Avatarium

Avatarium is a Swedish doom metal band. The band was formed as side project by Leif Edling, founding bassist and main songwriter of Swedish doom metal band Candlemass and features Marcus Jidell on guitar, Lars Sköld on drums, Carl Westholm on keyboards and Jennie-Ann Smith on vocals.

History
It all began last winter when Leif Edling needed help to demo a couple of songs he was working on, and Marcus offered to help. Weeks turned into months and a few songs became a full length album that is being mixed by an engineer Ronny Lahti. Avatarium released on November 1st, 2013.

In early 2014, Avatarium felt the need to break new musical ground and, after listening to some old vinyl records, the desire to get closer to this kind of material was born. With a new demo track at hand, Edling was joined by Jidell to work on the song that would be called All I Want.

While the two musicians got deeper into exploring where they want to take the music of Avatarium and how they can keep things interesting for themselves and for the fans, yet another song was created, and the idea to make a new EP was fully set.

The old spirit comes even more alive, with psychedelic percussionist Michael Blair, who has worked with Tom Waits and Lou Reed, among others, guesting on All I Want.

Commented Jidell: "[Michael] showed up at the studio with a big ‘bag of tricks’ with metals, crashers, shakers and a lot of strange things which he made sound like if you throw in a punkrocker at Woodstock and feed him with psychedelic pills!” About the new songs, he adds: ”We tried to keep things simple and spontaneous during the recordings, something I hope people will be able to hear. Also, I think that Jennie-Ann Smith has reached new levels with the way she sings on both of the new songs!"

On August 18, 2015, Avatarium announced that they are set to release their second full-length album The Girl with the Raven Mask on October 23, 2015 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Commented Leif : "Think we have created something unique this time with Avatarium! The songs are more written to be just songs and there are some really nice moments on the record that I personally love... the straight forward title track, the beautiful 'January Sea', the riff in 'Ghostlight' and the groove in 'Run Killer Run'. The organ and the Rhodes piano are ridiculously loud in the mix at times, even Dr. Carl agrees hehe, but i think it gives even more edge to the songs! I hope people will dig »The Girl With The Raven Mask« as much as I do myself, and if they don't, it's their problem. A band can't deliver more than we have done here, so it is an album close to perfection! When an album is perfect...shoot me!"

Marcus Jidell comments as well: "Avatarium have been taking another big step with this album and I can't wait for people to hear the songs and to play them live on our tour in November! It has been a lot of work but also a great pleasure to be the producer of this album, I'm very happy with the result and I feel very proud to be a member of this powerful and talented band!"

Band members

 * Leif Edling - Bass (2013-present)
 * Lars Sköld - Drums (2013-present)
 * Marcus Jidell - Guitars (2013-present)
 * Carl Westholm - Keyboards (2013-present)
 * Jennie-Ann Smith - Vocals (2013-present)

Discography

 * Studio albums
 * Avatarium (2013)
 * The Girl with the Raven Mask (2015)


 * EPs
 * Moonhorse (2013)
 * All I Want (2014)