AVATARIUM — Avatarium (review)

AVATARIUM — Avatarium album cover Album · 2013 · Doom Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Kev Rowland
This may be a brand new band well under a year old, but Leif Edling (bass, Candlemass, Krux) has brought together some tried and trusted musicians along with a ‘new’ singer. When Leif needed to demo some new songs, Marcus Jidell (guitar, Evergrey, Royal Hunt) offered to help out. Of course they needed a drummer, so in came Lars Sköld (Tiamat) while Carl Westholm (Carp Tree, Jupiter Society) provided the keyboards. So with all that musical muscle all they now needed was a singer, and in Jennie-Ann Smith they have found someone who can more than cope with whatever the guys throw at her, whether that is Sabbath style Doom or something more reminiscent of Blue Öyster Cult.

The result is an album that is firmly grounded in the Seventies, and although it certainly contains doom elements it isn’t what many may expect of a band put together by Leif. There is a soaring beauty to some of this that sounds as if it is more influenced by Nightwish than Candlemass, while there are definitely some progressive elements at play as well whiel this is first and formost a symphonic metal album with lots going on. The guitars can really hit like a sledgehammer, with plenty of brute force, but then at other times they are restrained and refined while Carl allows himself to come to the fore sparingly, but when he does it is to great effect.

The first few times I played this album I really wasn’t sure about it, as it is bringing together loads of different influences and mixing it up and couldn’t say if it was working or not. But, the more I have played it the more I have enjoyed it, as it is a real grower. Well worth discovering.
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666sharon666 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
I think you heard a different album here than I did Kev Rowland. There are maybe some backing symphonic elements used, especially on Moonhorse, but otherwise there is no symphonic metal here. Just heavy, crushing doom metal with enchanting vocals. Well, with one ballad at the end.
adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Nice review, I think it's a masterpiece personally. This is coming from someone not well versed in doom though. I've been addicted to Moonhorse all week.

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