Concert Review
Avatar
Frozen Soul
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Saturday May 16, 2026
Buffalo RiverWorks
Buffalo, NY
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
Avatar made a triumphant return to Buffalo this past weekend as they took over Buffalo RiverWorks for a headlining show. They were last in town at Terminal B two years ago supporting In This Moment. This is how to truly experience the band as a top billed band and they gave it their all. The current tour dubbed “Don’t Go In The Forest 26” also featured special guests Frozen Soul and Fleshgod Apocalypse who helped set the tone for the evening.
Avatar are no strangers to Buffalo as having played here quite a few times over the years. This show however, the band that hails from Sweden, played their largest crowd and venue to date as the main attraction. The band was formed in 2001 and now have released ten albums with their 2025 release Don’t Go In The Forest. The band’s lineup has not changed since 2011 when guitarist Tim Öhrström came aboard. Joining Öhrström on guitar was Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby. The rhythm section tandem of drummer John Alfredsson and bassist Henrik Sandelin provided a hard hitting, thumping solid base all night. Which brings us to the heartbeat of the band and that would be vocalist Johannes Eckerström. Eckerström is a unique talent who was the master of ceremonies dressed in his trademark face paint and stage outfit. Whether it was on an extremely powerful song like the show closer “Hail The Apocalypse” or a gentler tune like “Howling At The Waves” from the latest Eckerström delivered at the top of his game.
The show featured all the things one would expect at an Avatar show chaos, theatrics, lights and plenty of sonic decibels that echoed throughout the RiverWorks complex. Whether it was the flashy, sharp precision playing of Öhrström and Jarlsby on guitar or the powerful drumming Alfredsson or Sandelin holding down the groove, this band was in synch a and sounded so fresh with this leg of the tour having just a few dates left. They were more than just dialed in.
The new songs helped add to the bands extensive repertoire as they were able to mix in six alongside old school favorites such as “Murderer”, “Torn Apart” and “Smells Like A Freakshow”. At one point during the show Eckerström was noodling around on the piano before a song and said hey you never know when that may become a part of a song in the future. These guys are innovative even after all these years in the business and the dedication to their band was recognized throughout the show. The fans were locked in from the first note singing along all night. For anyone who attended the show it surely left an indelible memory that will never be forgotten.
Avatar
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Frozen Soul
Set Lists
Avatar
Captain Goat
Silence in the Age of Apes
The Eagle Has Landed
In The Airwaves
Bloody Angel
Death and Glitz
Murderer
The Dirt I’m Buried In
Colossus
Torn Apart
Howling at the Waves
Glory To Our King (Tape)
Legend of the King
Let It Burn
Tonight We Must Be Warriors
Encore
Don’t Go in the Forest
Smells Like A Freakshow
Hail The Apocalypse
Frozen Soul
Skinned By The Wind
Beat To Dust
Chaos Will Reign
Absolute Zero
No Place of Warmth
Arsenal of War
Invoke War
Crypt of Ice
Fleshgod Apocalypse
Ode To Art (de Sepolcri)
I Can Never Die
Minotaur (The Wrath of Poseidon)
The Fool
Pendulum
Sugar
Epilogue
The Violation
