Avatar have plunged themselves into shanty-metal waters, via the Swedish veterans’ newly-delivered and super nautical single, “Captain Goat.”
The band’s new single arrived today (May 27th), and the metallically waltzing song finds vocalist Johannes Eckerström and the group embracing death-metal growls and drunken sailor singalongs.
This all sails along with lyrics about charting off for a great unknown with the cloven-footed and cloaked Captain in question. Eckerström also points to the dangers of drinking deep on saltwater during an epic journey (“Insanity is promised”).
“I think it will be very clear to people hearing ‘Captain Goat.’ that the rules once again have changed,” Eckerström said of the track in a statement. “It will always be metal. It will always be Avatar. We will never do the same song twice and we will always find ways to reinvent ourselves. It’s the only way we know how to do this, and the only way to give ourselves a shot at being the best we have ever been.”
He continues: “‘Captain Goat’ uses the motif of Satan and the spirit’s journey through the underworld as a meditation. It is a negotiation with the harsh state of being and finding acceptance as you navigate the ruthless darkness of life.”
Accordingly, the bonkers music video finds Eckerström traveling alongside his Goat-ed sea captain. Along the way, they encounter heavy metal mermen, island fiddlers and more.
You’ll find the pair riding those choppy waters up above.
The new single arrives alongside the announcement that Avatar will be hitting the U.S. next fall for a headline tour. The month-long trek begins in early November, and the bill will also feature New Zealand trio Alien Weaponry and western gothic hardcore band SpiritWorld.
All of those tour dates can be found below, while Avatar’s international touring schedule — which includes upcoming dates with Iron Maiden and a run of 2026 concert stops with Metallica — can be found here.
Avatar, Alien Weaponry and SpiritWorld U.S. tour dates 2025:
11/5 Phoenix, AZ — The Van Buren
11/6 San Diego, CA — The Observatory San Diego
11/7 Riverside, CA — Riverside Municipal Auditorium
11/8 Las Vegas, NV — Brooklyn Bowl
11/10 Seattle, WA — Moore Theater
11/11 Portland, OR — Roseland Theatre
11/12 Boise, ID — Revolution
11/14 Salt Lake City, UT — The Union
11/15 Denver, CO — Fillmore
11/17 Minneapolis, MN — Fillmore
11/18 Madison, WI — The Sylvee
11/20 Detroit, MI — The Fillmore Detroit
11/21 Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE
11/22 Columbus, OH — KEMBA Live!
11/23 Silver Spring, MD — The Fillmore Silver Spring
11/25 Huntington, NY — Paramount
11/26 Boston, MA — House of Blues
11/28 Allentown, PA — Archer Music Hall
11/29 Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore Charlotte
11/30 Louisville, KY — Old Forester’s Paristown Hall
12/2 Chicago, IL — Riviera Theater
12/4 Nashville, TN — Marathon Music Works
12/6 Tulsa, OK — Tulsa Theater
12/7 Dallas, TX — House of Blues