Avatar the Swedish metal big top freak show are doing a series of livestreams in the month of January. The series is called Avatar Ages. Dreams is the first chapter. 

This includes the latest album Hunter Gather in its entirety and the second part of the livestream is some of Avatars greatest hits. Dreams looked and sounded amazing. Avatar always puts on a hell of a show. Moving from stage to stage Avatar makes you bang your head along with the band. 

Dreams is unlike most livestreams. Some I’ve seen you can tell that’s it’s been prerecorded with prerecorded vocals. You can hear that Johannes vocals are raw and real, which just adds to why Avatar is at the top of the Swedish metal bands. With costumes changes you get a Multitude of different Avatar looks. 

After a little intermission the second half started opening up with The Eagle Has Landed. With Johannes on the piano. He’s such an amazing frontman with his facial expressions and onstage antics. Even the King himself had a little montage and came out on stage sitting on his throne while rocking out on the guitar and fireworks are behind him. Pulling out other great songs like Let It Burn, Bloody Angel, Smells like a Freakshow, and ending the night with Hail To The Apocalypse. 

Part 2 of the Livestream is called Illusions. This time fans got to choose the favorite songs off of the Feathers&Flesh album and Avatar Country.

Opening up with Regret with Johannes once again back on the piano. This was a perfect way to start Illusions. For the Feathers&Flesh part of the show songs like House of Eternal Hunt, Tooth, Beak and Claw, Black Waters and ending this part with Raven Wine.

For the Avatar Country: Avatar did a lounge version of Glory of Our King with Johannes once again on the piano. Songs like Statue of the King, King’s Harvest, and ending with King after King.   

Once again Avatar shows why the are one of the best bands to watch, between killer songs, a frontman who entertains like no one else, and a band behind him that are so bad ass. Jonas Jarslby who’s the king of Avatar country is such a bad ass Guitarist and just mesmerizes you. And drummer John Alfredsson is so quirky and insane looking while he plays these insane drum beats. 

Part 3 Madness: For this livestream Avatar let the fans choose favorite tracks from Black Waltz and Hail The Apocalypse.  Opening up with Hail The Apocalypse which is always fun to watch with Johannes playing an old time wind up radio while the band plays.  What a perfect way to open up with a track that makes you go crazy while the band is all head banging. So much hair. 

This livestream has been my favorite of the 3 so far. With some of my favorite songs like Torn Apart, Blod, Let it Burn, Paint it Red, and Bloody Angel. 

During the songs Black Waltz, Johannes brought out some balloons. Popping them throughout the song, and hitting his band mates with them. Of course it wouldn’t be an Avatar livestream without  Johannes playing the piano once again this time on the track Tower. I love how the band interacts between the room, it’s like a huge sound stage and just reminds me of a movie set. During Puppet Show Johannes once again shows his many skills and goes to one of the doors and pulls out a trombone and plays. Ending the night with Smells like a Freakshow. One of favorite quotes before they started the song “from Mexico City to NY City, to what ever fucking city you’re in” also “you made it to the last song , it’s ok if the TV falls over” and ending the night with “see you next week, wash your fucking hands”    

Part 4: The final chapter of the Avatar livestream experience is called Memories. Which is a perfect title for this one. Not only is Avatar bringing back songs off the first three albums which some haven’t been played in years, Avatar had an opening band. Who was this opening band? Well it was a young and eager band called Avatar back in the early 2000s showing how much they can demand a crowd and rock out. It was a huge difference to what we know of Avatar now, but I love seeing the old school stuff and find out the roots to this amazing band. 

Avatar opened up the with Johannes on a couch talking about how being a band and practicing in a space and trying to become what you want to be. Then bam into Schlacht with the band stripped down with no crazy outfits and no gimmicks just pure Swedish metal. 

This time the stage was set to look almost like bedroom space that many of us who have been in bands have made so much music. The first part had songs like My Shining Star, Die With Me, and All Hail the Queen. 

In-between the set they had a little montage of photos and videos of the bands through out the years. It was a very cool video to see the band from early on to what we know Avatar is now. One of the many reasons why I love this band is their down to earth no bullshit rockstar way of life. 

The second half of the setlist brought out songs like The Great Pretender, Out of our Minds, PigFucker and ending the night with Lullaby (death all over)This time back on the main stage. 

Throughout all four of these livestreams, the main thought is that Avatar Is and always will be a kick ass band. No matter the songs, no matter the style Avatar is king. I love me some Swedish metal and Avatar is on the list of the best. I hope that they make this into a DVD for fans who didn’t get a chance to check this out. Would be a cool piece of Avatar history to own and look back into a time of distant concerts during the pandemic.  

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Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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