Avatar have unleashed a brand new standalone single, ‘Crying Fire‘, complete with a video, proving once again that the Swedish metal theatre troupe never do anything by halves.
Written and recorded during the sessions for Don’t Go in the Forest, ‘Crying Fire‘ was deliberately held back, a gem the band chose to keep from the world until the moment felt right.
“It was written and recorded as part of the Don’t Go In The Forest sessions. When making the final selection for album tracks, this one was a given. But then we started asking ourselves something: What if we saved the best for later?” explains frontman Johannes Eckerström.
He adds that the song “stands tall on its own,” describing a relentless firestorm of emotion that hits somewhere deeply hidden, a piece about enduring pain and loving passionately.
We at RAMzine have championed Avatar since before Black Waltz landed, and we remain huge fans of Johannes and the band. There is something about their vibe that gets right under your skin, and watching the many faces of Johannes evolve alongside the music across the years has been one of metal’s real pleasures.
Don’t Go in the Forest, released on Halloween, marked another bold stretch of what Avatar can be, from their most introspective moments to their most explosive. It arrived via their own independent label, Black Waltz Records.
The band are deep into a relentless touring cycle. After a North American headline run that included their biggest show to date in Mexico City, plus festival slots at Welcome to Rockville and Sonic Temple, Avatar return to Europe to open for Metallica in four cities, including London Stadium on 5 July.
A headline UK and EU run follows in autumn, the ‘Don’t Go in the Forest ’26’ tour opening in Wolverhampton at KK’s Steelmill on 20 November, taking in Southampton, Cardiff, Dublin, Belfast, Norwich, Newcastle and Edinburgh before crossing into mainland Europe. Australia and New Zealand dates land in late August.
‘Crying Fire‘ is out now.
