In 2017, I went to a venue that was originally a church called The Tabernacle in Atlanta. Opening for the headliner was Avatar, a Swedish band that had been around for 16 years in their home country. I had only heard one song from them, so I walked into the venue completely blind. I walked out a total fan, and since then, I have followed them. When I heard they were coming to my area, I had to submit to cover their show. So, this week I had the opportunity to capture their show at the Revel Entertainment Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They brought with them two killer bands, Frozen Soul and Fleshgod Apocalypse. Welcome to the “Don’t Go in the Woods 2026 Tour.“

Frozen Soul is an extremely powerful metal band that lives up to their name. Formed in 2018, they have a strong hold on the death metal scene. They take their music seriously, as if they were frozen souls thawed out and on a journey to tell their story. Coming out of the Fort Worth, Texas, death metal scene, they are a band to follow. They bring energy and instantly connect with their audience.

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Fleshgod Apocalypse is an Italian symphonic death metal band. Formed in 2007, the group resides in Perugia, Italy. They have an established following in the United States. With two vocalists, one with a velvety operatic voice and the other in complete contrast with a gravelly metal sound, they tell you a story while the guitars, piano, and drums create the dramatic scene. I found them very entertaining and found myself looking up more of their songs during the break between bands.

Discover more about Fleshgod Apocalypse | Website | Facebook | Instagram

Avatar, a Swedish metal band, has been described as an alternative, melodic death, groove band with influences from legends such as Helloween, Thin Lizzy, and Gojira, but they learned music from masters such as Beethoven, The Beatles, and Iron Maiden. They have produced and released 10 albums, with the most recent, Don’t Go in the Forest, last October. They won Best Rock Video at the Loudwire Music Awards for “VulturesFly” in 2015 and Best New Talent at the Epiphone Revolver Music Awards in 2016. Then, in 2017, Breakthrough Band was awarded at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

John Alfredsson, the band’s drummer, is one of the original members of the band and the longest-running member. There have been many lineup changes to the group, but the current lineup has been together since 2011. Avatar has been known for their theatrical and fun performances — they sing their hearts out at every show as if it were their first time.

They opened the show at the Revel with a foggy, blue backlit scene. The drum set splits in two, and the band rides out on a platform with vocalist Johannes Eckerström draped in a black cloak and holding a lantern, guiding them in as if they were riding a boat into shore. The song had a very pirate shanty sound; the soundtrack was “Captain Goat” and then the cloaks were removed. They performed “Silence in the Age of Apes” and “The Eagle has Landed.” From that point on, the songs just kept coming, and the crowd cheered and jumped up and down. Fourteen songs later, the crowd didn’t want them to leave the stage, and they came back on and performed a three-song encore.

If you want to know more about Avatar and follow the tour, check out these links:

Website | Facebook | Instagram