ALBUM REVIEW: Hunter Gatherer – Avatar

Over the course of a career that’s now spanned almost 20 years, AVATAR have slowly but surely turned into one of the most creative, interesting and unpredictable bands in metal. From the circus of Black Waltz through to the fantastical journey into Avatar Country, this Swedish quintet have always been able to blend intriguing aesthetics with crunching riffs and massive choruses, and while new record Hunter Gatherer takes more than a couple of detours along the way, the formula for what makes them such an exciting prospect is still undoubtedly there.

Kicking down the door with the opening assault of thundering singles Silence In the Age of Apes and Colossus certainly sets the stall out early, smacking you in the temple and leaving you in a bloody heap before you’ve even had a chance to settle into the record. Both tracks have all the hallmarks of classic AVATAR – razor-sharp riffs, hefty choruses and a healthy dose of undeniable musicianship. While they may be cut from the same cloth, however, even at this early stage it’s clear that Hunter Gatherer is varied in its approach; the full-throttle barrage of the album opener giving way to the more menacing, lumbering stomp of its successor.

This is a theme that runs throughout the record, whether in the form of complete tonal shifts (more on that in a moment) or memorable little moments scattered like Marvel-esque easter eggs; the oddly comforting whistling at the start of A Secret Door, the repeating siren in the aforementioned Colossus. It’s this unpredictable quality that makes this record so successful. While you have a rough idea of the destination that you’re on your way to, you’re never quite sure of the path you’ll take to get there.

The traditional, metallic elements that have become synonymous with AVATAR over the years are all present and correct, yet no idea ever outstays its welcome, mostly due to the sheer diversity from track to track. Scream Until You Wake for example blends hard rock, glam, death and traditional heavy metal in one neat slice of heaviness, while When All But Force Has Failed completely ditches any subtlety in favour of blasting you with as much aggro and force as five angry Swedes can muster.

But it’s when this record rips up the rule book entirely that it’s at its most interesting. This is where Gun comes in. A beautiful, piano-led ballad, Gun is unlike nothing the band have ever created, with a level of honesty and vulnerability that sits in stark contrast to all of the noise swirling around it. On a record that is fairly black and white in a lyrical sense, at least by AVATAR’s standards, it still manages to resonate in a way unlike anything else before or after it. The ‘you give a boy a gun’ refrain is quite simply haunting; the perfectly imperfect vocal performance of Johannes Eckerström jaw-dropping. It’s such a departure from the norm that it’s hard to grasp on the first few listens, but once you start to unravel it and get under its skin, it’s a truly stand-out moment on an album that is already full of highlights.

This record may well be the most accomplished piece in the band’s career to date, as it demonstrates the depth (both musical and emotional) that is present in each and every member. Like a well-oiled machine, every cog plays its part perfectly, and the end result is an album that should act as another stepping stone towards the upper echelons of the European metal scene. AVATAR may have ditched the metaphor, but they most certainly haven’t gotten rid of any of the quality, the fun or the riffs that we’ve all become accustomed to.

Rating: 8/10

Hunter Gatherer is set for release on August 7th via Century Media Records.

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