Sweden's Avatar Charts a Course For a New Land

The melodic death metal served up by Sweden's Avatar dishes out a contrast in styles. If you like your examples of the genre to flex their muscles for you then rest easy knowing, at the very least, drummer John Alfredsson is listening to your impassioned pleas. Jonas "Kungen" Jarsby lends his own evil grimace courtesy of a blazing guitar that doesn't how to stop fueling your worst nightmares. Henrik Sandlein adds heft on bass. As for lead vocalist Johannes Eckerstrom, he can be both growling and unsettling in the same stanza of the current "New Land", plucked from the current "Feathers and Flesh" outing. Behind the mask we listeners are getting the business end of what appears to be an epic voyage. As one might expect, the focus is on the titular land and the safety promising aspects implied therein. Thankfully Johannes keeps the Cookie Monster vocals to the barest minimum. All the better to hear these Swedes hone their craft to its finest point. Danger lurks around every corner Darkness, its cold chill on display casts an undeniable pall over this song right down to its barest bones. You wouldn't confuse "New Land" with a speed metal hell on wheels although John and Jonas aren't shy about infusing that brand of free range attitude into the mixture. It's stunning how the guitar handily goes from fangs bared to a de-clawed prickly heat inducing strum that doesn't slow down to first gear but instead keeps its tempo juiced up enough to keep us uneasy since we're not sure such a thing as safe passage exists in these tremble worthy environs. Johannes insists the child sleep until Avatar reaches the new land but I suspect the poor boy won't be getting much in the way of sheep counting done. The lyric "Soon we'll be departed" doesn't exactly conjure up the most reassuring images if you grasp at the literal interpretation. The ace in the hole for Avatar lies in how easily its members grab you by the scruff of the neck and dare you to flee from impending doom. Even during Johannes's softer moments "New Land" still has the power to make you want to sleep with the lights on. It may be churning in old mythological waters but the trek proves to be breathtaking just the same.