ELEINE – Ava Of Death – Acoustic (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Release Overview

Swedish metal ensemble ELEINE present a stark new angle on one of their most commanding songs with the official video for Ava Of Death – Acoustic. Issued to coincide with the band’s fall and winter 2022 run as special guests on Sonata Arctica’s Acoustic Adventures tour, the single anchors ELEINE’s EP Acoustic In Hell, released via Atomic Fire Records on October 14, 2022. The reimagined arrangement pares back the band’s usual firepower to spotlight voice, melody and tension, while preserving the song’s defiance and dark edge.

Recasting a Signature Anthem

In its original electric form, “Ava Of Death” is one of ELEINE’s defining rallying cries. Here, the group steers the composition into a lean acoustic setting that emphasizes structure and narrative. Guitars take center stage with close-miked strumming and patient arpeggios, carving out a brooding pulse. Percussion is restrained but pointed, creating a low, resonant foundation that replaces bombast with space. The result tightens focus on phrasing and dynamics, allowing each section of the song to carry dramatic weight without overwhelming volume.

The acoustic palette also draws attention to tonal nuance. Chords bloom and recede more transparently, and the interplay between lead lines and rhythm work becomes a key part of the arrangement. Subtle shifts in accent and tempo guide the listener through verses, refrains and reprises, maintaining the song’s combative spirit while embracing a more intimate soundstage.

Vocal Presence and Lyrical Drive

Vocalist Madeleine Liljestam delivers a focused performance that underscores the song’s themes of resolve and reckoning. Her lines cut cleanly through the mix, moving from measured calm to sharpened intensity. Guitarist and vocalist Rikard Ekberg adds contrast with supporting parts that thicken the chorus and underline key phrases, giving the refrain its emphatic lift.

Lyrically, “Ava Of Death” is steeped in resistance and memory. Repeated invocations of “You will not forget / This moment in death” frame the track as a declaration against oppression, with images of shackled hands, an army of the damned and a struggle “against the gods.” In the stripped arrangement, those motifs come into clearer relief. Without distortion and symphonic layers, the piece hinges on the words and their cadence. The acoustic instrumentation heightens that clarity, making the vow to rise and reclaim a throughline rather than a flourish.

Inside the Video

The official video keeps the focus on performance, underscoring the chemistry at the heart of the arrangement. Produced and directed by Rikard Ekberg and Madeleine Liljestam, filmed by Moob AB and edited by Ekberg, the clip prioritizes tight framing and deliberate pacing. It reads like a study in tension and release, aligned with the track’s dynamic arc. The visual economy reflects the sonic approach, trading spectacle for presence and precision.

Acoustic In Hell and the Touring Context

Acoustic In Hell arrives as a purposeful companion to ELEINE’s seven-week stint with Sonata Arctica through fall and winter 2022. The EP embraces the challenge and opportunity of acoustic stages, recasting familiar material for theaters and seated rooms while retaining the band’s dramatic sensibility. It is less a softening than a reframing, revealing contour and intention beneath the distortion-heavy veneer.

For a Scandinavian metal act rooted in weight and atmosphere, an unplugged turn becomes a measure of songcraft. The acoustic format spotlights meter, melody and narrative timing, and “Ava Of Death – Acoustic” makes the case succinctly. The track maintains its combative heart, proving resilient in a new environment.

Tour Itinerary: Acoustic Adventures 2022

ELEINE joined Sonata Arctica across Europe and the UK as special guests on the Acoustic Adventures tour in 2022. The itinerary included:

20.10.2022 SE – Stockholm, Södra Teatern
21.10.2022 SE – Östersund, Gamla Teatern
22.10.2022 NO – Trondheim, Byscenen
23.10.2022 NO – Oslo, Parkteatret
24.10.2022 SE – Gothenburg, Valand (Ordensalen)
25.10.2022 DE – Hamburg, Fabrik
27.10.2022 NL – Tilburg, 013 KZ
28.10.2022 DE – Bochum, Christuskirche
29.10.2022 NL – Utrecht, Pandora
31.10.2022 UK – London, Islington Assembly Hall
02.11.2022 FR – Paris/Vauréal, Le Forum
03.11.2022 FR – Lyon, Le CCO
04.11.2022 ES – Barcelona, Salamandra
05.11.2022 ES – Bilbao, Stage Live
06.11.2022 ES – Madrid, Copérnico
08.11.2022 ES – Sevilla, Custom
09.11.2022 ES – Murcia, Garaje
10.11.2022 ES – Pamplona, Totem
11.11.2022 FR – Toulouse, Le Metronum
12.11.2022 FR – Nantes, Le Ferrailleur
13.11.2022 BE – Sint-Niklaas, De Casino
15.11.2022 DE – Nürnberg, Hirsch
16.11.2022 CH – Pratteln, Z7
17.11.2022 IT – Milan, Live Club
18.11.2022 SI – Ljubljana, Orto Bar
20.11.2022 BG – Sofia, Joy Station
21.11.2022 RO – Bucharest, Quantic Club
22.11.2022 RO – Cluj-Napoca, FORM Space
24.11.2022 AT – Vienna, Szene
25.11.2022 HU – Budapest, Akvárium
26.11.2022 CZ – Ostrava, Club Garage
27.11.2022 PL – Warsaw, Proxima
28.11.2022 DE – Berlin, Columbia Theater
29.11.2022 DE – Munich, Backstage Werk
01.12.2022 DE – Cologne, Essigfabrik
02.12.2022 DE – Passau, Zauberberg
03.12.2022 DE – Speyer, Halle 101

Credits and Personnel

Songwriting and production: “Ava Of Death” written and produced by Rikard Ekberg and Madeleine Liljestam.

Recording and post-production: Recorded, mixed and mastered by Thomas “Plec” Johansson at The Panic Room.

Video production: Produced and directed by Rikard Ekberg and Madeleine Liljestam; filmed by Moob AB; edited by Rikard Ekberg.

Label: Released by Atomic Fire Records.

Band:

Madeleine Liljestam – Vocals
Rikard Ekberg – Guitar, Vocals
Jesper Sunnhagen – Drums

Live session musicians:

Filip Stålberg – Bass
Victor Jonasson – Guitar

Thanks: Special thanks to Allen Wilson, Martin Blom, Jordon King, Carina Hagerblad and Martina Henriksson. Gratitude to all patrons for making the video possible. Additional thanks to Schecter Guitars, Richter Straps, Sennheiser, Shrine of Hollywood, Into Music Lund, Meinl Cymbals, Deadly Seams, Heartbreak Tattoo and Moob AB.

Final Notes

“Ava Of Death – Acoustic” distills ELEINE’s force into precision and presence. It is less an interlude than a perspective shift, revealing the architecture behind the band’s power. The EP and tour setting make a compelling case for the durability of these songs, whether framed by amps and orchestration or carried by wood, skin and voice. Merchandise and physical editions are available via the band’s official channels, and the single is out now on digital platforms.