- Country: Sweden
- Style: Doom metal
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Release date: 1 November 2013
Avatarium started as Candlemass bassist Leif Edling’s new project, but the debut album belongs just as much to singer Jennie-Ann Smith. She sings these slow, heavy songs with a warm, bluesy voice that makes them feel less like doom metal and more like late-night 1970s rock that happens to be very heavy.
There are only seven tracks, and most of them take their time. “Moonhorse” opens with a huge riff and a vocal that climbs over it with ease, and “Pandora’s Egg” and “Boneflower” mix that weight with quieter, almost folky passages. Marcus Jidell’s guitar solos are a highlight throughout, melodic and expressive rather than showy, and Carl Westholm’s keyboards add a vintage colour that suits the songs.
The closer “Lady in the Lamp” is the most surprising moment, a soft, jazzy song that shows how wide this band’s range is. Even the cover painting by Erik Rovamperä fits the dreamy mood. Not every song is essential, and the pace stays slow for the whole record, but as a first album this is excellent.
Best tracks:
Moonhorse
Pandora’s Egg
Boneflower
Lady in the Lamp
Author’s rating: 8.2/10
