Swedish rockers, Avatar, have had many labels over the years. Death metal, groove metal, melodic death metal, progressive death metal and industrial metal. Once they were even called a “grease-painted Swedish death/industrial/progressive metal ensemble”.

As the years have gone by, their sound continues to evolve. I mean, the band claims influences from Beethoven to Meshuggah. Each album, they figure out new ideas and methods to twist and bend into new sounds keeping them fresh and intriguing.

I wasn’t much of a fan when I first heard them back in 2014 with “Hail the Apocalypse”. I just couldn’t quite figure out what they were supposed to be.  Then I saw them live both at The Warehouse and Louder than Life and man, what a show! In fact, I saw another description of them that makes the best sense of all: A Theatrical Metal Band. Like Kiss, but with waaaaay more talent. I mean, they do refer to themselves as “The Greatest Metal Circus on the Planet”.

They are fantastic live and seeing them a couple times has lead me to more open to them and enjoy more of their music.

My ears just discovered a new tune today; “The DIrt I’m Buried In”, which is a brand new single from their ninth studio album, Dance Devil Dance, that was released in February.

This one is catchy. Like disco drum beats, fun little riffs and a change in vocal patterns from frontman Johannes Eckerstrom, as he goes from a little gravely sound to smooth and bold in a massive hook.

While the band is spending the majority of the summer in Europe, they will once again grace the stage at Louder than Life on Friday September 22nd.