Back in 2017 several thousand early birds in front of the main stage were galvanised by the first performance of the day. Founded in 2001, Gothenburg natives Avatar had enjoyed moderate commercial success, primarily as a support act for bigger guns. Opening slots for Avenged Sevenfold and 5FDP and especially the release of their fifth slab ‘Hail the Apocalypse’ gave their career a tremendous boost. Musically Avatar delivers a cross between groovy avant-garde metal and melodic death metal, with a starring role for frontman Johannes Eckerström’s insane stage antics and impressive vocal range. With ‘Avatar Country’ (2018) they created their own kingdom, ruled by king Jonas ‘Kungen’ Jarlsby I. The album of the same name struck a chord with fans across the globe and lifted them to headliner status. The release of their ninth album ‘Dance Devil Dance’ is slated for 2023 and this time around they’ve come up with another ingenious concept to make an even bigger impact. #GMM23
