Talkin' Rock with Avatar's Johannes Eckerström
It's always great to catch up with Johannes from Avatar. I think this is my third or fourth time interviewing him. Full disclosure: I'm an Avatar fan! Their new single “Captain Goat” is a wild ride—both musically and visually. The video dives deep into Greek and Norse mythology, Scandinavian folklore, and includes a very sexy siren (his words). “When a song is really, really good, it gives you these strong visual hallucinations,” he explained. “This was one of those. It’s a spiritual journey through the dark, complete with water, goats, and mythological creatures. Hendrik plays the siren, Jonas is tied to cliffs like Loki, and Tim is a Nixie, this water spirit thing.” Oh, and they filmed underwater in a rehab swimming pool. “Toward the end of the shoot, I couldn’t really open my eyes anymore—but the face paint covers the pain.” “We’re All Gonna Die… Let’s Disco.” When I brought up how Avatar mixes darkness with this weird sense of fun, Johannes nailed it: “We’re a heavy metal band that wants to be a good time. But we also dig deep into the dark rooms of the soul. That duality—that’s where Avatar lives. We’re all gonna die… let’s disco.” About the New Album… Kind Of A new album is coming. Johannes knows the release date, but can’t share it yet. “They won’t let me say the date, but it’s an excellent date,” he teased. “The album’s finished. It sounds amazing. Visually and sonically, we’re almost there.” I pressed him for the album title, but no luck. “It’s a beautiful title that lures you into forbidden places… a meadow between the trees.” Yeah, he’s not giving it up—but it sounds like classic Avatar mind-bending stuff. Metallica, Maiden, and Full Circle Moments In the span of 12 months, Avatar will have opened for both Iron Maiden and Metallica. “Honestly, there wouldn’t be an Avatar without Metallica,” Johannes said. “John broke his leg skiing when he was 12. His mom bought him Metallica CDs. He became obsessed, started drumming, met Jonas—and boom, Avatar.” He’s pumped for the Metallica shows, but also honest about the pressure. “When you’re on that big round Metallica stage, it’s theirs. But for those 45 minutes, I have to own it. I’ve got to walk out there and go, ‘This is mine now.’ It’s a challenge… but a fun one.” Cooking Battles in a Castle They recorded the new album in a castle. Yes, an actual castle. “We had this massive industrial kitchen with a frying pan bigger than your face,” he laughed. “Our chef got sick, so I stepped in and made pasta bolognese. I think I won.” Apparently, cooking has become “a pissing contest between bandmates,” and yes, it’s a very Swedish man thing. Enjoy!
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