Avatar | ‘Schlact’

If there’s a purpose or a statement at the heart of ‘Schlacht’ it’s that Avatar is five young guys enjoying the hell out of playing their instruments, and that they do do well. However, if there’s some kind of deeper concept or an artistic intent, some kind of grand vision or design, it’s been well hidden. The cover art provides more than just an inkling of this, the gaudy comic book illustration more suited to the packaging of the latest Mattel product for six year olds than an album cover.

Rather than dispel the notion, the full on, straight at it way the title track opens up the album only serves to copper fasten it. Maybe it was meant as a statement of intent, a no nonsense declaration from the off that ‘this is Avatar, and this what you’re going to get for the next forty minutes.’ Unfortunately it smacks more of songwriting naivety than purpose; worse, like they didn’t even know how to start the album so they just began in the middle of the first song.

Ironically, despite the little details and intricacies packed into each of the twelve tracks, within a matter of minutes it all just sounds the same; like the one song on an In Flames that showcases them at their heaviest and most direct, and the button stuck on repeat. That said, ‘Schlacht’ is definitely not without merits. Taken in isolation there are a couple of good songs in ‘4 AM Breakdown’ and ‘All Hail The Queen,’ the production is good and clear, and there’s that gusto and conviction mentioned previously, but surely there’s got to be more to releasing an album to a wider audience than simply doing it for the sake of it.

1.2 / 5 - DBM ::: 05/05/08