AVATAR’s JOHANNES ECKERSTRÖM: ‘We Have Watched And Learned From METALLICA For A Long Time’

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program “Wired In The Empire”, vocalist Johannes Eckerström of Swedish metallers AVATAR, who will open for METALLICA at four stadium shows in Europe next May/June, was asked what he is, from an artist’s perspective, looking forward to and learning from the James Hetfield-fronted act. Johannes responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We have watched and learned from METALLICA for a long time. There is no AVATAR without METALLICA. For the way AVATAR is sounding, there are a lot of bands we can thank for that and sources of inspiration. And I would summarize the whole process or trip, you can trace straight back to BLACK SABBATH and THE BEATLES, and then you have AT THE GATES — there’s a plethora of things. But here’s the thing: John [Alfredsson, AVATAR drummer] broke a leg skiing and was bedridden for a bit when he was 12, and he was gifted a stack of CDs to pass the time. And he heard ‘Load’ and ‘Reload’ and he decided he wanted to play a Tama drum kit and start a band. And that’s when he asked Jonas [Jarlsby, guitar] if they were gonna start a band together. And that whole butterfly effect of ‘here we are’, that’s truly John’s shitty skiing and the CDs he was gifted as a consequence of it.”

Johannes continued: “What I’m looking for — here’s the thing: the thing I think about the most is that big-ass round stage. But they’re all holding instruments, so I’ve been kind of snooping around and asking around. Our tour manager this summer was also the stage manager for METALLICA using that stage. So it’s, like, what do I do? How do I get used to have all those people behind me while focusing over there and not run around like crazy and lose focus completely? So it’s about just how to manage where you put your focus and stuff. And that’s the one thing I’m thinking about the most. But James holds a guitar and has a mic stand, so I don’t know if he can help me with that. But I also heard that they have, in a very recent past, and as I believe it should continue now, that they have made a point out of spending time with the openers, being very cordial — they’re very friendly, very cool about when it comes to bands like us showing up there and really take some time out of their day to do that. And that just shows how they came up in a scene of multiple bands and you hear the stories of the party on the hill, the barbecue after the show, and playing at parties and being part of that. Then they just happen to become way bigger than any of us will maybe ever be, but they still are those thrashing kids from the scene in that sense. To reach out your hand like that — I mean, I’m just happy to get the gig, but it says something. So I look forward to that.”

Eckerström added: “METALLICA is the biggest heavy band in history, but they had no problem playing at Lemmy’s [MOTÖRHEAD] birthday party back in the day, they had no problem opening for SABBATH and Ozzy [Osbourne], closing out the ‘Back To The Beginning’ thing. They know where they come from and are very much part of that. And that part is so inspiring to me.”

Back in August 2024, Eckerström was asked by “Wired In The Empire” which METALLICA album he thinks is better, “Ride The Lightning” or “Master Of Puppets”. He said in part: “When I talk to people who like the music but don’t necessarily play the music and talk about the finer details in what makes something awesome, and talking about, for instance, when talking about fast and slow songs, I love to show an example of how ‘Aces High’ is the fastest song ever recorded by IRON MAIDEN, which, of course, there are, on paper, much, much faster songs, but there’s something about having that drive when you play, it almost feels like it’s falling apart… It’s there in the drumming already and the bassline and it carries through. And that’s how, when you push it, when you push the tempo.

“Every kid who’s been playing drums even once hears someone talk about AC/DC, of course, and you take, for instance, ‘Back In Black’. You have to have that drag when you play,” he continued. “Then you have certain iconic songs that provide a certain ideal. And in the same way that I always said ‘Aces High’ is the fastest song ever recorded, ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’, I think, is the heaviest song ever recorded. And I know MESHUGGAH and NEUROSIS exist, and I know OBITUARY exists, and all kinds of stuff. And that’s also true. And that’s the heaviest thing ever also in another way. But just those riffs, that anger, with that rage and sense of — I don’t know — its importance that comes through in how that riff is played, that primitive riff in the beginning, and the decision to put the cymbal crash on the first snare in the bar after instead of the other one, and all that. So that song — I’ve never tried to write a song like that, but I keep going back to thinking about that song in terms of what’s actually heavy music. Yeah, we tune down and that part of the sound is important, but none of the things that matter before — you can’t put the cart in front of the horse… So it has to be ‘Ride The Lightning’.”

AVATAR released its tenth studio album, “Don’t Go In The Forest”, on October 31 via Black Waltz Records.

AVATAR will embark on a U.S. tour this fall with support from ALIEN WEAPONRY and SPIRITWORLD. Additionally, there are forthcoming tours supporting IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA.