Avatar is In The Airwaves, and On the Stage. The metal carnival continues with the release of their tenth studio album “Don’t Go in the Forest” and a world tour spanning the United States and Europe, ending in late August 2026 in their home city of Gothenburg, Sweden. It’s an ambitious itinerary, but Avatar has always worked hard to give the fans something bigger, better; an experience that simply leaves you in awe.
On tour with Avatar are Las Vegas “Death-Western” band Spiritworld and New Zealand Thrash Metal trio Alien Weaponry.
When Spiritworld walked on stage, it would have been a reasonable assumption that these guys walked into the wrong venue. Draped in rhinestone-clad western-wear, they brought the glitz and glam of Vegas right into Portland’s living room. Having not known much about Spiritworld, I didn’t really have any expectation about what their performance would entail. I was pleasantly surprised to find that they are stage veterans with a metal pedigree. They played roughly a half-dozen songs bringing the energy of the Roseland Theater to a level appropriate for a metal show.
Alien Weaponry took the stage with drummer Henry de Jong leading in a traditional Māori ceremonial Haka. The band doesn’t shy away from their Māori culture, instead integrating it into their performance and their music. Their latest album Te Rā, much like their previous works contains tracks in both English and Māori. Lead singer Lewis de Jong talked about his love for Lamb of God and vocalist Randy Blythe before they played “Taniwha” which featured Randy Blythe. Alien Weaponry’s set was dynamic and thunderous, pushing the boundaries of thrash and groove. Much like their pre-show Haka, their set incorporated intense facial expressions and rhythmic body movements giving their performance a very visceral feel which complemented the music perfectly.
Avatar, always well received in the Rose City put on an incredible show. I’ve been covering this band for over a decade, so I apologize if some personal favoritism creeps into my otherwise completely unbiased journalistic integrity, but this production has completely topped every tour we’ve seen from them in the past. As tour dates pass and cities are left in the wake of the metal mayhem Avatar leaves behind, performance footage is quickly making it’s way to the interwebs. My solemn request is that you don’t watch the show footage on the screen. Certainly, read the articles (especially this one), but if you have the means, go see this show in person. There are many moving stage elements that tie in, thematically, to the performance that give the entire set a “rock opera” kind of feel. Johannes, always the showman, has an uncanny ability to make a meaningful connection with each individual as he and the band performed nearly twenty songs.
The tracks from their newest release, although enjoyable in their recorded form, simply take on new life in the live environment. Johannes’ vocal range and melodic delivery have matured significantly and really shine through on tracks like “Captain Goat”, and “Death and Glitz”. The set list is a great mix of classics as well as more recent hits and is sure to leave fans satiated while also longing for more. Avatar have always had a great relationship with the fans in and around Portland, and will most certainly continue stopping in to show us all a good time.
