Philadelphia Goes Into the Forest With Avatar
- Kara Maddox
- 18 minutes ago
- 4 min read
On Halloween 2025, groundbreaking melodic metal band Avatar delivered their newest album Don’t Go In the Forest, their first full-length album since 2023. In honor of the release, the Swedish band embarked on a North American headliner shortly after its release in fall 2025. The celebration wasn’t over yet however; Avatar announced a second North American run for spring of 2026, hitting cities that they missed on the first run. On May 13, Avatar ventured into Philadelphia’s Franklin Music Hall and delivered a night of theatrics and poignant showmanship that the fans would never forget.
Kicking off the night was Texas-based death metal band Frozen Soul. The band recently released their newest album No Place of Warmth on May 8, which even includes a track that features My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way. As soon as their set began, they instantly commanded the room with their energetic stage presence and brutal riffs. Throughout the set, constant moshing, circle pits, and crowdsurfing ensued. Frontman Chad Green even made a challenge out of it, saying that anyone who crowdsurfed would get a free t-shirt after the show, which led to a barrage of surfers soaring through the room. The most memorable moment of the set, however, is when the band threw out Magic The Gathering card packs into the crowd, and had the audience start a circle pit around the people playing the card game. Needless to say, even if it was many people’s first time hearing of Frozen Soul that night, they certainly made a lasting impression on everyone.
The second and final opener of the night was Italian symphonic metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse. To open the set, singer Veronica Bordacchini came out holding the Italian flag, mesmerizing the crowd with her operatic vocals. Soon enough, the rest of the band walked onto the stage and delivered the heaviness. Fleshgod Apocalypse is in a league of their own with their unique sound and appearance. Combining classical music and opera with death metal, as well as every member wearing gothic attire and makeup, the band delivered a set that everyone would remember. Veronica’s clean vocals perfectly complimented frontman Francesco Paoli’s harsh vocals, and Francesco Ferrini’s piano-playing over the heavy riffs and thunderous rhythms created a soundscape that immersed the entire audience. By the end of their set, the crowd was fully energized for the main act.
At around 9:30, the lights began to dim and TV static started blaring through the speakers. Being the showmen that they are, Avatar wants to build anticipation as much as possible. The crowd continued to cheer as fog poured through the stage, and soon enough, Avatar, wearing long black robes and standing in a triangular formation, were wheeled onto the stage. Frontman Johannes Eckerstrom was fully cloaked with a hood concealing his face as he was holding a blue lantern in front of him. Once the drums appeared on stage, Avatar went into the cinematic “Captain Goat”, one of the lead singles from Don’t Go In the Forest. Such an explosive entrance set the tone for the rest of the night, letting the fans know that they’ll be in for a unique experience full of metal-infused theatrics.
After “Captain Goat”, the fog on the stage cleared up and the band ditched the cloaks before going into “Silence in the Age of Apes” from their 2020 album Hunter Gatherer. Anyone who has ever attended an Avatar show will mention that there is never a dull moment in their hour and a half-long sets. Johannes’ effortless charisma can control the crowd without even saying a word, getting the fans to cheer just by pointing at them. The entire band’s energy is palpable as they perform, with each member headbanging in unison. Besides all the theatrics and set changes, the band creates a bold and raw musical soundscape that can easily get the crowd moving, proven by how moshing and crowdsurfing were happening all throughout the set. Avatar are true performers through and through, making sure the crowd is fully engaged during every second of the show.
Throughout the night, Avatar performed a mix of their fan-favorites as well as new tracks from Don’t Go In the Forest, and the crowd never died down for a second. Towards the end of the set, the band walked off stage, and “Glory to Our King” began playing on the speakers, signaling that an Avatar concert tradition was about to occur. Soon enough, lead guitarist Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby made his grand entrance as “The King”, sitting on a throne and wearing a regal white outfit and a crown. When the rest of the band came out wearing similar white outfits, they went into a performance of “Legend of the King” from their 2018 album Avatar Country. To close out their initial set, they performed “Tonight We Must Be Warriors”, the first track of Don’t Go In the Forest. As the band walked off stage, the fans started chanting “Avatar! Avatar!”. Shortly, a red balloon floated across the stage, signaling the band’s return. For their three song encore, they performed the title track of Don’t Go In the Forest, and two fan-favorites, “Smells Like a Freakshow” and “Hail the Apocalypse”. Until the very last note, the fans gave it their all as they moshed and crowdsurfed more than ever, ending the show on a high. As with anyone who sees Avatar live, the fans were left with a memory they would never forget; the organic charm and showmanship of Avatar is unmatched by any other artist.
