Last night’s entry into Avatar’s Impossible Concert Experience was Age of Madness, and it was probably the most hardcore experience yet! I say that because the two records that were performed for this installment were from Hail the Apocalypse and Black Waltz. These are definitely two of their darker albums, and there is a lot more screaming involved than any of their other releases. This also makes sense as to why this was my sister’s favorite of the shows so far.
Instead of playing each album as a chunk last last week, they decided to mix the songs together. With that, there was also no intermission this week. This week also lacked any elaborate costume changes. It felt the most like what an in person live show with the band is really like. Yes, bands can do costume changes, but most do not. It disrupts the energy of the show sometimes! Also, with them intermingling the setlist between the two albums, there was really no good place for them to throw in an intermission. This was just another way for the band to shake up the livestream experience. Especially going on their third week.
The show started off strong with “Hail the Apocalypse” and then morphed into a few tracks I was unfamiliar with before playing “Black Waltz.” That song was accompanied by a wonderful balloon dance. Other than the set closer, “Smells Like a Freak Show,” I was actually introduced to some new songs (new to me) that were pretty awesome! “Vultures Fly” was beautifully constructed and was accompanied by an awesome comic-book style music video in the background! I also found out that their song “In Napalm” hadn’t been played in a live capacity since 2012 – that’s almost a whole decade ago!
Yes, the songs were awesome, but for me, especially with these livestream shows, is what is a band going to do that makes it memorable. The fact that they sound good already makes it noteworthy, but they accompany that with some wild dance moves and strange faces. This is a band that constantly makes me laugh in the best way humanly possible. You can tell they are having a blast by the way they interact with each other. Highlights of the night, however, included a chase from stage to stage between Johannes and John, and the fact that Johannes can play the trombone! The talent from this bunch never ceases to amaze me.
I can’t wait to see what Avatar’s final installment has in store!