Live Review: Avatar – Age of Madness

Avatar are back for week 3 of the ages stream series. Age of dreams kicked it off and set the standard high. Playing there latest album ‘Hunter Gatherer’ as well as the hits was quite the show. Week 2 was Age of Illusion. Songs from ‘Avatar Country’ and ‘Feathers and Flesh’ shattered all expectations. This week we had Age of Madness! A fan-voted set of songs from ‘Black Waltz’ and ‘Hail The Apocalypse’ meant fans could expect to hear songs that haven’t been played in years! Here’s what I thought of the set!

It wouldn’t be an ages show if we didn’t start with the fans chanting ‘Avatar’! The show opened with a cinematic of a door being broken into before Johannes burst through the door stage. Yet again he found his way to the music box and the show opened with ‘Hail The Apocalypse’. Once again the band recreated the infamous music video live. This time the band were dressed head to toe in the ‘Black Waltz’ and ‘Hail The Apocalypse’ attire, making it even more impressive. The virtual chat didn’t take long to open the pit and sing their hearts out. A strong start from the Swedish band.

Following that was ‘Torn Apart’. Once again the band sounded incredible and the live mix was spot on. Seeing the band in the older get up showed just how much they have improved over the years. The band exuded confidence and seemed right at home in front of the cameras.

‘Blod’ kicked the show into second gear! An aggressive and powerful song that sent the crowd wild. This marked the songs first outing since 2019 and it was an impressive performance of the ‘Black Waltz’ tune.

Continuing with the deep cuts, ‘In Napalm’ was performed for the first time since 2015! Despite that, Avatar performed it as if it was one of the regulars. The song sounded tight and well-rehearsed easing my worry that the older songs may suffer due to the lack of playtime some of them have received over recent time.

Johannes grabbed a bunch of balloons and acted as his chaotic self while the band started playing ‘Black Waltz’. The subtle intro fools you into a false sense of safety before the assault of double bass and brutal riffs take over. The crowd were loving every moment of the older songs. Singing in unison in the chat. What a privilege it was to hear these songs less played live.

Next up, one any fan can recognise. ‘Let It Burn’! Johannes seems to improve every single week with the power and intensity he gives multiplying tenfold once again. Not to mention that the rest of the band had gotten more comfortable as well.

Johannes welcomed the fans to the ‘Age of Madness’. He mentioned that the band where only “half of the art” and the fans “painted” the art. What colour you may ask? Well, red of course! ‘Paint Me Red’ demonstrated the band’s charisma perfectly. An impressive display of all aspect of Avatar is why this song has been a staple for the band’s sets since it released back in 2012. On the night, the performance was top tier.

Johannes and John chased each other around the Ages set in a comical cat and mouse scene. A fitting display of tomfoolery before the whacky ‘Puppet Show’. Unexpectedly Johannes retrieved a trombone to play the song as it was recorded. What an awesome display of dedication from the band. Avatar intended to pull out all of the stops for the fans and the crowd ate it up.

“Have your neighbours heard of Avatar yet” was your last warning before being bombarded by the brutal ‘Ready for the Ride’. I couldn’t help but feel disappointed that there was no crowd to go with the intense song. Something the band couldn’t help but a shame never the less.

The siren rose and the crowd lost it. ‘Vultures Fly’ was an incredible display of what avatar are capable of live. An awsome cartoon backdrop accompanied the emphatic performance. A highlight of the show for sure.

Johannes sat on his grand piano for a powerful and heartfelt performance of ‘Tower’. The Piano sections have been a personal highlight of the Ages series for me. Getting to see the band in a new light was an incredible thing to witness. ‘Tower’ has always been a powerful song when performed live and even when the fans were miles apart, it felt like we all were there hugging and singing along to the empowering song.

So what should follow a slow and sullen ballad… ‘Murderer’ of course. The contrast between the two songs was ridiculous but worked for the unprecedented band. Johannes’ screams had never sounded better than they did on this track. He continues to leave me shocked by the vocal performances he delivers. This song would be my personal favourite of the night!

Johannes thanked the fans for making them “feel special” and expressed that they felt like the “least essential workers” but exclaimed they will see everyone “very soon”. He went on to talk about the unprecedented times we find ourselves in and the strange have had to do. Even going as far as to having to “wash himself ” before repeating and screaming “Get In Line Johannes”. Que ‘Get In Line’! The heavy-hitting song saw the virtual crowd go crazier than they had over the past 3 shows. An obvious fan favourite and the band delivered a performance for the ages.

If you wanted heavy, ‘Tsar Bomba’ delivered it in bucket loads. Intense riffs and blast beats would have any metal fan banging their head. Not to mention the incredible solo that was performed to perfection by Tim. Avatar seem to be unable to play a sing poorly!

Jonas took centre stage to start ‘Bloody Angel’ before Tim joined him to harmonise the intro. That intro will always give me chills! An excellent display of the band’s capability to switch from soft to heavy in an instant. Johannes switched from clean vocals to gut-wrenching gutturals as if it was just his normal spoken tongue. Yet another highlight of the show.

Johannes thanked planet earth and expressed how much he missed the fans again and how much the band had missed performing. He mentioned he ” missed the smell” of the older attires and that “everything else smells”. He joked that that was a good sign of him not having covid. We all knew what was next, ‘Smells Like a Freakshow’. The band’s presence on stage is always a remarkable thing to witness live in any setting. The line ” you’ve made it to the last song, it’s ok if the TV falls over” from Johannes will probably have me laughing randomly for the rest of time. What a way to end show number 3!

Once again Avatar pushed the boundaries of what is possible from a Livestream show. The calibre of performance the band put out could headline any festival around the world without question. I truly think that Avatar may very well be the next big thing due to their continued hard work and determination. The charisma the band to the characters they portray on stage and their ability to add a story to there songs make the band feel larger than life. If you haven’t already I urge you to get a ticket to the final show next Saturday here! It promises to be a show like none other with it consisting of songs from the bands first three albums ‘Thoughts Of No Tomorrow’, ‘Schlacht’ and ‘Avatar’.

Setlist:

Hail The Apocalypse
Torn Apart
Blod
In Napalm
Black Waltz
Let It Burn
Paint Me Red
Puppet Show
Ready For The Ride
Vultures Fly
Tower
Murderer
Get In Line
Tsar Bomba
Bloody Angel
Smells Like A Freakshow