Review & Photos: Avatar in Buffalo, New York

By David Desin, OOTB Publications

Swedish metal juggernaut Avatar brought chaos, theater, and pure adrenaline to Buffalo RiverWorks in on Saturday, May 16, as part of the “Don’t Go In The Forest Tour 2026,” delivering one of the most explosive live performances Buffalo, New York metal fans have seen in years.

This was a full-scale theatrical assault.

Avatar has built a reputation for blending melodic death metal with circus-like stage production,

and Saturday night proved exactly why they are considered one of the top live acts in heavy music today.

Every member of the band performed with relentless energy, but it was frontman Johannes Eckerström who completely owned the stage. Dressed in his signature face paint and moving like a deranged ringmaster, Eckerström commanded the audience from the first song to the final encore.

What separates Avatar from so many modern metal bands is their ability to connect with the crowd in a way that feels genuine and electric.

Eckerström knows exactly how to get the audience moving. Whether he was demanding circle pits, orchestrating synchronized chants, or simply locking eyes with fans in the front row, he controlled the energy inside the venue like a conductor leading a violent symphony.

The crowd responded instantly every time, roaring lyrics back at the band and throwing fists into the air throughout the night.

Musically, the band sounded massive. The guitars cut through the venue with razor-sharp precision while the rhythm section delivered crushing grooves that shook the floor. Songs exploded with intensity live, balancing brutality with melody in a way few bands can pull off.

Even during slower or more atmospheric moments, the audience remained fully locked in, hanging on every note before the next wave of chaos erupted.

The stage production elevated the entire experience. Flashing lights, smoke cannons, dramatic pauses, and theatrical movements transformed the show into something cinematic.

Avatar doesn’t just play songs, they create a world around their music; and for one night, Buffalo was pulled directly into it.

By the end of the show, exhausted fans poured out of RiverWorks drenched in sweat and grinning ear to ear after witnessing a band operating at the absolute top of their game.

Avatar delivered a performance that was loud, intense, theatrical, and unforgettable. If there was any doubt about their status as one of metal’s premier live acts, the “Don’t Go In The Forest Tour

2026” stop in Buffalo erased it completely.

Setlist

1. Captain Goat

2. Silence In The Age Of Apes

3. The Page Has Landed4. In The Airwaves

5. Bloody Angel

6. Death And Glitz

7. Murderer

8. The Dirt I’m Buried In

9. Colossus

10. Torn Apart

11. Howling At The Waves