True to its album title, Dance Devil Dance is Avatar’s most rhythmically melodic groove-based metal album to date. Some may lament the shift from the slightly heavier sound heard on their previous albums, but it’s not a difference so far removed that fans will be left out in the cold. It’s complementary, rather than contrasting, thereby making Dance Devil Dance one of the most compelling releases of 2023.
Visually striking and downright creepy, Dance Devil Dance is almost deserving of inclusion on the list of The Worst (And Most Disturbing) Album Covers Of All Time. Yet, it doesn’t make the cut as it is true to the band’s musical style and is at least more visually compelling than their 2018 release Avatar Country and Hunter Gatherer from 2020. Still, when a band has artwork as stunning as Hail The Apocalypse, you know the cover art, this time around, could have been better.
Thankfully, we don’t listen with our eyes and while cover art can either make or break an album, yes it remains that important, the music heard on Dance Devil Dance is extraordinarily good. The overall recording, mix, and mastering are some of the very best I’ve heard from the Metal genre. Metal tends to be too compressed and lacking in depth and detail. It isn’t uncommon to hear your favourite metal album as a wall of sound and while some may enjoy that, the additional space between musical elements ensures Dance Devil Dance is a sonic masterpiece. Don’t get me wrong, this is one loud recording, but for the style of music, it is utterly perfect. The drums alone are masterfully recorded and it’s the little elements such as the cymbals ringing out, rather than crunching, that make a real impact.
While I’ve yet to pick up a physical release of this album, the Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music stream is marvellous. It isn’t an Apple Digital Master but it need not be as you’ll be in metal heaven from the very first note. Depending on how you prefer to listen to your music, you may prefer to add a little bass EQ to give the album a further earth-shattering punch; an advantage, for this music lover, even if it results in slightly reduced clarity and detail. I want to feel Dance Devil Dance in the deepest depths of my soul and the stream, with a slight adjustment, doesn’t disappoint in that regard.
Dance Devil Dance sets the tone for the album, and that opening guitar lick, which is repeated throughout, is magnificent. I only wish it had been a little more prominent in the mix, perhaps a decibel or two higher. Regardless, Dance Devil Dance is an epic opener and I simply adore Johannes Eckerström’s vocal dexterity as he’s got incredible control over it and when he hits the high notes, I'm reminded of the great Ronnie James Dio.
Chimp Mosh Pit gets the groove going and while it may not be a standout, it holds the album together perfectly and sometimes that is all that’s required. That said, the mid-song musical solo, by the entire band, is off-the-charts good. It will, subsequently, be interesting to see how fans react to Chimp Mosh Pit when played live as I have a feeling it has the potential to be more powerful live than via the studio recording.
Valley Of Disease has an interesting grinding opening element that works remarkably well. The unrelenting rhythmic core of Valley Of Disease has a tribal feel that is going to make this a fan favourite.
On The Beach shouldn’t work, particularly with the seagull entrance, but it somehow does. Another aspect that doesn’t seem as though it should work, on paper, is the vocal shift. Yes, it has the potential to take you out of the album experience, especially if you don’t like the vocal style, but the more I listen to On The Beach, the more I get it. It works. It shouldn’t. But that’s okay because Avatar are pushing their, and our, creative boundaries and the correlations in varied styles are ultimately a highlight of their recordings.
Do You Feel In Control? returns us to a more traditional metal approach and while Do You Feel In Control? is a solid tune, it’s ultimately album filler.
Gotta Wanna Riot is the GREATEST SONG Avatar has ever recorded. It might even be my favourite metal song of all time. The ba-ba-ba-ba lyric element is what gets me every time for it’s The Beach Boys meets Avatar and I love it! Additionally, Eckerström’s vocal delivery throughout is masterful and the band are on fire. Gotta Wanna Riot is going to be a stadium-filling tune; no doubt!
The Dirt I’m Buried In is groove metal 101 and is a great followup to Gotta Wanna Riot. A special note needs to be given for the guitar work on this track. It isn’t pushing the limits of what’s possible, but damn it’s got an addictive rhythm that will have you pulling out your air guitar.
Clouds Dipped In Chrome is thunderous and will appeal to old-school metal fans. It does, however, feel a little out-of-place in the tracking of the record. I probably would have positioned it closer to the start of the album, or before the closing track Violence No Matter What, but that is just a subjective preference. Regardless, it’s a solid tune, even though I feel it is unlikely to become a standout amongst fans.
Hazmat Suit has a drilling rhythm that integrates perfectly with my soul, especially during the chorus. The drumming and guitar work here is exceptional and is as much a tip of the hat to the performance of the band as it is to the Mixing Engineer and co-Producer Jay Ruston.
Train gets you going then slows things down. It’s great when music isn’t predictable. You’ll hear a little David Bowie, Tom Waits, and Nick Cave influence throughout, further showcasing Eckerström’s vocal capabilities, particularly in the lighter regions of the recording. In fact, it’s the more melodic alternative rock styling as opposed to the metal elements, that are the highlight of Train. Although, I do wish that the song would have ended on a metal curve as the shift to the closing tune, Violence No Matter What, is a little sharper than I’d ideally like to hear.
Violence No Matter What (Duet With Lzzy Hale) is a great closer and it’s wonderful to hear Lzzy Hale on this duet, but she’s a little too recessed in the mix. Her vocal growl, mixed with her higher pitch, is deserving of a slight bump in volume. Granted, it’s an Avatar album and while I’ll praise the mix in every other way, on Dance Devil Dance, I truly feel that this was a missed opportunity. I also would have excluded the dropping of the drumsticks at the end as I don’t feel it works. Regardless, as I originally stated, it’s a great closer and when looking past these aspects, it encourages me to play the album again.
Dance Devil Dance is not only a great metal album, but it’s also a great album in general and is deserving of its position as one of the best albums released in 2023. With its melodic groove-based styling, it will appeal to a broad range of listeners; many of whom wouldn’t give music from within the metal genre a second thought. While its accessibility may perturb hardcore metal fans, I say the more the merrier, so if you like Dance Devil Dance as much as I do, please consider sharing this review with everyone you know or at the very least send them a link to the album so they can experience it for themselves.