AVATAR have released the first official radio single off their forthcoming LP today exclusively via
Revolvermag.com. "You've heard Owl's hunting hymn. Now it's time for Eagle's mission statement," says lead vocalist Johannes Eckerström. "Just as he crashes into the world of his adversary, we will come crashing into your lives, screaming at the top of our lungs."
"We're still very early in the story and without giving away too much, I can say that things are about to change rapidly."
"The riff is a towel, the melody is water and y'all are about to get boarded. Have fun!"
AVATAR will release their very first concept album titled Feathers & Flesh to be released on Friday, May 13, 2016 via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and Canada and Another Century overseas. The new release will be the band's highly anticipated followup to Hail The Apocalypse released in 2014, which cracked the Billboard Top 200 for the first time in the band's career.
The aim is set higher, further and deeper than ever before for AVATAR. Not only is this concept album their most extensive work to date, showing the widest range of any of their albums, it also contains a story too extensive for any booklet, so they made a book. A fully illustrated 60 page, 109 verse poem hardcover book. The physical album pre order, book, and exclusive merchandise is available now.
AVATAR have released three instant gratification tracks thus far from Feathers & Flesh. "Regret," and "House of Eternal Hunt" were released simultaneously just last week. When fans pre order the album through iTunes, these tracks are available instantly.
The band recently released their first song off the record in a very familiar way, a music video. "For The Swarm" can be seen exclusively on the band's website AVATARMETAL.COM. Directed by longtime collaborator and director Johan Carlén, the video pegs itself firmly into the upper echelon of stunning visual masterpieces the band has grown accustomed to producing.
With past works being buzzworthy videos like "Bloody Angel," "Hail The Apocalypse" and the 2015 Loudwire "Best Rock video of the year" video for "Vultures Fly," AVATAR continues to raise the bar for what bands are doing visually in the current state of hard rock and metal. "For The Swarm" is also available as an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre order the album today will get the track as an instant download.
Feathers & Flesh was recorded in Germany, Finland and Sweden in December 2015 with producer extraordinaire Sylvia Massy (System of a Down, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers). “Avatar is an amazing band,” said Massy, adding, “The singer has the wild energy and charisma I love, and the players are relentless. The album we’re making is an epic. Each song powerfully stands on it’s own, but is only a piece of a larger story. This album is the project I’ve been dreaming about for years!”
The music is as always, rooted in the extreme, with plenty of melodic sensibility and a lust for experimentation. There is a love for intense double bass drumming, riffing and shredding of timeless dimensions alongside rough edges, slow grooves and epic storytelling for the ages. The idea is that as the band digs deeper, the fists will be held up higher. The end result is a modern metal album with all the ruthlessness and power one could ask for handled with a loving songwriter’s hand, inspired by The Beatles and Queen.
AVATAR have developed quite the reputation for touring the US harder than even some of their American counterparts. Most notably, the band has grown well known for their epic performances in the US festival market. After their memorable performance at Rock on the Range 2014, a first for the band, it shows no signs of stopping. AVATAR will return to Rock on the Range, Welcome to Rockville, Carolina Rebellion, Rocklahoma and River City Rockfest in 2016. They will also be performing at Download UK and Download Paris this summer.
