Avatar wins over Iron Maiden fans with charisma and heaviness in a metal horror show

The Swedish band Avatar concluded their tour alongside Iron Maiden in Brazil last Sunday, the 4th, with a sense of mission accomplished after winning over fans with a charismatic and powerful show at the Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo.

After passing through Curitiba and Ribeirão Preto, finally having time to explore the country during their days off, the metal band concluded the promotional tour for their album Hunter Gatherer (2020), winning over new fans among the Iron Maiden audience, who were mesmerized by the metal circus set up on stage.

At the São Paulo show, the band took the stage promptly at 6:45 PM. Or rather: the band began to emerge at that time, with drummer John Alfredsson being the first to enter the scene with a comical wave to the audience, setting the tone of irreverent theatricality that perfectly defines Avatar's unique performance. Guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström arrived with Henrik Sandelin , a bassist who has been passionate about Brazil for years, and began to play, only to freeze like statues for Johannes Eckerström on stage.

They all wear a sort of black and red uniform, but the vocalist is the absolute and bizarre face of the band. Tall, with black hair and extremely blue eyes, Johannnes embodies a disturbing and captivating clown who commands the show with ease, humor, and a significant dose of terror in the blatant way he smiles and sings about the apocalypse, transitioning from deep and extreme vocals to high registers with the ease of someone who is just playing around.

AVATAR opens for Iron Maiden in São Paulo. Credit: Leca Suzuki

Interestingly, although it wasn't noticeable at the show, the opportunity to tour with Iron Maiden tested the band's nerves after 20 years and eight albums. In an interview with Wikimetal , Johannes spoke about how "it makes sense" that they achieved this status, despite it being curious that it happened in Brazil.

“The first show [in Curitiba] was very special because I had never really been nervous for an Avatar show before. I’ve always been very confident with the band, but now with Iron Maiden, my inner 15-year-old – and all our inner 15-year-olds – traveled with us and were there, and they had never toured, played festivals, or recorded albums, but they were there with us. We were trembling,” he said. “That day was very emotional. [The show in Ribeirão Preto] was just as good, maybe better because we were more in control, more adjusted.”

Back at the show, as soon as everyone is on stage, the music begins with the aggression of "Hail The Apocalypse," with all the musicians headbanging simultaneously in a choreographed rhythm and hypnotic visual effect, creating a true metal horror show at Morumbi Stadium. Speaking to the audience for the first time, Johannes summons "the excluded, the aberrations, the errors and abortions of nature" to celebrate on that cold night, which could be warmed by the ferocity of the music.

The bizarre theatricality of Avatar, starring the five musicians in makeup, doesn't outshine the music. On the contrary, just like in the spectacular show of Iron Maiden, a fundamental influence on the Swedes, the band's entire aesthetic manages to complete the experience of the violent and magical show. “For us, it has always been very important to just beat our instruments and ourselves while we play. It's physical music. In our opinion, physical intensity is at the core. I can't think of it as metal without some level of that,” the frontman pointed out, explaining well how much the band values giving themselves completely to the performance.

Even without the big screens to broadcast the show, the band managed to get a good reaction from the audience, who responded to the calls to raise their fists, shout, and complete the name of the song "Smells Like a Freakshow" with screams. On social media, many new fans showed themselves convinced by the band's performance in the three cities they visited and, without a doubt, it won't be long before Avatar can return to the country for their own shows so they can fulfill the promise they made that Brazil will see them again.

See the photo gallery from our contributor Leca Suzuki below and the review of the Iron Maiden show in São Paulo here .