Swedish theatrical Groove Metal masters Avatar unleash album number ten, Don’t Go In The Forest. The second album on the band’s own Black Waltz Records label, this follows on from former MetalTalk album of the week Dance Devil Dance.
Avatar – Don’t Go In The Forest
Release Date: 31 October 2025
Words: Robert Adams
Maybe the titular Forest is the one directly outside the remote family property of frontman Johannes Eckerström that the band used to record Dance Devil Dance, and was featured heavily in The Band Avatar Makes A Killer Album movie. 
I was blown away by Dance Devil Dance, so my expectations for Don’t Go In The Forest are off the scale. Thankfully, my expectations are more than met.
If, like me, you loved Dance Devil Dance, then Don’t Go In The Forest will blow your socks off. Obviously, Avatar chose Halloween to unleash this opus on the masses.
A tin whistle opens Tonight We Must Be Warriors, and why wouldn’t Avatar be using a tin whistle? Spoiler alert – choirs, brass, Moogs, pianos, cellos and violas are all to be found on this album. Proof, if any is needed, that Don’t Go In The Forest is Avatar’s most musically ambitious album to date.
The accompanying video for this track showcases Avatar’s singular humour and trademark weirdness.
The pace is picked up with In The Airwaves, and Eckerström’s full-bodied roar is front and centre. This track is guaranteed to spark circle pits and riotous headbanging when played live.
Captain Goat is basically Avatar doing Pirate Metal and sounds glorious. There’s also a beautiful melodic guitar solo featured.
The title track is next up, and you can almost see Henrik Sandelin’s bass strings flapping as he beats out the intro. This track picks up the torch that The Dirt I’m Buried In lit from the Dance Devil Dance album. Eckerström’s vocals are mainly clean, and it is definitely one of the most commercial-sounding tracks that Avatar has recorded.
Some might see this as a sellout. They would be wrong. This is the sound of a band maturing and advancing their craft. Fear not, Avatar can still rip your head off when they want to.
Death And Glitz is a schizophrenic look at death and social media. It has a sinister message contained within yet another cracking tune. Abduction Song is Avatar with their foot to the floor. The riffs are flying, and it has a groove that dares you not to move.
A bleak piano opens Howling At The Waves, before settling into a proper mainstream groove. This is the light to Abduction Song’s darkness.
The musicality that Avatar are showing these days is simply wonderful.
There are loads of little touches to be found throughout Don’t Go In The Forest. The synthesiser response during the tasteful guitar solo in Howling At The Waves just brings a huge smile to my face.
Dead And Gone And Back Again is a melting point of styles. Straight up rock, funky disco, Groove Metal, a proper sing-along chorus. It really should not work, but they somehow manage to pull it off.
Take This Heart And Burn It is definitely one for the old skool Avatar fans. The heaviness is all too real here, with Eckerström growling like a man possessed. There is even space for strings.
Magic Lantern closes out the album in fine style indeed. Clean and harsh vocals are utilised to great effect here, and it is a fine way to close the most musically diverse album that Avatar have released to date.
Don’t Go In The Forest is just wonderful. Avatar are already one of the most entertaining live bands you will see. They are now releasing albums that match their live shows.
Avatar start their European tour in February 2026, with five UK dates already selling fast. Grab your tickets now to see what promises to be an unforgettable show.
Avatar release Don’t Go In The Forest today, and orders can be made via avatarmetal.tunelink.to/dgitf. For tour tickets, including details of Avatar supporting Metallica next summer, visit avatarmetal.com.
