For many, Friday the 13th is a day to celebrate. Avatar is giving all music fans a reason to celebrate when they debut their newest album, “Feathers & Flesh” on Friday, May 13th. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is that I get to preview new music. This is an album I can best describe as a wondrous fable set to metal. “Feathers & Flesh” is a concept album that not only treats you to the band’s trademark look, it will take you on a fantastical journey. The lyrics are so powerful, they conjure up visuals that take you effortlessly from song to song. It is so well done that if you close your eyes and simply listen, you will be taken away on a voyage, Avatar style.
Photo by Johan Carlen
“Feathers & Flesh” features both powerful freight train like riffs, backed with harder hitting double bass drumming. This sound combined with the powerhouse vocals that can alternate from clean to dirty metal is a recipe for pure musical magic. Imagine you were a kid again and your bedtime stories (the ones leaning to the darkside) were set to Metal. That is this album. Here is a sneak peek at a few of my favorite tracks from the album.
Photo by Johan Carlen
“New Land” starts with power riffs that smack you in the face and force you to listen up. Then the clean vocals chime in, quickly turning into that power metal growl and then back to clean. A few seconds into the song things get soft and then…Wham! Power drumming that will rattle your bones. The result is one hell of a song and one of my favorites on the album. I am loving how each song on this album tells a story!
Photo by Johan Carlen
“For The Swarm” has a music video out for it out now that is very worthy of your time and attention. It presents the story of an owl crossing paths with a beehive. The song is relentless and unapologetic as it gets louder…. and louder. Here is how the band describes the video… “The owl is very much an individualist and is trying very hard to find creatures who will fight for her,” says vocalist, Johannes. “The bees are of course having none of that as they purely exist as a collective and wouldn’t even dream of waging war for an individual cause.”
Photo by Johan Carlen
“Night Never Ending” is a cut that made me smile. It was like an anthem for those going into battle and are at the castle gates. It is whimsical Rock/Metal. I loved it. The pictures this song gave me in my mind were amazing.
Photo by Johan Carlen
For those of you who are fans of concept albums, this Avatar album is for you. Here is what the band had to say about “Feathers & Flesh”:
“The promise that’s given is that nothing will be the same ever again. We’ve made a concept album,” Eckerström declares. “It’s a fable about an owl who goes to war to stop the sun from rising. It’s a tragic story of someone ultimately being set up to fail. She will learn many lessons and encounter many other creatures with ideas of their own. In the end, however, one must ask if something was learned at all.”
This fantastic Metal Fable kept me on my toes from start to finish, telling a story and painting a picture in my mind’s eye. It is, in my opinion, the best Avatar album to date.
“Feathers & Flesh” also showcases the talents of producer extraordinaire Sylvia Massy (System of a Down, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers). The end result is an album that features a dark fairytale and fables that weave double bass drumming, shredding grooves, storytelling, and the best of clean and dirty vocals. Be sure to get your copy of “Feathers & Flesh” May 13th on eOne Music. You can see Avatar live right now, so jump on their social media sites for dates and see them live! If you like their music, you’ll love them live.
