Avatar Becomes Magical

I had no idea what an awesome treat I was in for when I went to the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City for another concert night. Everybody in the audience was waiting anxiously for Avatar to take the stage. Avatar is a heavy metal band which originated in Gothenburg Sweden in 2001.

When the band came on stage, the vocalist’s appearance made me instantly think of Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson. Honestly if those two would have had a child, Johannes Eckerström (Vocalist) would be the perfect child. All the band members were dressed up in what appears to be marching band uniforms and had either full or partial face makeup while Johannes presented himself as a Circus ringleader, which all added to the concerts visual experience. The whole set up was just perfect. Now, if the music is as good as the visual experience, we are in for a treat. From the opening guitar riff and the very energetic activity on stage I knew we were in for a special night. They started with a killer opening song “Let Us Die” followed by “Torn Apart” and another great song “Hail the Apocalypse”. The band killed it on all levels and I was excited to see what was next. All of a sudden the ambience changed and taking center stage was just one guitar playing a beautiful mellow intro and then there was another guitar joining in to enhance the moment and get the crowd setup for a sonic experience. Then a slow crescendo and the drums start to pound just before the heavy guitars kick into the song “Bloody Angel”. It was brilliant and the crowd was totally into the show and I noticed looking around that many of the fans were dressed up with the same face make up and clothing that the band was wearing. I was standing stage left enjoying the show and I was honored to be standing beside the youngest Avatar fan, whom was only 4 Years old. It was a joy to watch her enjoying the show. She had her hands up in the air, cheering and she was so excited when the guitar players threw her some picks. That just shows that Heavy Metal is ageless and young and old can head bang. Next the band played a song I personally like a lot “The Eagle Has Landed”. To me it is a very catchy and fun heavy metal song and after hearing the song at the show the chorus was stuck in my head for days. Then the song that could easily have opened the show “Let It Burn”, the beginning guitar riff is catchy and along with Johannes voice is mesmerizing. The crowd went crazy and was ready for the excitement to continue and so it did when the song “A Statue of the King” started and then Avatar ended the show with “Smells like a Freakshow” which was a perfect ending because we all were transported to an amazing and awesome show that you did not want to end.

Make sure you check out their music and check out their show if you get the chance. It is worth it and you will not be disappointed. Avatar is a different kind of band who appears to be caught in a triangle between Rock n Roll, Heavy Metal and the Avant-garde. The mixture was very gratifying and when combined with Johannes Eckerström on stage persona, Avatar becomes Magical.

Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City-OK.