I Am the Avalanche

If you look at the musical resumes of the members of I Am the Avalanche, they are quite impressive. Vocalist Vinnie Caruana fronted the pop-punk band The Movielife; Guitarist Brandon Swanson played in the highly-toted emo/indie rock band Further Seems Forever; bassist Kellen Robson was a member of Long Island hardcore band Scraps and Heart Attacks; and while guitarist Michael Ireland and drummer Brett Romnes were not previously attached to any noteworthy musical endeavors, both demonstrate adequate talent throughout I Am the Avalanche.

"Dead and Gone" and "New Disaster," which was the album's first single, kick off the album with a fusion of pop-punk, indie rock, and melodic hardcore undertones. These songs are extremely catchy, both in musical and in lyrical content. Think the best moments of The Movielife but with a more straightforward song structure akin to radio-rock and you'd be along the right track.

The fellows in I Am the Avalanche slow things down occasionally, take "Murderous" for example. The song is a ballad of sorts that makes use of acoustic guitars in addition to the standard instrumentation found on previous tracks. The song ends on an upbeat note with hardcore-esque sing-alongs accompanying the acoustic guitars, which may sound bizarre, but it works quite well. Other notable "ballads" include "Green Eyes," "Wasted," and "Symphony."

And while the album does contain its fair share of slower moments, it is the fast-paced numbers that make this album so much fun to listen to. The playful "I Took a Beating" is a surefire radio hit in the making; especially with the groundwork laid by bands like Taking Back Sunday and Fall Out Boy. "This is Dungeon Music" is a roaring pop-punk tune that throws back to The Movielife complete with infectious sing-along choruses.

Lyrically, Caruana sticks to the subject matter of "girls" for the majority of the songs contained within. And while some may consider this to be somewhat immature and cliché, I found myself unaffected by the so-called generic words. When the songs and lyrics are as catchy as they are, there's really no reason to complain.

I Am the Avalanche is an album that greatly impressed me, though I must say that the first half of the album is a tad stronger than the second half. Despite the occasional drifting moment, I Am the Avalanche exceeded all my expectations with their debut release.

8.0 / 10 — Michael