Review: Avatar captivate Los Angeles on 4/17/2026 w / Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul

The year 2026 has brought some really fun tour packages to the US. On April 17th, 2026, a very special tour came to The Novo in Los Angeles, CA, featuring Avatar with support from Fleshgod Apocalypse and Frozen Soul. This venue has a nice setup of a pit and a floor that fans can move through freely, as well as an upstairs seating section. There aren’t really any bad views, and it’s the perfect size for this particular event. Having two strong, very compatible European theatrical bands and a pretty different death metal band, Frozen Soul from Texas, made for an all-around exciting evening.

Starting the set at around 7:30pm was Frozen Soul, who brought a great Texas-flavored metal set, including quite a few tracks from their upcoming album “No Place Of Warmth,” set to release May 8th, 2026, via Century Media. To much surprise, as this was only the 2nd night of the tour, special guest vocalist Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance took the stage about midway through their set to perform the title track to their new album. Frozen Soul vocalist Chad Green had some fun commentary throughout his set, including making a proposition at the end: anyone who stage-dived would get a free T-shirt. Sadly, a couple of people tried but ended up feet in the air. He also asked the audience to make a big ass California burrito sized circle pit at one song’s intro. Frozen Soul has gained much popularity over the years, and definitely has a unique style and stage presence that is all good vibes. Their stage decor consisted of a couple of skeletons stabbed in the back, floating amid large spears, one on each side of the stage. They also make it work very well on a stage that is packed with the other symphonic and theatrical heavy metal bands’ gear. With this non-stop entertainment-filled 30-minute set, the fun was just beginning.

At about 8:26 pm, Italian symphonic death metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse attacked the stage with their structurally chaotic and operatic songs. With their last album titled ‘Opera,’ they dedicated a majority of the set to those songs. Seeing this very underrated band grow over the years, with unique skills that have built a strong US fan base, is always a special treat. At this show, it was apparent that some of the Avatar or Frozen Soul fans didn’t know of Fleshgod Apocalypse before this evening. They did seem pleasantly surprised by what they heard. For a rocking 35-minute set, they  have made a great impression. The dynamic between vocalist Francesco Paoli and opera singer Veronica is always plentiful, and backing it all up is organist Francesco Ferrini. He used to sit on stage at his grand piano, with his back to the audience, which created a powerful theatrical focal point. This time, he was facing stage left, and the audience got a fully entertaining show as he alternated between standing and sitting, directing the symphonic elements with vigor. As a uniquely favored metal band, Fleshgod Apocalypse should not be missed in a live setting. It brings even more depth and theatrics to the music during their live set.

Moving on to the headliners of the night, Sweden’s Avatar charmed and hypnotized the audience with a stacked two-hour set. This tour is in support of their latest album release, “Don’t Go In The Forest.” They also branched out to their other discography, starting their setlist with “Captain Goat” and ending with “Hail The Apocalypse.” The audience kept yelling for the tune “Smells Like A Freakshow,” finally getting their reward as the second-to-last song.  Frontman Johannes Eckerström is probably one of the most charismatic humans on the planet. His banter, facial expressions, and body language alone can easily entertain an audience for two hours, so adding in his great vocal range is a bonus.

Avatar brings such a range of melodic death to alternative metal, with the faster, heavier songs full of unison hair-whipping and catchy melodies. Then, the slower, cleaner, vocal-driven songs can have a vibe similar to a fun troop band like Gogol Bordello. Original guitarist Jonas “Kungen” Jarlsby is also such a fun player to watch live. As the “King,” he has some big shoes to fill, and he does so with grace. To sum up this band and performance, Avatar has a ten-album discography and twenty-five years of experience, where it is clear they have grown to such a great place that a two-hour set feels fully entertaining from start to finish. Even at the bitter end, where the European gesture is to come out and take a unison bow, it was a very notable moment for both Fleshgod Apocalypse and Avatar.  It is definitely recommended to check out this nice, clean, and unique lineup of a three-metal band tour package. Seeing these three bands together feels very special and is not to be missed. Stay metal!