Avatar Announce New Album Don’t Go In The Forest, Drop Single and UK Tour
“It can’t be just another album. We need to discover something.”
Swedish heavy metal auteurs Avatar have just revealed Don’t Go In The Forest, their boldest and most unhinged creation yet, is due for release on October 31st — a date that couldn’t be more fitting. The band’s eleventh full-length promises to be a deep dive into wild soundscapes, forbidden thoughts, and haunted melodies. Pre-save the album now.
To mark the announcement, the band has released a new single, ‘Tonight We Must Be Warriors,’ accompanied by a visually arresting music video. This track is a rallying cry, a reminder of unity in the face of despair — and a taste of the sonic risk-taking that defines this new era for Avatar.
“It would have been impossible to make this album at any other time than now.” — Johannes Eckerström
The Forest Beckons
Don’t Go In The Forest follows 2023’s acclaimed Dance Devil Dance and represents Avatar’s most experimental leap to date. “It’s all songs and concepts we haven’t been close to touching until now,” says frontman Johannes Eckerström, reflecting on the album’s creative freedom. With themes rooted in surreal nightmares, collective trauma, and mystical introspection, it’s a record made for strange times.
While the full tracklisting is yet to be revealed, Tonight We Must Be Warriors joins previously released tracks Captain Goat and In The Airwaves — forming a jagged glimpse into the world behind the trees.
In The Airwaves Tour: UK & Europe Headline Shows Announced
Avatar have also confirmed their 2026 UK and European headline tour under the new moniker In The Airwaves, supported by Alien Weaponry, Witch Club Satan, and Agabas on select dates. With London’s Exhibition and Glasgow’s legendary Barrowland among the stops, the tour will be Avatar’s biggest yet on this side of the Atlantic.
UK Tour Dates (2026)
Sat, Feb 14 — London, UK — Exhibition
Sun, Feb 15 — Manchester, UK — Academy
Mon, Feb 16 — Glasgow, UK — Barrowland
Tue, Feb 17 — Nottingham, UK — Rock City
Wed, Feb 18 — Bristol, UK — O2 Academy
USA Tour & Arena Milestones
Before they hit Europe, Avatar will play their biggest show ever in Mexico City on Halloween night — the same day Don’t Go In The Forest drops. From there, it’s a sprawling US headline tour running through November and December.
In summer 2026, Avatar will support none other than Metallica across major stadiums in Europe, including shows in London, Dublin, and Frankfurt.
More Than a Band
Formed in Gothenburg, Sweden, Avatar has grown into one of metal’s most inventive and visually driven acts. They are a band unafraid to blur lines — between genres, performance art, and outright mythmaking. With their own label Black Waltz Records and a devoted global fanbase, they continue to redefine what it means to be a modern metal act.
Whether you’re a longtime freak or a newcomer lured in by the glow between the trees, the message is clear: Don’t Go In The Forest… unless you’re ready.
DON’T GO IN THE FOREST
THE BRAND NEW ALBUM, OUT OCTOBER 31st
Pre-save the album HERE
