December 6, 2025
Concert Review
By: Ben Lowman: Photographer/Writer
The circus came to Allentown, PA at Archer Music Hall. Avatar brought the metal circus as was evident by the sold out freakshow. It was a freezing Friday night and the line to get in was stretching around the building, the anticipation was palpable and the fans of Avatar are certainly one of the more dedicated fanbases in the current scene. The doors were unleashed at 6:30 pm but even up until the first band started people were still filling in. As the room filled, both first timers and avid Avatar show goers were simply ecstatic to see the new production and setlist that the rising Swedish band have brought with them.
SpiritWorld
The Las Vegas built “death-western” band SpiritWorld opened the show with high intensity riffs built for headbanging and crushing breakdowns for the moshers. The band bring a brutal blend of thrash and death metal and acted as the perfect appetizer for the three course meal of metal that Allentown was being served. Their new album from this year, fittingly titled “Helldorado,” was represented in the setlist by “Waiting on the Reaper” and “No Vacancy in Heaven,” with the former being a riff filled adventure and the latter having a massive breakdown for any hardcore kids in the pit. Lead vocalist Stu and I made eye contact while I was singing along to “Waiting on the Reaper” while in the photo pit and he gave me a point and an ear to ear smile.
Stu had mentioned during the set that they will tour with any band of any genre and he is not kidding. Going from a tour with Kreator and Sepultura to a tour with Obituary, Nails and Terror to a tour with Avatar is quite a range. Truly, they stand out visually but are not out of place on any tour lineup they are added to. SpiritWorld certainly started the night off strong, a perfect opener for a band of Avatar’s caliber.
Band Members:
Stu Folsom – vocals
Randy Moore – lead guitar
Matt Schrum – rhythm guitar / backing vocals
Nick Brundy – bass
Preston Harper – drums
SETLIST:
Rū Ana Te Whenua
Te Riri o Tāwhirimātea
Mau Moko
Taniwha
Kai Tangata
Alien Weaponry
It is nearly impossible to describe the New Zealand based band Alien Weaponry in words alone. Simply put, their set did not feel like anything ordinary, it felt like a ritual. For some, this emotion will come off as something atmospheric and full of positive vibes. For others, this is beyond perfect music to mosh to. Heavy riffs, booming drumming and unique vocals, in all my years of seeing shows, Alien Weaponry are by far one of the most different bands to hit a stage.
Their drummer Henry began the set on stage alone performing the ceremonious dance ritual known as Haka. Immediately, the vibe was shifted and the crowd and myself knew the set was about to be something special. The setlist consisted primarily new songs off their 2025 album “Te Rā.” The rest were comprised of songs off their debut album “Tū.” Alien Weaponry beyond a shadow of a doubt have gained plenty of fans this tour, including myself.
Band Members:
Lewis Raharuhi de Jong – Guitar & lead vocals
Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong – Drums & backing vocals
Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds – Bass & backing vocals (joined in August 2020)
SETLIST:
Relic of Damnation
Waiting on the Reaper
Moonlit Torture
Lujuria Satanica
Comancheria
Unholy Passages
No Vacancy in Heaven
Ulcer
AVATAR
Avatar pulled no punches this tour, plain and simple. Using an intro with a creeping sense of dread up until their start time was brilliant, the crowd being subjected to old timey music that slowly but surely faded into the sound of a calm rainstorm that grew into the atmosphere of a stormy night on the ocean. As the intro came to a close, the band were wheeled out on a platform, looking like they were slowly drifting through the ocean. They flawlessly blended this intro with the first song of the monstrous 18 song set, “Captain Goat.”
Throughout the night, the circus of fans were treated to 6 songs off of Avatar’s brand new album, “Don’t Go In The Forest.” In addition, the other 12 songs included typical staples like “The Eagle Has Landed,” “Smells Like a Freakshow” and their iconic “Hail the Apocalypse.” But hardcore fans were also certainly pleased by the inclusion of deeper cuts like “Blod” and “Silence in the Age of Apes.” As someone who has seen Avatar multiple times over the last few years, this is potentially my favorite setlist I have seen the band craft.
Photographing Avatar was a massive bucket list experience for me, and they did not disappoint. Very few bands are so interesting visually with such simple but meticulous production. They are walking proof that not all bands need pyro or out of this world special effects to be visually pleasing. The amount of effort into the bands visual appeal combined with the brilliant sound engineers made this show to be one of my favorites of the entire year!
Band Members:
Johannes Eckerström – lead vocals (also brass, piano/keys)
Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby – guitars
Tim Öhrström – guitars & backing vocals
Henrik Sandelin – bass & backing vocals
John Alfredsson – drums
SETLIST:
Captain Goat
Silence in the Age of Apes
The Eagle Has Landed
In the Airwaves
Bloody Angel
Death and Glitz
Blod
Colossus
Howling at the Waves(Johannes on piano)
Tower(Johannes on piano)
Glory to Our King
Legend of the King
Let It Burn
Don’t Go in the Forest
The Dirt I’m Buried In
Tonight We Must Be Warriors
Encore:
Dance Devil Dance
Smells Like a Freakshow
Hail the Apocalypse
The “In the Airwaves USA Tour” featuring Avatar and special guests Spiritworld and Alien Weaponry was a highlight of the year for concerts. This is potentially the most cohesive lineup ever comprised by Avatar. There are no bands quite like Avatar, but they nailed it by bringing along bands that also do not have any bands quite like them either. From a production standpoint, Avatar have never brought a more visually appealing set to the United States. From the splitting drumkit, moving lighting rigs, multiple costume changes and a moving platform to transport the band from one end of the stage to the other, they knocked it out of the park. The band and crew have much to be proud about and I can not wait until they come back!
AVATAR:
Alien Weaponry:
SpiritWorld:
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