After 'Hurricanes and Halos' in 2017 (see here), the Swedes from 'Avatarium' are releasing a new album 'The Fire I Long For'. With the previous opus, the heavy and heavy side of Doom had been withdrawn and, although this new baby contains compositions with slow tempos, we do not feel the darkness and the sad side of this style which often drowns in long repetitive titles. First of all, the duration of the titles is about 5 minutes with an exception for 'Epitaph of Heroes' which borders on 7 minutes and on the other hand, they offer more harmonious melodic lines which transforms this feeling of sadness of the Doom in melancholy. Take for example 'Lay Me Down' which takes us on a beautiful ballad in which 'Hennie-Ann Smith' offers us a magnificent vocal performance (see the video below with an acoustic version) or 'Porcelain Skull', which even if it keeps a certain heaviness, is more catchy thanks to a refrain with heady melodic lines or even' The Fire I Long For 'which can recall the atmospheric side of progressive rock. We can also note 'Shake The Deamon' with its catchy rhythm which contrasts with the rest, 'Epitath of Heroes' which, although we get closer to doom, develops a remarkable disturbing atmosphere and finally the last title 'Stars They Move' which shows that 'Jennie-Ann Smith' can also affect in a beautiful piano/voice acoustic title and it is generally in this kind of refined title that we can realize the talent of an artist.
In summary, although the whole album remains fairly close to doom style, the Americans of 'Avatarium' show that they have a talent for varying atmospheres and for avoiding any monotony which is often the trademark of this style and, for this reason, 'The Fire I Long For' is not only intended for an audience loving the 'Doom' but also to all those who love a melancholic atmospheric metal... | |
