The return of I AM THE AVALANCHE has been long overdue, and as the band prepare for their first UK shows in an age, ‘Avalanche United’ is being unleashed on the world.
Saying you’ve been in The Movielife is nothing to shy away from alone, but ‘Avalanche United’ shows Vinnie Caruana’s got plenty more great music to make, and there’s barely a poor song to speak of. There’s nothing here that could really be called groundbreaking or genre defining, but it’s nothing if not succinct, and there’s a genuine endearing honesty about the record.
Songs like ‘Amsterdam’ and ‘Dead Friends’ are brilliant, and though at first the record doesn’t manage to grab you by the balls in quite the way it threatens or you want it to, after a while you finding yourself begging to hear it live for the multitude of fist in the air moments.
In a vastly competitive scene in a year with many strong albums, it’s perhaps a little optimistic to think that this is going to make everyone who isn’t already interested in the band or their history go crazy, but when the pace comes up and the choruses land, ‘Avalanche United’ has a propensity to put a smile on your face.
Even if you’re not familiar, if you’re even vaguely tempted to check ‘Avalanche United’ out, you’ll find that the whole record is uplifting, well worth the wait and one of the best pop-punk/punk/alternative-rock/whatever you want to call it albums of the year.
TOM AYLOTT