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AVATARIUM
Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead
AFM Records 2025

Well, Rome wasn't built in a day and good things take time. That this is not just the standard excuse for procrastination but that there's indeed a lot of truth in it, is evident on the new studio effort by Swedish classic rock/doom mavericks AVATARIUM. The band led by frontwoman Jennie-Ann Smith and guitarist Marcus Jiddel, partners also in real life, spent one and a half years writing, refining, and recording the eight tracks for their sixth full-length album.

Originally formed as a side project by CANDLEMASS bassist Leif Edling in 2013, the Swedes have gone through an impressive metamorphosis. It's hard to stick a label on their music, which is deeply rooted in classic rock and, obviously, doom metal but there is such a variety of influences and so much creativity involved that AVATARIUM defy any kind of pigeonhole.

The slow and mighty opener "Long Black Waves" with its BLACK SABBATH-style main riff, which is more than just a flimsy allusion to "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", showcases the heavy signature AVATARIUM sound and Jennie-Ann Smith's expressive vocals -- sometimes fragile, sometimes assertive but always mesmerizing and storytelling.

The faster, rockier "I See You Better In The Dark" is addictive thanks to its catchy chorus.

"My Hair Is On Fire (But I'll Take Your Hand)" is a prime example of how well different musical worlds can work together when they are skillfully and tastefully intertwined. The piano accompaniment to the lyrical vocal melody has a balladesque quality and a classical music feel. The transition to a bona fide doom number is seamless and makes perfect sense. In fact, the alternating elements of a romantic piano song oozing with melancholy and pain and the heavy doom-style eruptions are so well crafted together that this track is a masterclass in songwriting excellency.

"Lovers Give A Kingdom To Each Other" is a somewhat more laid-back song with a folk feel thanks to the dominating acoustic guitar. The truly special feature is the flamenco elements, which give the song its very own unique dimension. Here, too, the masterful combination of different soundscapes works perfectly.

"Being With The Dead" is a typical doom track that is characterized by intense, hypnotic riffs in the spirit of the genre and a powerful chorus with haunting harmony vocals. The icing on the cake here is the instrumental interlude, a dialogue between lead guitar and Hammond organ that could have originated from the best days of DEEP PURPLE.

On the seven-minute "Until Forever And Again" AVATARIUM show an incredible range of musical vocabulary, from the penetrating, grindingly chromatic riffing, which is not easy to grasp at the first listen, to the almost jazz-like acoustic part towards the end of the track.

"Notes From The Underground" is an instrumental track that showcases Marcus Jiddel's unique lead guitar skills. Always melodic and expressive, without cheap self-indulgence, but instead thrilling and enthralling. In addition, the sonic seasoning is the percussion with which the number begins, and which runs subtly through the piece.

The closing title track opens with a piano and Jennie-Ann Smith's grandiose singing. Starting somewhere between pop style and a musical, this large-scale song develops into an atmospheric and epic rock ballad, turns up the dynamics and expression to the max and concludes an album that can confidently be described as AVATARIUM's masterpiece.

Between You, God, The Devil And The Dead/B> is the latest culmination of AVATARIUM's impressive artistic development, an album that is as diverse, unpredictable, and sophisticated in its composition as it is fascinating. The one and a half years that the band spent working on it were definitely worth it, also in terms of the excellent production and technical realization.

5.0 Out Of 5.0