Avatar's Hunter Gatherer
This album is phenomenal!!!! It starts off with "Silence in the Age of Apes", which I feel like is a great way to kick it off. I've already written about this song since it was previously released as a single, so I'm not going to go into detail on it. But it's like a slap across the face, instantly throwing us into a super heavy track that makes you sit up and go whoa what was that? I need more!
"A Secret Door" is a very interesting song. It starts off featuring Corey Taylor whistling in a way that sounds kind of reminiscent of of that song from the movie "Kill Bill". The song itself though really shows all sides of this band. It has some really soft tender moments, and some really heavy screaming. I love it!
Originally when the first single from this album, "God of Sick Dreams" came out, I thought it was way heavier and darker than what I'm used to from Avatar. Now it seems really tame compared to the other songs on the album like "Colossus". Still a great song though.
"Child" os another really interesting song. This track is so catchy, and done in a way that sounds quite happy yet ominous while talking about a child dying. It's a very musically simple yet simultaneously complex song, I really enjoyed it.
"Gun" is so different than anything else Avatar has ever put out. It's got such a different sound. It features a delicately played piano piece with a very softly sung melody. It brought a tear to my eye, the deep pained emotion clearly comes through, its absolutely beautiful. I never expected anything like this from Avatar, but it definitely gives me even more respect for them. It's wonderful to hear them doing something so far from their norm and still kicking ass and doing it incredibly well.
The other song I have to mention is the last song on the album, "Wormhole". Holy shit!! This song wraps up "Hunter Gatherer" with another different sound. They almost have a psychedelic doom metal type sound to the guitars and bass. It's so cool!
Looking back at their past albums, their sound has progressed and changed so much over the years. I thought "Avatar Country" was different, but this album, is a on a different planet. The amount they've grown and improved is insane. I am completely blown away by the complexity and wide range of sounds they put in this album, but it still feels cohesive. It's fantastic. If you haven't listened to this album yet, go check it out!
Also, I totally didn't expect to get a card signed by the band, but I am SO happy that I did. ~Gangis
