Santa has put Swedish metal band Avatar on the “Naughty List” this holiday season. The new single features a guitar solo by Zakk Wylde, and the music video can be seen below.
“The idea is that the ‘Naughty List’ is full of people who are different rather than bad, and someone needs to have their backs, too,” vocalist Johannes Eckerström. “It is a song about forgiveness and acceptance, and doing what is actually the right thing to do, rather than just following the norm.”
Guitarist Tim Öhrström personally asked Zakk Wylde if he would like to be a part of the song while both were supporting Metallica last summer.
This Halloween, Avatar celebrated the one-year anniversary of its latest studio album, “Don’t Go in the Forest.” The band shows no signs of slowing as it returns to the road for its 2026 European headline tour to close out the year. Soon after, Latin America will join the circus in January 2027.
Following a summer supporting Metallica on the M72 World Tour across Europe, Avatar will join Metallica again in summer 2027 for the North American tour alongside Limp Bizkit as support.
Avatar tour dates:
11/20 — Wolverhampton, England — KK’s Steelmill*
11/21 — Southampton, England — O2 Guildhall*
11/22 — Cardiff, Wales — Depot*
11/24 — Dublin, Ireland — National Stadium*
11/25 — Belfast, N. Ireland — Limelight*
11/27 — Norwich, England — UEA
11/28 — Newcastle, England — Northumbria Uni
11/29 — Edinburgh, Scotland — Corn Exchange
12/1 — Amsterdam, Netherlands — Gashouder
12/3 — Oberhausen, Germany — Turbinenhalle
12/5 — Budapest, Hungary — Barba Negra Red
12/6 — Prague, Czechia — Sasazu
12/8 — Innsbruck, Austria — Musichall
12/9 — Linz, Austria — Posthof
12/10 — Ulm, Germany — Roxy
12/11 — Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg — Rockhal
12/12 — Zürich, Switzerland — Komplex
12/13 — Frankfurt, Germany — Zoom
12/15 — Padova, Italy — Hall
12/16 — Ljubljana, Slovenia — Cvetlicarna
12/17 — Zagreb, Croatia — Boogaloo
12/18 — Bratislava, Slovakia — Majestic Music Club
12/19 — Wrocław, Poland — A2
*POSTPONED