LIVE REVIEW: Avatar @ Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London

Sweden’s AVATAR succeed in turning London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire into a hedonistic circus romp, inciting all forms of revelry on a dreary Sunday night. Having won over the main stage at Download Festival in 2018, as well as supporting HALESTORM at Brixton Academy, the Swedes don’t fall short in conquering their headline performances at some of their biggest shows to date.

Tasked with opening the evening’s proceedings is Irish singer/songwriter Dylan Walshe, who manages to captivate the milling crowd still filing in. Originally from Dublin via Nashville, his heady mix of Irish tinged folk infused with a deep rooted twanging, sounding as if ripped right out of the deep south, has those already down the front nodding along intently. Delicate melodies interlaced with short, sharp harmonica blasts is the heaviest part of the troubadour’s set, and his closing number gets everybody clapping along. Although Walshe seems like an odd choice to be opening a metal show, he proves to be an eclectic addition to the evenings revelry nonetheless.

Rating: 7/10

Sadly, THE MAHONES have been plagued by a bad mix coming through the PA, to the point where it’s hard to distinguish when vocalist Finny McConnell is talking to the crowd between songs and when he’s screeching during them. The Toronto via Dublin based punks (self proclaimed The Irish Punk Brigade) play through their raucous, hi-hat driven set, seemingly oblivious to the sound issues. Katy Kaboom‘s accordion and Sean “Riot’ Ryan‘s low end bass parts only just cut in above the scuzz.

With a career spanning over 25 years, ten studio albums, embarking on countless tours all over the world and an impressive list of names all featuring on their records, THE MAHONES certainly do add a bit of variety to tonight’s show. McConnell attempts to get a sing-along going during their cover of David Bowie’s Heroes, but the audience are refusing to play ball and only a select few down at the front and in the balcony happy to oblige.

Rating: 6/10

Having spent the best part of a decade and a half mastering their grandeur and pomp on record, it comes as no surprise that as soon as AVATAR royally announce their arrival at the first carnivalesque trumpet of Glory To Our King, those lucky enough to be in standing erupt into a frenzied melee. Conceptualising their latest full-length Avatar Country around the mysterious and spectral character of The King (assimilated by guitarist Jonas Jarlsby), AVATAR’s spectacular stage show is delivered with no expenses or creativity spared.

Jarlsby looms above drummer John Alfredsson on a hydraulic throne, grinding away at dizzying riffs; death staring the audience into submission who are already lost in mindless oblivion. Led by the ever-charismatic Johannes Eckerström, whose role as court jester, commander, ring-leader and recruiter to their royal cause — steals the show from any other theatrics on display as he stomps around the stage. Committing acts of tomfoolery on his band-mates, with the largest menacing grin spread across his painted face, his guttural growls and alluring cleans are devilishly precise in setting the fictitious scene.

The searing guitar parts in Let It Burn and Bloody Angel drive the show into a huge circus romp. The continuous onslaught of For The Swarm, Get In Line, The Eagle Has Landed and A Statue Of The King only serve to highlight skill and stamina offered by Alfredsson‘s blast beats, hitting his kit so hard it looks like his head is about to fall off. He’s easily matched by the bass and guitar sections, who are exceedingly heavy one moment and melodically playful the next. It’s not until AVATAR land on more hard-rock efforts Paint Me Red and King After King that their dynamism kicks in to shake up the pace; offering a brief break at times from the ceaseless synchronised wind-milling.

Smells Like A Freakshow feels like it could be the climax of the evening, only just eclipsed by the band’s closing coda. Complete with a full costume change into white cavalier outfits and bubbles instead of pyro, AVATAR bring their stupendously glorious show to close with The King Welcomes You To Avatar Country, a bluesy infused rendition that sends the crowd into a sing-along en-masse.

Before the house lights come up for the final time, Eckerström invites London to be citizens of Avatar Country. He lapses into a long speech about how metal transcends musical trends and that all present are equipped to embrace the end times, diabolically teasing out their Hail The Apocalypse encore until the very last moment. Before sending everyone over the edge of anticipation, Eckerström finally commands his 2,000 strong crowd to indeed…Hail The Apocalypse, as bodies proceed to fling themselves at each other and strive to make their way over the barrier one last time.

With the western hemisphere on the cusp of descending into political and social meltdown, tonight’s show is the perfect escape from the bleak reality outside of Shepherd’s Bush Empire’s walls. “Our music will act as an outlet for all of your aggressions,” snarls Eckerström, “We know what you need! You need someplace to be, to scream, to tense every muscle in your body, to unleash those voices, to put those feelings on the outside for once. So, are you ready to move your asses London?” Yes we are Eckerström. And yes…we certainly did.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in London from Rhys Haberfield Media here: