Talk about a throwback! This last installment of Avatar’s Impossible Concert Experience threw us all the way back to the beginning stages of the band’s existence. Thus the name, Age of Memories. What was neat about this last leg is that almost the entire set list hadn’t been played in a live capacity for almost a decade! In fact, newest band member Tim (as of 2011) hadn’t played any of these before! That’s crazy.
First up, was an abbreviated setlist from their second release, Schlacht. Truth be told, I’ve never listened to a single song off of this record before. The difference with all of their other releases is that it was almost devoid of any singing. It was pretty hardcore for them. Aside from playing a bunch of songs I didn’t know, I did get a kick out of their set, which was reminiscent of a garage set-up, with old tour posters plastered all over the walls. Another difference was that the band was playing rather intimately, as in playing very close together. They also had no make-up or costumes on! My sister did inform me that if you searched for photos of them in the early years, they didn’t do any of the stuff I’m used to seeing yet. Despite not knowing any of the songs, I thought they sounded good, although I would wager that songs you screamed through at 22 don’t feel as great ten years later.
During the brief intermission, there was a slideshow of pictures and videos of the band from back in the day. Let’s start off by calling out Johannes’ blond hair! He almost looked unrecognizable! As for the rest of the band, Johannes included, time has been kind to them. What is clear is that throughout time, Avatar has remained close and always seemed to have had a fun time on the road together. Aside from the intermission throwback, at the start of the show, Johannes also reminisced about the beginnings of the band and how they came to be. I thought something really neat was learning that they would practice in the dark so they wouldn’t have to look down at their guitar necks when they played!
Anyways, after the intermission, they launched into their self-titled album. I do believe this was played straight through, and Johannes jokingly hated every minute of it. I totally understand. Similar to Schlacht, this album was also straight screaming. Some of those notes he was hitting were a little insane, so I give him major props. This set-list was also almost totally unknown to me, except for one song my sister has played a handful of times, “Pigf*cker.” Instead of playing in the small room like the first half, this round was played in a larger space with just their standard carnival light logo sign in the background. It was reminiscent of their shows at that time in their career.
Overall, despite not knowing much of the material this time around, it was still a very entertaining show to watch! I also think Avatar needs to get more recognition for the incredibly original feat they’ve accomplished! Sure, other bands have livestreamed shows, but this gave fans the experience to hear almost all of Avatar’s catalog in a live capacity! I also really enjoyed the variety of stages they played on. Everything seemed really well thought out and coordinated. The major effort did not go unnoticed by me! Loved this experience, but I can’t wait to see them live and in person again. Come on 2021 – don’t let us down!