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"Avatar's “Don't Go In The Forest” is based on a solid concept and music that is as adventurous and enjoyable as ever."
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5/5
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How do you plan to celebrate Halloween 2025? By extorting candy from your neighbors under threat of fantastical spells? By watching John Carpenter's film series with your loved one? Or by turning a deaf ear to the knocking at your door from ghosts and moving pumpkins so you can immerse yourself in a music album? If the last option suits you best, Avatar has you covered with the release of their tenth album on Samhain. You never really know where you stand with these Swedes. “Dance Devil Dance” corrected the course after a sorely uninspired “Hunter Gatherer,” but the band led by its sinister clown is never safe from a relapse...
The good news is that the chills of anxiety give way to chills of pleasure here. The concept of “Don't Go In The Forest” is unsurprisingly inspired by horror and fantasy films that stimulate the imagination. This forest is deep within us, and believe me, things happen there that aren't necessarily tellable ('Dead And Gone And Back Again' puts us right inside the killer's head). Avatar invites us not to look away and to dive deep into our subconscious, exploring our fears in order to better find their resolution. 'Tonight We Must Be The Warriors' opens like a folk anthem with flute and choirs before the guitars kick in. It's an introduction that conjures up both tradition and modern metal and leads straight to the heart of the matter. In one track, Avatar proves that when the lights of creativity are green, it can take us very far. ‘In The Airwaves’, ‘Take This Heart And Burn It’, and ‘Death And Glitz’ create a massive wall of metal sound, with chaotic and infernal verve in its most enjoyable expression, while remaining unpredictable, playing with rhythms and genres.
Johannes Eckerstrom is truly an outstanding vocalist. While the quality of his growls has long been established and remains as effective as ever, his voice is also capable of paralyzing listeners with clear vocals, as on the Viking-inspired 'Captain Goat'. Proof of this open-mindedness, 'Don't Go In The Forest' and 'Howling At The Waves' are pop-Rock successes that deserve to be played on the radio, the former with its catchy chorus, the latter with its melancholic but revitalizing spirit. The album never falters and never has a dull moment. 'Dead And Gone And Back Again', somewhere between symphonic and dark, and the final track, the ambitious and labyrinthine 'Lantern Magic', bring the album to a dazzling conclusion.
Avatar has rediscovered its audacity and unbridled imagination, a spirit it shares with its compatriot A.C.T. “Don't Go In The Forest” is flawless, carried by its solid concept and adventurous music that opens up new avenues without ever compromising its identity. The album title's warning has no effect on the listener, who happily loses themselves in the undergrowth on a moonless night. So for Halloween, trick or treat? - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
 01. Tonight We Must Be Warriors
02. In The Airwaves
03. Captain Goat
04. Don't Go In The Forest
05. Death And Glitz
06. Abduction Song
07. Howling At The Waves
08. Dead And Gone And Back Again
09. Take This Heart And Burn It
10. Magic Lantern
LINEUP:
Henrik Sandelin: Basse
Johannes Michael Gustaf Eckerström: Chant
John Alfredsson: Batterie
Jonas Jarlsby: Guitares
Tim Öhrström: Guitares
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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Top of the page
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
-/5 (0 view(s))
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STAFF:
4.5/5 (4 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH AVATAR
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LAST INTERVIEW
AVATAR (SEPTEMBER 26TH, 2025)
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On this Halloween day, Avatar emerges from the shadows with a tenth album, which Johannes Eckerströmes discusses at length...
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OTHER REVIEWS
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OTHER(S) REVIEWS ABOUT AVATAR
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