Avatar
Hunter Gatherer – Century Media Records
Avatar have built a massive following in almost a blink of an eye. The fun loving Swedes did this by combining metal with a big grin attitude. They’ve proved heavy music doesn’t have to be quite so weighty in demeanour. It’s quite surprising then to find that Hunter Gatherer is a departure when it comes to this winning formula. It’s the heaviest, and darkest album the band have put out. It’s a culture shock for sure but look deeper and you can see what Avatar have done is actually rather clever. They know these are no ordinary times and they’ve put together a set of songs that reflect this. In a way this is their commentary on things that are so serious the music simply needs to be less jolly. It’s a risk, but what better time to expand your sound than now? Artists need to mature and experiment, they need space or they stagnate and this is an album full of innovation and maturity. It’ll will win over plenty of new listeners too. Hunter Gatherer isn’t just another album, it’s a set of songs that show just how in touch Avatar are.
Review by Gary Trueman