Article and Photos by Andrés Alvarado

Atlanta, GA – Swedish shock-metal quintet Avatar is must see live music. I could attempt to paint a picture through narration but, truth is, my words cannot do justice to the performance this ensemble of mighty musicians delivered in Atlanta’s legendary Tabernacle venue. Lead by kooky tongue-wagging showman Johannes Eckerström, Avatar consists of 5 kick-ass rock-maestros in carnival-like attire and make-up with a tendency to hand down zany shows brimmed of lasting impressions.

Touring in support of In This Moment, Avatar is no ordinary opening band by a long shot. The Swedes do not warm-up crowds, they knock their socks off. Without exception each member carries out their duties with the intensity and forcefulness of a madman; making it almost impossible to watch just one member at any given time.

The freak-show – as their events are popularly nicknamed – is the stuff of legends. For roughly forty minutes of head-banging joyous rage, Avatar grabs and retains the undivided attention of their faithful and takes them on a haunted rollercoaster of musical thrills and mosh-pitting chills second to none. From John Alfredsson’s devilishly enthralling drum-handling to the string-connoisseur trifecta of Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby, Henrik Sandelin and Tim Earstream Öhrström, Avatar’s melodic-metal doozies and stage antics rank near the top of this writer’s “best live schticks of 2017” list.

Ladies and gentlemen, freaks and outcasts, be warned. Start to finish, pound for pound, Avatar is one of the most mesmerizingly spell-binding concerts you will witness. Subjectively, it’s impossible to answer how well Avatar compares amongst the best show-running acts, but it is undeniable they’re a crew of metal-gurus you’ll be mentioning to all your friends and adding to your playlists.