple songs, including "Out of Our Minds". Other tracks on the album such as "Roadkill" are structured more on the traditional side with serious death metal overtones. They feature Alfredsson's snare drum prominently, while crunchy riffs and Eckerström's vocals bring the overall feel more toward the metal side.

Avatar's lyrical content also serves to differentiate the band from other acts. Much to the delight of gamers, "Queen of Blades" is written about Sarah Kerrigan, a name that all of you Starcraft fans will surely recognize. "Great Pretender," on the other hand, is written about someone's sexual adventures. The diversity of the lyrical content on Avatar proves that this band isn't the product of a cookie cutter.

The songs on Avatar vary widely in terms of lyrical content as well as in terms of tempo and overall feel. They range from epic to borderline thrash. "Revolution of Two" features string and brass sections, while "Pigfucker" is anger-fueled and the closest Avatar gets to playing thrash metal on this album.

Avatar is definitely a high quality album recorded by a talented group of young men who have lots of potential to make great music in the future. No, there isn't a three-hour movie about the band yet, but James Cameron should get to work!

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