Written by 
Although it’s not inaccurate to say that Avatarium started as a side project for Candlemass bassist Leif Edling, doing so may also imply that they’re only worthy of secondary attention. In other words, Avatarium have long deserved to be considered a major contender within the present-day doom/heavy metal world, as they’ve been knocking it out of the park since their self-titled LP arrived in 2013.
Over a decade later – and with the revised lineup of married couple Jennie-Ann Smith (vocals) and Marcus Jidell (guitars) alongside Mats Rydström (bass)and Andreas Habo Johansson (drums) – they’re back with their superb sixth album, Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead. Picking up from where 2022’s Death, Where Is Your Sting left off, it’s another compellingly singular collection that sees Avatarium continuing to soar long after their founder left.
According to Jidell, one thing that sets Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead apart from what came before it is its instrumentation: “I’ve started playing much more piano, so I’ve been composing for the album that way. There’s been a focus on classical music, so maybe the album is a little bit influenced by that.” Likewise, Smith notes that she and Jidell “grew as a songwriting team. The process has evolved. We had to learn to write music together.” Designed to be “darker and heavier than their most recent work,” it successfully evokes all eras of Avatarium‘s catalog.
Naturally, Smith‘s trademark bluesy huskiness and operatic range is a consistent highlight, especially during the incredibly catchy and impassioned “I See You Better in the Dark.” It does a great job of mixing the band’s trademark gloomy tones and pacing with the energetic roughness and hooky melodies of late-60s and early-70s heavy metal and hard rock. Of course, Jidell‘s virtuosic guitarwork is a key part of that vintage and modern mix, too, punctuating Rydström and Johansson‘s smooth but intriguing transitions with plenty of fiery tricks and turns.
By and large, the quartet sustain that mixture of quality songwriting and intense arrangements throughout the record, with slower and doomier cuts such as “Until Forever and Again” and “Being With The Dead” sucking you in via gothic keyboard outbursts and poignant vocal harmonies. They, alongside other tunes, expertly demonstrate how well Avatarium can sustain a central formula without it ever getting stale. Rather, each track offers just enough originality and intrigue to stand on its own and remain surprising after several playthroughs.
Plus – and in connection to Jidell‘s previously mentioned comment – a few songs find the band delving into softer and particularly eloquent territories. For instance, “My Hair is On Fire (But I’ll Take Your Hand)” begins as a surprisingly harrowing piano ode comprised only of piano chords (obviously) and Smith‘s dejected verses. From there, it oscillates masterfully between aggressive choruses and hauntingly sparse and bleak passages.
Afterward, “Lovers Give a Kingdom to Each Other” incorporates acoustic guitar strums and leads for a slightly rustic folk metal tinge, just as the closing title track unfolds as an even more beautifully sorrowful and reserved piano ballad. Like all great finales, it simultaneously wraps up the journey with all-encompassing weightiness and leaves you yearning for more as soon as possible.
Between You, God, the Devil and the Dead is one of Avatarium‘s finest LPs in terms of both its commendable songwriting and familiar yet wide-ranging instrumentation. Smith sings with as much distinctive vulnerability and vigor as ever, and the rest of the quartet back her up with excellent precision and creativity. As a result, there’s no reason established fans and genre aficionados in general won’t love what Avatarium accomplish here.