The Swedish group Avatar is preparing its tenth studio album, announced as one of the most progressive, melodic and experimental in its career. Expected for the end of the year via the Black Waltz Records label, this disc will mark a new step in the group’s creative evolution, always more daring.
A more progressive, more varied album… and more intimate
In a recent interview with Vrotherhoodsinger Johannes Eckerström has lifted the veil on the artistic direction of the next Avatar album. The group, which started working in the studio in January 2025, this time offers a “very multifacette” work, imprint of “more progressive” and “more melodic” parts than ever, while remaining faithful to its singular identity.
According to Eckerström, dreams and subconscious have largely influenced the writing of this new opus: “I’m starting to detach myself from the idea that a song must always be understood immediately so that it is legitimate. If the words resonate in the musical context and they give off a certain beauty, then it’s probably right.” He also describes a more introspective approach, where ghostly tales, reflections on change, death, and moments of emotional intimacy rarely expressed so clearly in the music of the group.
A claimed artistic freedom
Musically, Avatar explores new territories while keeping its flagship elements. “There are moments on this album which are probably the most melodic that we have ever recorded, especially on the vocal level,” Confides Eckerström, also evoking his admiration for singers like Rob Halford of Judas Priest. The album will also include more complex riffs, less linear structures and even piano passages interpreted by Eckerström itself.
The singer insists on the importance of staying in line with his personal development: “If we want to continue creating something big, again and again, you have to be honest with what we are now, not with what we were before.”
Produced again by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther), this tenth album follows Dance Devil Dance (2023), who had already marked a turning point in the group’s discography with titles like The Dirt I’m Buried In or the duo with lzzy hale on Violence No Matter What.
