This is another great triple metal bill for all of you fans that love mosh pits, crowd surfing and loud aggressive rock and roll. The Skyway theatre in Minneapolis seems to be hosting more of these types of bands. So, if you are in the Twin Cities and you are looking for this style of music, your first stop should be the Skyway theater to see what is coming.
The opening slot belonged to Orbit Culture a newer band from Sweden. This band is a great opening act for a headliner like Avatar. They are full on metal that got the crowd warmed up and off to a great start. One of the many things I love about these types of concerts is the fans who show up are engaged from the beginning to the end. Most of the audience had already arrived before the first band started to play.
Orbit Culture To me, feels like a fusion of Metallica, Fear Factory, Meshuggah and a little Gojira mixed in for good measure. They formed in 2013 and this is their second U.S. tour. They will be releasing a new album later this year titled Dissent.
The second band on the bill Veil of Maya was just as heavy but reminded me more of Shinedown or Disturbed. Not so much musically but the singer has a range that is more melodic and that is what reminded me of these bands. They fit well into this tour even though they were a little bit different than the opening act. The crowd really liked them as well and had quite the mosh pit going by the second song. They are currently touring to support their latest release Mother. They have quite a list of videos and singles. If you are interested check them out on YouTube or Spotify.
Avatar is one of the most energetic and dynamic bands I’ve seen come across to the states in years. I always look forward to seeing them not only because I love their songs but they’re a lot of fun to photograph. They are from Gothenburg Sweden and have just released their latest album, Dance Devil Dance.
The first time I saw them was in a small club. I knew at once that they were going to be big. The question was, how big? I do not think they are anywhere close to reaching their potential yet and they are getting more and more new fans every year. For those of you that are not familiar with Avatar, they are a very heavy metal band with incredible songs that have a poppy edge. Plus, a very dynamic live show. I do not know how anyone that likes metal could not love Avatar.
This is the first time I have seen Avatar headline and they played for almost 2 hours which I think is incredible. They did not let up for one minute with their high energy performance. They must be seen to be believed and I think that if you are looking for new metal and you are not familiar with Avatar, you owe it to yourself to check them out. Even if you do not know their songs, their show is so incredibly entertaining I do not know how you could not walk away from the show as a fan. They had their audience in the palm of their hands from the moment they started until they finished. They are one of those rare bands that understands their audience and gives them what they came for. I would give them my best recommendation for people to give them a chance. They will be on tour all year.
