Hunter- Gatherer, Avatar’s 8th album is a warning sign for all humanity. This heavy hitting double bass with deep guttural vocals from Johannes Eckerström, preach death and destruction to an already decaying world. I had to give it a couple of listens to follow the story lines and to just enjoy those crucial guitar solos that we know and love from Avatar.
This album like many of their other albums, creates a story line to follow the album through. Hunter-Gatherer takes place in modern society. Showing how technology can manipulate the masses and how the clueless humankind can be to our dying environment by our own hands. Hopefully humanity will listen to these warning signs and make a difference all while keeping the metal alive. Their last album “Feathers and Flesh” was also a storyline based album with imagery to go along with it as well. When talking about it with Johannes Eckerström, he expressed his desire to connect the younger generations with the older metal heads to create a world where both could live in harmony.
Songs off the album that stuck out were “Colossus”, with it’s smooth intro leading into deep riffs and hard vocals. “A Secret Door”, was interesting stuff as it’s a little softer than a lot of the other songs off of Hunter-Gatherer. Avatar released a video for their single “Silence in the Age of Apes”, which talks about the rush of society into chaos and not caring about what is destroyed in the wake. There is really no comparison between Avatar and other bands in this genre because they have worked hard to stand on their own. Avatar’s creativity with costuming and stage presence, resonate on a level of consciousness that many bands don’t look to challenge. Avatar is always going to be the cool cousin at the Metal show. Filled with story lines and adventures far beyond what we are look to see. I respect their ever changing growth of their sound in the music community by not only bringing quality heavy metal with an awareness to what’s really going on in the world.
Tracklist:
1. Silence in the Age of Apes
2. Colossus
3. A Secret Door
4. God of Sick Dreams
5. Scream Until You Wake
6. Child
7. Justice
8. Gun
9. When All but Force Has Failed
10. Wormhole
Avatar is: Johannes Eckerström – Vocals / John Alfredsson – Drums / Henrik Sandelin – Bass /
Jonas Jarlsby – Guitars / Tim Öhrström – Guitars
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East Coast Rock’n’Roller living on the West Coast working on making the Hollywood dream come true. Music is my passion and my lifeline, I have been working on tours and in the industry since I was 15. I have toured with Queens of the Stone Age, Jidenna, and other artists.
