AVATARIUM

The Fire I Long For

NUCLEAR BLAST

More classy missives from the theatre of doom

WHEN AVATARIUM FIRST emerged in 2013, their status as one of Candlemass mastermind Leif Edling’s various side-projects seemed to overshadow the fact that there was something truly magical going on. Graced with the extraordinarily powerful and evocative voice of Jennie-Ann Smith and, as you might imagine, blessed with Edling’s riffs at their disposal, the Swedes have quietly amassed an immaculate catalogue, wherein the imperious hulk of prime Sabbath collides with proggy hues, analogue keys and theatrical grandeur. And if you enjoyed any of the band’s previous three records, The Fire I Long For will definitely not disappoint.

In truth, this feels like a partial return to the overt heaviness of (2013) and (2015), rather than a. Leif Edling, no longer part of the band, only contributes a handful of songs here, but it’s the reassuring, bowel-disturbing thud of doom that provides with its spiritual core. Guitarist – and now chief songwriter – Marcus Jidell stamps his personality all over the likes of and , nudging Avatarium into ever more ornate and overwhelming sonic environs, but deference to The Riff remains mandatory regardless.