AVATAR Don’t Go In The Forest ‘26 Tour Stops at The Oakdale

By: Kat Gullate

AVATAR. Not the James Cameron films with the blue people. Not The Last Airbender (The Legend of Aang) animated series. Not the digital icon that represents your online persona. The literal definition of the word is “something that embodies something else”.
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This article is about the Swedish metal band AVATAR that I can’t shut the fuck up about. This group is the complete package. I’ve reviewed a lot of bands, eighty last year alone, and AVATAR has been in my top three favorite shows consistently. Read on to find out why!

I found Fleshgod Apocalypse to be a fitting opener for AVATAR. I was unfamiliar with the Italian symphonic death metal outfit prior to this gig. My first impression was that I loved their haunted Victorian circus aesthetic and the fact that they included a piano, but I had heard the growling vocals and the speed metal riffs plenty of times before. I was pulled from the familiar the moment Veronica Bordacchini emerged and unleashed her stunning operatic vocals. Think Amy Lee of Evanescence singing opera. Suddenly they had my full attention. Fleshgod Apocalypse has six studio albums and their eight song set pulled from five of em. They opened with two from their latest work, Opera, with “Ode To Art (de’ Sepolcri)” and “I Can Never Die”. Veronica greeted us
in her just as lovely speaking voice, “Ladies and Gentlemen, we are Fleshgod Apocalypse. Pleasure to be with you tonight.” She called for horns in the air and the fans obliged as they filled the room with them. “Minotaur (The Wrath Of Poseidon)” (Labyrinth) and “The Fool” (King) had the two guitarists and drummer head banging in sync. At one point the piano player left his perch to sing a chorus but I could barely hear him and thankfully Veronica returned with her powerful phonation quick enough. She incited a “Hey! Hey! Hey!” incantation with the crowd. Even the drummer left his perch to come up front and encourage the audience. “Wallingford, are you ready to chant? Wallingford do you want to hear more?” The fans answered enthusiastically. “This next one is for you and it’s called “Pendulum” (Opera). I want to see you move on this one!” A circle pit did in fact
break out on her command. “Good Evening Wallingford. Who’s seeing us for the first time?” A lotta hands went up. “That makes sense. We need love.” She got the entire crowd to sway with her as they waved their hands overhead left to right. The drummer clamored up to the front of the stage again to urge us on. He was fun to watch, in a constant state of motion. They served up “Sugar” (Veleno) and “Epilogue” (Labyrinth). “Still with me? Show me whatcha got once more!” The pit engaged as they closed with “The Violation” (Agony). Veronica was backed by Fabio Bartoletti on lead guitar, Francesco Paoli on bass and vocals, Francesco Ferrini on piano
and the entertaining Eugene Ryabchenko on drums. I appreciated Fleshgod Apocalypse showing me something different but death metal fused with operatic grandeur could be labeled as an acquired taste. Take a peek at their catalog and explore for yourself. Grazie!

My beloved Swedes that make up the band AVATAR could be described as a melodic death metal band but they’re so much more. They have ten studio albums and their heavy yet carefully constructed seventeen song set pulled from seven of em, including six from their new release Don’t Go In The Forest. The spectacle began with a long prerecorded storm intro before they emerged. The drum kit split in half to allow them to be pulled forward on a rolling platform. Each member bathed in a cloak and blue light, as frontman and singer Johannes wielded a lantern, possibly a magic one, they performed “Captain Goat”. As the final notes rang out the venue
went black and the lantern light faded to nothingness. Then BOOM! they shed the cloaks and all of them, except for the drummer, started banging their heads like madmen in violent synchronicity for “Silence In The Age Of Apes” (Hunter Gatherer). All of the guitarists flexed their exceptional skills on that track. The drum kit split and Johannes was pulled backward into the darkness. The kit returned into position and the guitarists hit the opening chords of “The Eagle Has Landed” (Feathers And Flesh) which cued the crowd surfers before the singer could even take his place at the helm. As the song wrapped Johannes encouraged fans on the right side of the venue to scream, then the left side, repeatedly at an increasing pace, until the roars were merged into one continuous bellow. The frontman greeted us with “Well, well, well. I mean Wallingford. Look at you.

Aren’t you the prettiest buncha freaks I’ve ever seen. Think I’m gunna have my way with all of you tonight.” A wave of excitement rolled over the submissive audience. “Let me give a proper introduction. We are AVATAR and it’s great to see you again. Are there any metalheads in Wallingford?” There were and they obliged on command. “Wanna hear a fast song? Can you keep up with AVATAR? Can you keep up with me? Show me something!” A circle pit broke out as they launched “In The Airwaves” and the spectators indeed tried to keep up. The venue went dark at the song’s conclusion only for Jonas to appear and riff the beginning of “Bloody Angel” (Hail The Apocalypse), quickly joined by Tim to perform while simultaneously swaying back and forth.
Johannes emerged in the black hat and long red coat that he sports in the video and they delivered a near flawless version of the fan favorite. “Let’s Dance!” was the segue to “Death And Glitz” and the gathered applauded in unison. The end of the song found every member of the band frozen in place. Once the fans created an adequate amount of noise, a figure emerged to bring them back to life. Phew! AVATAR changed up the next song throughout the tour, we got “New Land” (Feathers And Flesh). Johannes stated that “Wallingford made him feel dirty” and “The Dirt I’m Buried In” (Dance Devil Dance) was on deck, complete with the singer doing his awkward yet charming bad disco dance moves from the video. It’s OK darlin, AVATAR shows are a safe space. Bright red lights and siren sounds introduced “Colossus” (Hunter Gatherer) which had all the players, including the drummer on a smaller kit, lined up front and center. Afterward, hidden under the cloak of darkness, the drummer reappeared behind his main rig and the others commenced their signature hair windmills as they tore into “Torn Apart” (Black Waltz). That metal mayhem led to one of my fave parts of the show. The drum kit split again to allow a black baby grand piano to glide through before piecing itself back together. Johannes took a seat and began playing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” as the loyals cheered him on until he hit a wrong note on purpose and made a comical yet maniacal face at us. “You’re having fun?” A roar erupted. “That wasn’t a question. But thank you. Thank you for being here with us tonight Wallingford. You
are a very good time indeed, you’re giving us a very good time and I’m glad we get to give you a good time in return. It’s a good night. It’s a good line up.” He gave enthusiastic shout outs to the openers. “What do you think about my jacket? This is the piano jacket. We wear it when we play the piano. So whaddaya say Wallingford? How bout a song?” New track “Howling At The Waves” was laid on us like a cozy weighted blanket. Weighted by metal of course. It was then time to pay our respects to the King, lead guitarist Jonas, as he materialized in his well earned throne for “Legend Of The King” (Avatar Country) while we loyal subjects basked in his glory of excellence. A costume change had also occurred and the AVATAR players now donned short white coats versus the tight black outfits they had on prior. When the drum kit split to swallow up the throne, John was still playing them. Jonas stayed behind to lead us into “Let It Burn” (Black Waltz) and John’s
drum intro piloted into “Tonight We Must Be Warriors” which ignited a crowd sing a long, but also marked the end of the main set as the band quickly exited. Before long we were greeted with nature sounds like crickets and owls and a lone red balloon that floated in a straight line in front of us, seemingly under its own mysterious power, leading to a perfect rendition of “Don’t Go In The Forest”. Johannes then teased how many more songs we should get, “One? Two?”. When fans began to yell out unreasonable numbers he threatened playfully that we could get none. We shut the hell up and he found us worthy of two more. “We are AVATAR and this is “Smells Like A Freakshow” (Black Waltz).” The pit erupted and the number of crowd surfers increased all the
way through the closer, title track “Hail The Apocalypse”. AVATAR took a bow, showered us with genuine gratitude, threw out picks and sticks and make quick personal connections with as many as they could on their way out. “Be good to yourself. Be good to each other. I see nothing but beauty here tonight. You matter.”

AVATAR is Johannes Eckerström lead vocals and ringleader, guitarists Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin and drummer John Alfredsson. They are the complete package. A well oiled machine firing on all cylinders. Music performed by outstanding talented musicians. Not just heavy stuff, you’ll also be serenaded on a piano and exposed to groove and disco beats. Arena worthy light show and theatrics in smaller rooms. Props and moving parts. Authentic fan appreciation. Still need more ya greedy fucks? Johannes’ tongue is something Gene Simmons would be jealous of, probably has ladies swooning worldwide and whatnot. I caught the second to last date of this run and they showed zero signs of fatigue. Not even the singer’s vocal chords which hit impressive ranges throughout the evening consistently. They have proven stamina as their song “The Dirt I’m Buried In” took the longest journey to number one in the past twenty years. They tour relentlessly, probably don’t even have time for Fika. They are now performing dates overseas, including a few stops opening for Metallica. I implore you to take my advice and check out AVATAR. Cuz as you can tell, I can’t shut the fuck up about them.