Albums

Album Review : Avatar – Dance Devil Dance

By darren@metalplanetmusic.com

Posted on 16th February 2023

11 min read

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Review by Richard Henry for MPM

Here we are with album number 9 from the Gothenburg band, let’s delve in and see what they have instore for us.

Track 1 – Dance Devil Dance

We kick off with the title track from the album, an industrial meet like a country twinge intro before we get a real almost Rammstein style riff, it’s an interesting mix both in groove and vocal delivery, the actual chorus itself brings in the clean vocals and it really lifts the track, an almost half-time groove in the mid-section, I can only describe it a like a western vibe, its maybe just me but that’s what came to mind! Good drive at the end when the double kicks enter the chorus to drive the intensity but just like that it ends.

Track 2 – Chimp Mosh Pit

More groove, almost like a nu metal vibe on this, the vocals are really pushed on this into a higher register, I get a vibe of Been Caught Stealing from Janes Addiction on the verse, nice riff coming in and then we get a first proper hit of intensity when the kicks enter this section giving a real Slipknot vibe, the only let down for this song for me is the vocals just seem a tad too high for comfort in parts

Track 3 – Valley of Disease

Electronic noises to start with, that riff could be straight off a Lamb of God album, this is a banger of a track, they do a really great transition into the chorus section that still keeps and intense riff, but the clean vocals really add to it and the little guitar figure that’s in there are well, really really cool lead section and the first proper solo on the album, then back into the electronic break before bang, straight into that opening riff again, sledgehammer of a track, love it!

Track 4 – On the Beach

Ok was not expecting the seagull noises but with a title like that then fair enough, another groove metal type riff with a sliding jarring guitar figure happening, then it’s a subdued verse part carried by the bass and then back into that groove riff again, this will get the heads going in the pit! The chorus is almost like a reggae feel, which is awesome and totally unexpected, it’s almost like a Fishbone/Faith No More thing, this carry’s on to the middle section of the song, then into a middle eastern riff/solo section again, loved the ending/outro of this song, like a music box mariachi feel!

Track 5 – Do You Feel in Control

Blast beats, YES!!! Now when the harmony solo kicked in, I immediately thought of Avenged Sevenfold, that’s a slamming verse riff, which gets into a call and response section going into the chorus and back to the blast beats, half time middle section before the double kicks come in, this will be a great song for the pits!!

Track 6 – Gotta Wanna Riot

We have entered 50s doo wop, well at least for the intro, this is a bizarre track, it’s a driving rocker, fantastic use of harmony vocals and then gang vocals in the chorus, you will see what I mean when you listen to it about the 50s thing, it’s a stomper of a mid-section riff under the solo, great playing by the way in the solo, it’s quite an almost popish song in some regards but that chorus will stick in your head!

Track 7 – The Dirt I’m Buried In

Laid back almost U2 type guitar figure before launching into what can only be described as a disco beat, it’s totally different from any other song on the alum, even when you get to the pre-chorus and chorus, very Avenged in a way for the pre and chorus sections, I really like this song because it’s so different and I think its placing on the album breaks up the album in a way that is really beneficial!

Track 8 – Clouds Dripped in Chrome

So, the song before makes a lot of sense, as this song from the off, is a slap in the face, a proper death metal style riff with blast beats underneath, almost a Morbid Angel type riff, before it all comes down into a groove riff, its liking hitting a brick wall doing 60, works really well and then back to the blast beats, the mid-section breaks it down again, and then another great solo hits, most aggressive track on the album for sure!

Track 9 –Hazmat Suit

Change of feel again for this one, it’s almost got like a Motorhead vibe crossed with a Swedish Death Metal delivery, good use of melody with the guitar leading into the chorus of the song, really propels it and takes it somewhere else than just being heavy, great solo landing again and loving the harmony parts

Track 10 – Train

Yeah… Blast beats for 3 seconds into only what could be described as Chris Issak Wicked game crossed with a western, it’s almost like a country track in the verse, before a black metal delivery into the chorus both in vocals and instruments, then into the country verse, it just doesn’t work for me at all.

Track 11 – Violence No Matter What

Mid Tempo driver of a track, great riff and you have Lzzy Hale matching the vocals in range and aggression, loving the riffs and the harmony solos on this, it keeps the intensity going but delivers with a boat load of melody through the whole track, a very dissonant cool solo then back into that chorus with Lzzy screaming over the top of it, excellent track to end the album!!

7 out of 10

It’s a good album, exploring a lot of Groove and Nu Metal with experimentation and more aggressive Death Metal tendencies, if Track 10 wasn’t on it I would have scored it an 8 instead but that track ruined it for me and killed the flow of the album unfortunately, however all in all a good album and worth a listen!