Avatar hits Boston with special guests Spirit World and Alien Weaponry on their In The Airway USA 2025 tour.
The first band of the evening was American heavy metal band formed in 2017 Spirit World. The band, described by frontman Stu Folsom as “death-western”, plays mainly thrash metal with elements of death metal, but follows Western themes and imagery. To date, they have released three full-length albums.
From the moment the lights hit the stage and the opening riff of “Relic of Damnation” started, Spirit World had the room in a chokehold. The guitars came in sharp, firing off galloping rhythms that felt equal parts Slayer and Ennio Morricone. Vocalist Stu Folsom commanded the stage like a prophet of the wasteland—stalking from side to side, spitting every lyric with conjuring-ritual intensity.
The crowd didn’t so much react as detonate. The pit opened immediately, a swirling mess of boots and black denim, and the band kept feeding it ammunition.
By the time they closed with “Ulcer”, the venue looked like it had survived a ritual sacrifice—sweaty, bruised, dusted in imaginary desert sand, and grinning ear to ear. Spirit World proved again that they’re one of the most unique heavy bands on the circuit: brutal, cinematic, and absolutely commanding.
If you want a band that hits like a hardcore act but feels like a supernatural cowboy raid at dawn, SpiritWorld is the real deal.
The room went silent for a split second as the lights dimmed—and then the opening “Haka”erupted. The roar of te reo Māori reverberated off the balcony and hit the crowd like a shockwave. Even before a single note was played, Alien Weaponry had the room fully locked in, the intensity of their cultural identity setting the tone for the night.
When the band launched into “Rū Ana Te Whenua,” the floor shook—literally. The crowd stomped and surged with the kind of adrenaline that comes from seeing something both deeply rooted and explosively modern. Guitarist/vocalist Lewis de Jong delivered every lyric with fierce precision, while bassist Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds added a thick, rumbling low end that gave the songs their battlefield march. Drummer Henry de Jong was a monster behind the kit, his rhythms tight enough to slice through steel.
What stood out most was the band’s presence—earnest, proud, and powerful. Alien Weaponry doesn’t just play songs; they carry history onto the stage. Their blend of groove metal, thrash, and Māori heritage created a performance that felt both globally heavy and uniquely their own.
Alien Weaponry didn’t just play a show in Boston—they carved their mark into the room.
If you’ve never seen them live, put it on your checklist. If you have, you already know why the crowd walked out of the House of Blues buzzing like they’d just been through a cultural ritual wrapped in a thrash-metal war cry.
Avatar didn’t just play the House of Blues Boston—they commandeered it, transforming the entire venue into a surreal, metal-fueled circus led by one of the most charismatic ringmasters in the genre. The Swedish industrial/melodic metal troupe delivered a show that was equal parts theater, chaos, and pure musicianship, pulling the Boston crowd straight into their twisted, gleefully unhinged world.
From the instant the house lights dropped and the stage washed in deep red glow, the audience erupted. Johannes Eckerström emerged in full painted regalia, moving with the confidence of a mad prophet who already knew he had the room in his pocket. His voice—whether whispering through a crooked grin or roaring like a demon—never wavered. He doesn’t just front a band; he commands a cult.
The band opened with “Captain Goat,” and the crowd instantly obeyed—jumping, shouting, and thrashing in perfect chaotic rhythm. Avatar has always had an uncanny ability to turn their heaviness into something celebratory, and Boston embraced it completely. Guitarists Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström riffed with laser-sharp precision, slicing through the air with crushing grooves and soaring melodies, while the rhythm section—Henrik Sandelin on bass and John Alfredsson on drums—kept everything locked in with thunderous pulse.
“The Eagle Has Landed” brought the house down. Eckerström’s showmanship was on full display: swaggering, snarling, playful, sinister—and always connecting directly with the audience. He has that rare ability to make a 2,500-person venue feel like an intimate cabaret, even when the music is shaking the rafters.
The theatricality never overshadowed the musicianship. “Bloody Angel” delivered one of the night’s biggest sing-alongs, carried by haunting melodies that echoed through the hall. “Smells Like a Freakshow” lit the pit up again, turning the floor into a whirling mass of bodies feeding off the band’s manic energy. And “Hail the Apocalypse” closed the set like a triumphant metal carnival finale—lights blazing, guitars screaming, the crowd roaring as if they never wanted the night to end.
Avatar’s performance was the rare combination of polished and unpredictable: a band so tight they sound studio-ready, yet so theatrical they constantly feel on the edge of madness. Boston ate it up. Fans walked out breathless, grinning, and buzzing with the feeling that they’d witnessed not just a concert, but a full-fledged spectacle.
Avatar didn’t just entertain—they dominated, reminding everyone why they’re one of the most exciting live acts in modern metal.
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