AVATAR

That Scandinavian freak show known as Avatar and presented by Live Nation parade into Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom.

Avatar rolled into town supporting their latest record, Avatar Country—only their second-ever visit to Vancouver. Their first appearance was back in late 2017 on the In This Moment tour, where they delivered a brief three‑song teaser that barely scratched the surface of what this band can unleash. This time, we got the full spectacle: a nine‑song, hour‑long plunge into a carnival of sound that lands somewhere between melodic death metal and full‑blown avant‑garde chaos.
This Swedish outfit is truly one of a kind.
They stormed the stage in full clown‑corpse paint and matching marching‑band uniforms, kicking things off with “Murderer” from 2014’s Hail the Apocalypse. The visual impact alone was wild—but paired with a sharp, dramatic light show and a massive illuminated AVATAR backdrop, it became a full sensory assault.

Ringmaster Johannes Eckerström is as unhinged-looking as they come—an endlessly expressive, wildly charismatic frontman who commands the room with ease and peppers the set with cheeky, theatrical banter. “Get in line, Vancouver! Get in line, Vancouver—get in line, Vancouver!” he taunted, before the band tore into “Get in Line,” unleashing a wave of vicious headbanging from guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, with Henrik Sandelin driving the low end on bass.
And you can’t overlook John Alfredsson on drums—this guy stands up mid‑song and obliterates his cymbals like they owe him money, especially during “Paint Me Red.”
They closed the night with “Hail the Apocalypse,” a crushing, chug-heavy finale that left the entire crowd drenched and buzzing.
Avatar walked away with a ton of new fans that night—including me. Next time, we’re ready for them to headline.