his autumn our hearts will be enlightened by the fourth studio album of Sweden’s globally praised AVATARIUM. They have no musical boundaries and that plays a vital part in ensuring they have a signature sound. This open-minded, yet doom-laden collective draws elements of folk, jazz and psychedelic brilliance into a grandiose amalgamation that manages to maintain an almost pop-like elegance. After previous album »Hurricanes And Halos« (2017) the band toured the world with their now significant and utterly unique repertoire. Another successful EU headline tour took place in autumn 2017. Next, they focused on crafting the next installment in their catalogue which is titled »The Fire I Long For«.

 

This record showcases the essence of a band who has found its signature sound, no matter what happens. Slightly developing, step by step on every release, »The Fire I Long For« includes nine genuine songs of exceptional purity. This fire they are yearning for is reflected in every single song on this album. Starting with the chunky sound of bombastic opener ‘Voices’, AVATARIUM also offers intimate beauty, represented by first single ‘Rubicon’ and the relaxed, sensitive ‘Lay Me Down’ with its smooth Americana feel. The wealth of variation on the Swede’s fourth statement is enriched with the doom-rooted heaviness of ‘Porcelain Skull’ and ‘Epitaph Of Heroes’, which the band describes as a rather idiosyncratic AVATARIUM song. The record is topped off with the bare intensity of the jazz-inspired piano ballad ‘Stars They Move’, bringing »The Fire I Long For« to close