Tuesday afternoon, Houston and surrounding areas conjoined together at the unique highrise music venue Rise Rooftop for an epic night of good ol’ raging metal featuring Avatar, Orbit Culture, and The Native Howl. As a huge Avatar and Orbit Culture fan myself, I was absolutely thrilled to be able to be there and geek out with all of the other metalhead nerds. Although it was not a sold out show, the venue was still decently packed with fans and a good percentage of those fans were dressed in their appropriate Avatar themed attire. Beers were flowin’, the merch line was piling, and everyone was genuinely excited for the night ahead. I was lucky enough to cover an Avatar show back in 2021 so I already knew most of what to expect as Avatar never falls short of giving one hell of a performance, but I was still intrigued as if I’ve never seen them before… Probably because you truly never know the shenanigans that will be taking place at an Avatar show.
Starting off the night was Michigan based band The Native Howl… interestingly described as a “blend of bluegrass and thrash metal” I wasn’t really sure what to expect as I honestly have never heard of these dudes before… but a good friend of mine is a huge fan of them and basically gave me a rundown on who they were and how unique they sound… So based on her liking, I was still excited to be able to check them out. As the long haired four piece band joined the stage my first impression was that they just seemed like true down to earth humble guys. I mean they just seemed super laid back and chill. Lead singer and guitarist Alex Holycross just casually walked around on stage barefoot and just feeling, you know, free. As they played through their eight song set, I grew more and more as a fan with each minute that passed. With fiercely strummed guitars, roaring rustic vocals, and the obvious tuned banjo, The Native Howl really pumped the crowd up and calmed them down all at the same time. It was interesting, to say the least. Nonetheless, This band is absolutely worth checking out, their style and sound is truly impressive, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who became an instant fan during their set.
Next up was a band I was literally dying to see since I heard of them a few years ago, Swedish metal gurus, Orbit Culture. With a sound that is almost similar to old style Metallica and Gojira but with hardcore throat grabbing growls, not only was I super stoked to witness these guys in person but also excited for everyone else that was attending who didn’t have any idea who Orbit Culture was. For the last few years I’ve been introducing this band to a loooooooot of friends of mine, and 99% of the time, those friends ended up also becoming huge fans themselves.. I’d like to say I’ve just been doing the good lord’s work of introducing kick-ass metal bands who I truly feel deserves everyone’s attention. Anyways, as I mentioned already, I was extra pumped once they joined that stage. Little kid in the candy store pumped. As the whole vibe of the venue got darker (in all the right ways) “North Star Of Nija” roared through the speakers and into our eardrums to kick off Orbit Cultures takeover. Sounding just as intense and precise as I was hoping, at this point I was in complete awe and blown away by how tight and muddy lead vocalist and guitarist Niklas Karlsson was. I don’t even know how to describe it, to be honest. His sound is so raw and mean but also powerful. Continuing with songs including “From The Inside”, “Strangler”, and my personal all time favorite “The shadowing” Orbit Culture was feeding us their intense energy and the crowd was clearly eating it up by staying consistent with the headbanging and mosh pits. If i wasn’t carrying all my camera gear, I probably would have joined them. Ending the set with “Vultures Of North” Orbit Culture absolutely nailed their performance, and sure as heck gained even more of a following.
It was now finally time for the true “performance” of the night with also Swedish metal masterminds Avatar…One of my all time favorite performers and definitely a band I will see every single time they roll into town. In my honest opinion, There isn’t anyone else out there like Avatar. The brilliant five piece band goes absolutely above and beyond each show they play, and they have actually always been that way. They have the need for that specific reaction from their crowd and will do anything they can to make sure they have it while keeping your full attention. Joining the stage to “Dance Devil Dance” the crowd went absolutely nuts! I looked back to see the cutest little boy right up front at the barrier, he had to have been around six or seven in age, with full on Avatar face paint alongside his also super young brother dressed the exact same way, it was by far the cutest thing i’ve ever seen. We weren’t even one song in yet and the energy was already in full effect. Avatar, in full costume, towered over the crowd and had everyone, and I mean everyone, in the palm of their hands. Mosh pits after mosh pits, headbang after headbang, it was only obvious how crazy things were going to get since they were in fact set to play for a whopping two hour gig. Playing a huge variety of their catalog including the obvious “Chimp Mosh Pit” (which was the official tour name) “Bloody Angel”, one of my favorites “For The Swarm”, and “Do You Feel In Control”, Avatar was doing a fantastic job on keeping the crowd on their toes, even the security guards were mesmerized. Let’s be real though, how could one not be mesmerized by Avatar? With the sparkling pyro, the circus inspired costumes, the lighting, and the guitar solos…these guys are not just a band. They are full blown entertainers. Continuing with many more top hits including “Colossus”, “Let It Burn” and ending with highly begged encores “The Dirt I’m Buried In”, “Smells Like A Freakshow”, and “Hail The Apocalypse” Avatar really outdid themselves once again, and put on an incredible show for us Houstonians. Safe to say my feelings are still the same (if not more) that Avatar is one of the best live music performers out there, and it’s actually a bit frustrating that they are not playing stadiums yet.
Quit sleeping on Avatar, yall! Check these crazy humans out and catch them in your city. I promise you won’t regret it.
AVATAR
ORBIT CULTURE
THE NATIVE HOWL
Photos + Review by Krystie Archer | Exclusively for Music, Why Not!
