Track Listing

1. Dogwood Rust
2. Jaybird
3. Lucifer's Memory
4. The Swallow's Eye
5. Holy Teeth
6. Sour Smoke
7. Hatched Upon The Age

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59339 in Music
• Released on: 2006-08-08
• Number of discs: 1

Album Description
The follow-up to "Blue Cathedral" is an earthy, more accessible, and downright beautiful album. "Avatar" veers from swinging, bluesy explorations to piano-laced, progressive power balladry to pure tribalism, evoking everyone from the Allmans to Quicksilver to Procol Harem to some insane Fela/Sun Ra/Crazy Horse hybrid, yet remains wholly Comets On Fire. Though they play cleaner and clearer, their firepower is evident and abundant.

Amazon.com
What we have here is pretty simple: Men with beards. Blistering blues-rock riffs. Songs that refuse to die. On its fourth album, Comets on Fire takes the very foundation of rock 'n' roll (well, from the good years on) reheats it and serves it back up in gargantuan portions. We're talking the eight-minute solo-heavy opening track, which roughly approximates what it would have sounded like if the Stooges ever jumped on stage with the Grateful Dead. Produced just as well, too. Yes, this Santa Cruz quintet that shares member Ben Chasny with Six Organs of Admittance might occasionally qualify for jam-band status, but give them some credit. Phish could never come up with songs as euphorically ugly as "Lucifer's Memory" and "Hatched Upon the Age." --Aidin Vaziri

Rolling Stone
Avatar swings between extremes - with an attention to detail that brings out the group's less obvious inspirations. - (David Fricke)

Customer Reviews

Comets Smash Avatar Into Rock History
Well not quite... but really, really close. I mean the cover is great... the music is even better. "Avatar" is easily the best 2006 has to offer. It could be the rock album of the century (since the year 2000 of course). Nothing you hear will sound like this... well at least nothing you've heard in the last 25 years. Comets On Fire's music is a throwback to 70s acid rock and psychedelica. And this album is their best yet.

Dogwood Rust is spectacular. Sour Smoke progresses with a slow, haunting chant to the Rock Gods with drums and guitars to back it. There's more words spoken/sung on "Avatar" then the last few Comets On Fire albums--- or perhaps the vocals are just a little bit more understandable than they have been in the past.

This album easily rivals anything modern progressive bands Tool, The Mars Volta, and Porcupine Tree (for that matter) has put out. There's really not much else to say... you'll just be wondering why you didn't listen to Comets On Fire sooner.

Comets On Fire - 'Avatar' (Sub Pop)
For some strange reason{s}, this CD's cover had stuck in my mind for awhile now, as I've seen it available in stores as well as online. Until recently, I've never even heard a Comets On Fire title. As for a desciption some might say they're neo-psychedelic while others would tag them as stoner rock. Tracks that I thought showcased of what this band is capable of was the lengthy opener "Dogwood Rust", the emotional "Swallow's Eye" and "Sour Smoke". Line-up: Ethan Miller-guitar&vocals, Ben Chasny-guitar, Ben Flashman-bass&organ and Utrillo Kushner-drums. Might possibly appeal to fans of High Rise, Blue Cheer and the Sonics.

Wow!
Wow, just heard this for the first time and what a nice surprise. This served as my introduction to Comets on Fire so I cannot compare it to any of their previous work, but the strength of Avatar alone has made me a believer. The music on this album is a mix of classic rock, progressive, psychedelic, and a dash of the intangible, which, when added together equals something completely unique. Sounds run the gamut from terrifyingly chaotic and dissonant to meditative and sublime. Guitar is very much in the mix, along with an array of effects. The vocals are really good and soulful. This has made me want to check out their other stuff. Word is Blue Cathedral is the bomb.