AVATAR “Death and Glitz” this Friday, the 3rd . The Swedish band's tenth studio album, Don't Go In The Forest , is scheduled for release on October 31st.
The band, consisting of vocalist Johannes Eckerström , guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström , bassist Henrik Sandelin , and drummer John Alfredsson, has been growing steadily over the past few years.
Regarding the new single, vocalist Johannes Eckerström commented:
“Death and Glitz” is a song about perversion and detachment. A young homeless runaway collapses and dies on a dance floor. The crime scene tape transforms into a red velvet rope. The investigator's camera flash shines like paparazzi on the red carpet. We love her for dying. Now she's perfect. Obedient. Anything you want.
The true crime genre is as sick as the most extreme goregrind band you've ever heard. Its popularity and the way it's consumed—as if it were just another choice between Mickey Mouse and hospital dramas—reveals a darkness. The best cases are always when the victim is young and attractive. A couple goes for a walk. Only the man returns. What do we project onto the very real tragedy of this very real person? Do we see ourselves, with a strange envy of being so desired? Do we see a blank canvas on which we could paint the perfect future, if we were there to 'fix' everything? Or do we completely dehumanize the victim and those who lost them, obsessed only with the puzzle?
Whatever the reason, it's clear that no one is more obedient than the dead. People simply like it when death comes with a beautiful adornment.”
New album Don't Go In The Forest
Among the milestones of this journey is the acclaimed album Dance Devil Dance , released in 2023, which included the rock chart hit “The Dirt I'm Buried In”. The group now looks to an even more promising future with the release of their new album Don't Go In The Forest .
Vocalist Johannes Eckerström commented: “Over the years, it has become a necessity for me to answer a question: why is this important? It can't just be another album. We need to discover something, try something different. It has to come from the heart. What is being said matters. In days of isolation and despair, perhaps we need to remember that we are not alone? We are one among many. Perhaps we also need a reminder that the burden rests on our shoulders? To overcome it, we need to fight ourselves. In our shared pain, we find solidarity.”
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