Too many great bands come to Oslo this week. This is Monday, and the start of a series of gigs for me. First world problems. Headliner? Of course, Sweden. Avatar. 

I come a bit late so I only catch two last songs of the opener Agabas. I hear donkey sounds with very painful main vocals, it is very avant garde. I enjoy a lot of avantgarde music, but these vocals here make it very sour. Luckily, I am late and my suffering was limited to just two songs. 

Changeover is a bit bizarre - someone who is in charge of the sound pushes insane volumes - louder than the bands - to make it painful to be in the area. System of a Down and other good bands but damn, why so loud? Unpleasant. 

Alien Weaponry is the act I have not even hoped to see in my lifetime. New Zealand. The fellows do the line check themselves and it is the coolest line check ever - charisma even as you do such a technical task. 

I would compare Alien Weaponry to a New Zealand’s Soulfly. A lot of (extra cool) tribal elements in the music that probably is even cooler to experience when you are more familiar with the culture. 

It is a power trio with three vocals, beatles-size drum kit and very heavy powerful sound. I feel every time the finger hits the bass string. There is some back track and, I assume, midi-driven effects. The band plays Taniwha with Lamb of God’s Randy sent as a backing track, which is a bit questionable, but the rest is great and extremely energetic, with ire headbanging. 
Crowdsurfing starts! :) 

When you have seen many bands, it is not much that can impress you, but Avatar manage to do one of the most spectacular stage entries of all I have seen. Drums get split in two parts - the stand literally splits left and right, and the vocalist with guitar players roll on an island driving them to the front.

There are very cool props with mics that get up and down, some stage moving parts make it feel like you are looking at the boat - simple but cool solution - very cool idea with moving light stands. 

This is the gig where all the people with short hair must feel inferior. Because windmilling is the constant element of the show. I like that the band is so energetic, but the sound is not good - I assume, just a bad day for the vocalist. 

Marilyn Manson is obviously a big influence on the image of the vocalist Johannes Eckerström. 

So the show and the visuals are top notch! The opener Captain Goat is a choice that would rather fit a funeral than a metal gig, but the rest of the setlist has the energy. Every song after the opener has a very cool groovy moment, but to me there is no single song that is ideal. This is personal though, and obviously the audience does not agree with this, which is great - everyone enjoys it. 

There was something with the sound that was just not good. It is muffled and I blame the sound engineering for this - not the band. I like the solos, but they are panned, so when a more remote guitar player does the solo, - we do not hear anything, which is a strange decision sound-wise. 
I sense this day was not the best day for the vocalist, but the vocals had some issues, the vocals jump up and down and are not too firm. 

So my plan is to see the band again later - perhaps it will be better. I hope the next time the sound will improve.