Avatar (SWE) - Dance Devil Dance (2023)^{Release ID: 42855}

The new Avatar album continues in the same lane as Hunter Gatherer a few years ago as the band finds a heavier sound that remains controlled, without going full stadium rock as Avatar Country did.

One way that Dance Devil Dance separates itself from like sounding acts is how much more fun it sounds. The title track and "The Dirt I'm Buried In" are some of the standouts here. But what really separates them is while even though they might feel more "fun", they can still lure you in with darker tones and key centers. In that regard, this record does share a bit in common with Electric Callboy. That is until the truly slapstick "Gotta Wanna Riot" comes on and the whole feel of the record just plummets.

That's not to say that I do not like the back half of this album on its own, but the sequencing is bizarre. Something about the songs "Cloud Dipped in Chrome" and "Violence No Matter What" coming in after "Gotta Wanna Riot" just feels... wrong. While the record as a whole does not feel intrusive or bad at all, it is missing a true highlight as previous Avatar albums are known to contain. I would find myself hard pressed to listen to this anywhere outside of the dancefloor.

Best Songs: Dance Devil Dance, Do You Feel in Control?, The Dirt I'm Buried In