AVATAR ANNOUNCE BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM
Copyright: JOHAN CARLÉN
The heavy metal visionaries known as AVATAR - vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson - are set to unleash their latest masterwork Don't Go In The Forest on the fitting date of October 31st. Alongside the announcement, the band has released the video for ‘Tonight We Must Be Warriors.’
“It has become a necessity to me over the years to be able to answer one question: Why is this important? It can't be just another album. We need to discover something, try something else. It has to come from the heart. What is being said matters,” says vocalist Eckerström regarding the release of single, ‘Tonight We Must Be Warriors’.
“In days of isolation and despair, maybe we need to be reminded that we are not alone? We are one of many. Maybe we also need a reminder that the burden is on our shoulders? To get it done, we need to do the fighting ourselves. In our shared pain, we find solidarity.”
“The secret ingredient is that we still feel like we're just getting started. ‘Don't Go In The Forest’ is an album filled to the brim with stuff we've never done before,” continues Eckerström. “It's all songs and concepts we haven't been close to touch until now. The mind is wild and we have lost ourselves in the darkest woods, filled with memories, and fantasies. Forbidden thoughts that must be spoken.
“It would have been impossible to make this album at any other time than now. That's all we ever wanted, and I think you'll find it's all you ever wanted too.”
Back in April, the band unveiled their A Night To Be Torn Apart headline tour, featuring Alien Weaponry as special guests. The tour has since been rebranded as In the Airwaves, with the exciting addition of Norwegian feminist black metal group Witch Club Satan and Norwegian death jazz outfit Agabas joining on select dates.
2026 EUROPEAN HEADLINE TOUR
Thu, Feb 5, 26 — Stockholm, SE — Fållan
Sat, Feb 7, 26 — Helsinki, FI — Kulttuuritalo
Mon, Feb 9, 26 — Oslo, NO — Sentrum Scene
Tue, Feb 10, 26 — Copenhagen, DK — Vega
Wed, Feb 11, 26 — Osnabrück, DE — Die Botschaft
Thu, Feb 12, 26 — Brussels, BE — A.B.
Sat, Feb 14, 26 — London, UK — Exhibition
Sun, Feb 15, 26 — Manchester, UK — Academy
Mon, Feb 16, 26 — Glasgow, UK — Barrowland
Tue, Feb 17, 26 — Nottingham, UK — Rock City
Wed, Feb 18, 26 — Bristol, UK — O2 Academy
Fri, Feb 20, 26 — Amsterdam, NL — AFAS Live
Sat, Feb 21, 26 — Esch-Sur-Alzette, LU — Rockhal
Sun, Feb 22, 26 — Zürich, CH — Komplex
Tue, Feb 24, 26 — Barcelona, ES — Razzmatazz
Wed, Feb 25, 26 — Madrid, ES — La Riviera
Fri, Feb 27, 26 — Lisbon, PT — LAV
Sat, Feb 28, 26 — Bilbao, ES — Santana 27
Mon, Mar 2, 26 — Lyon, FR — Le Cube
Tue, Mar 3, 26 — Milan, IT — Alcatraz
Wed, Mar 4, 26 — Vienna, AT — Gasometer
Thu, Mar 5, 26 — Munich, DE — Tonhalle
Fri, Mar 6, 26 — Cologne, DE — E-Werk
Sat, Mar 7, 26 — Paris, FR — Le Zenith
Mon, Mar 9, 26 — Wiesbaden, DE — Schlachthof
Tue, Mar 10, 26 — Zlin, CZ — Sports Hall Datart
Wed, Mar 11, 26 — Warsaw, PL — Stodola
Thu, Mar 12, 26 — Berlin, DE — Columbiahalle
Fri, Mar 13, 26 — Hamburg, DE — Docks
SUPPORTING METALLICA — SUMMER 2026
Sun, May 24, 26 — Frankfurt, DE — Deutsche Bank Park
Thu, Jun 11, 26 — Budapest, HU — Puskas Arena
Fri, Jun 19, 26 — Dublin, IE — Aviva Stadium
Sun, Jul 5, 26 — London, UK — London Stadium