Avatar – “Hail The Apocalypse” [Album Review]

Hail The Apocalypse, the hot new release from Swedish theatrical metal band Avatar, is nothing short of stunning. Setting aside for a moment their Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie-esque stage presence, the group has compiled some of the grooviest heavy metal I have heard in eons.

Need an example? Look no further than the album opener, “Hail The Apocalypse,” a tune that is by far one of the best singles I have heard all year; if not longer. The rhythm section creates an almost trance-like atmosphere with a hypnotic groove that is impossible to ignore – it seeps into your very being forcing you to move along. Moreover, perfectly layered over top of the bashing music are the harsh (yet understandable) vocals of Johannes Michael Gustaf Eckerström, resulting in a perfect compliment to what the rest of the band is doing.

There ARE surprises around every one of this album’s corners and it’s virtually impossible to predict where the tracks will end up. This is a metal album that successfully takes chances and combines many different sub-genres, creating what I think is one of the freshest, most electrifying releases to hit the market in years.

Track Listing:

01. Hail The Apocalypse
02. What I Don’t Know
03. Death Of Sound
04. Vultures Fly
05. Bloody Angel
06. Murderer
07. Tsar Bomba
08. Puppet Show
09. Get In Line
10. Something In The Way
11. Tower

Run Time: 50:52
Release Date: May 13, 2014

Check out the song “Bloody Angel”