After a string of singles from both this and last year, Avatar is back with "Dance Devil Dance" and a new album of the same name due out February 17. Pre-orders are available here, and in the meantime you can watch the disturbing music video for the title track (directed by Johan Carlèn) above.
"I woke up to the truth one day," said Johannes Eckerström of the single. "With my heart pounding, and a heavy breath, I knew for sure. I am Satan. The snake and forbidden fruit with a longing for knowledge, freedom and agency. My feet were moving. I thought I was running, but I was dancing. A celebration.
"Yes, I am the Devil, and I believe that one day you can be the Devil too. It is my hope and ambition that this song will help you find your way there. As such, it's a celebration of love, lust and democracy."
As for Dance Devil Dance, Eckerström had previously made his case for why it'll be the album that saves heavy metal. "The short version is we will make you see the devil, and we will make you dance," he said in an interview back in August. "You've heard every band say it's their best album yet. This is our best album yet."
"My best thing to liken it to is [Judas Priest's] British Steel in the sense of that… they were a great heavy metal band, a great rock and roll band, a great prog band, at times, and kind of eclectic…. [Then with] British Steel, I find they really got laser focused, cut off the fat. And we're focused on what we feel right now metal needs — this very pompous, but yet—honestly, I feel like we have to save heavy metal. Because either people are lost in the past… They did it better than we will ever do what they do. Don't do that. What's next? What's next for us? And do that without disappearing up your own asses completely.
"When people end up doing metal that is best enjoyed while sitting down and shutting up, you miss the point. Metal is the music that you move to — in the pit, banging your head, dancing around, whatever, lifting weights, drinking too much, getting pregnant, impregnating someone, doing things. It's music to move with. You have drums in the band; why would you have drums if you don't move? We look a lot to the masters… but then just… yeah, that, but not that. They did that. We're now and what's next with that. Where can we try to help bring it? And that is this album."
