Album Review: Avatarium - The Fire I Long For

Though he is but a small part of Avatarium at this point, Leif Edling still casts a shadow over everything the band does. The doom legend is largely the reason the band got so much attention right off the bat, but as he has receded into the background, and his own band has faded into irrelevency, we're left with a doom outfit that is fresher and more interesting than its roots. And while Leif does contribute three songs to this new album, Avatarium's calling card is not him, but instead the vocals of Jennie-Ann Smith, who gives the band a sound unique for the world of doom.

"Voices" opens the album with a big, fuzzy riff that screams doom, but Smith's vocals are able to be both smoky and a bit bright, so the song doesn't get bogged down in its own morass. Avatarium's sound is more nuanced because of it, and they are able to play somewhat outside the lines of traditional doom and get away with it. There is more classic rock creeping in around the edges than you might be expecting if you haven't already heard Avatarium. "Rubicon" has a sinister slither to it, but it also has melodies that could have come off the first Blues Pills record. It's what makes Avatarium something special.

A song like "Lay Me Down" is the best example of why Avatarium stands above most other doom bands. At least among those I've heard, I can't think of another singer who could pull off such a searing vocal. Doom singers so often are either clones of Ozzy Osbourne, or operatic belters. We don't get many doom singers who are as comfortable singing the blues as they are Black Sabbath. Smith can do it all, and that opens up a world of possibilities for Avatarium.

To go back to the beginning, the difference between Avatarium and their Candlemass roots is stark. Candlemass' most recent album was a one-note affair. Doom lovers thought it was great, but it was a reversion to the bare basics of the genre, and I speculate a lot of the praise was based on a nostalgia for a singer's return. Avatarium, with this album, have a better, more diverse, and frankly more interesting album. They mix doom, rock, and blues into a stew that has layers to it.

I love the moments of the record, as I did the previous one, that are more somber and emotional than purely foreboding. Avatarium is so good at writing that kind of music, and Smith sings it so well, it's when they are not only at their best, but when they are doing something new and amazing with the doom genre. Listen to the title track and you'll hear what I'm talking about. That song is a sad and depressing ballad, but resonant with power. Doom of the traditional sense can't match the impact.

I have liked Avatarium before, but this album might even be a step above for them. Doom isn't a very welcoming genre, but Avatarium is the sort of band that feels comforting on a cold, dark night. The fire they long for is one we can all sit around and enjoy. Avatarium is doom at its current finest.