Album Review: Avalanche – Armed to the Teeth

By BRIAN GIFFIN

AFTER close to a decade of blasting through every venue that would have them and leaving audiences agape in their wake, Sydney’s Avalanche have finally released their debut album, and it’s a cracker.

If you’ve ever seen or heard this band then you know exactly what to expect: flat-out no holds barred rock and roll from beginning to end. Invoking the wisdom of their spirit animal Airbourne, there’s no slow songs, no ballads. Armed to the Teeth is just 13 tracks of wild, foot-to-the floor rock and roll. And just like Airbourne, Avalanche are unapologetically shameless in showing off who their direct influences are.

Guitar slinger Veronica Campbell may have come up with the one-hand tapping figure that weaves through the title track when she was still a teenager, but “Thunderstruck” was definitely playing in the background as she did it. “Hell’s Getting Hotter With You” is also only half a riff away from being an AC/DC song and Steve Campbell’s high-octane paint stripping howl has more than a semblance of J. O’Keeffe about it. Even the band’s name is a hand-me-down from Mr Campbell’s father, who fronted a pretty decent rock combo also called Avalanche in the seventies.

If you’ve read this far, you might think I’m being too critical about Avalanche sounding too much like other bands. That would really only matter if they weren’t a good band. AC/DC were basically just doing Chuck Berry, but louder. The Stones were emulating Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Led Zeppelin ripped off Willie Dixon. All pretty good bands.

Like them, Avalanche are a pretty good band. “Down for the Count” is a knock-’em-down, drag-’em-out classic Aussie pub rock song. “Bottle of Sin” is an Airbourne-inspired boozing anthem. “Dad, I Joined a Rock N Roll Band” is just fun. The songs are catchy, the riffs are punchy and the solos are blistering.

Avalanche aren’t about reinventing the wheel or even trying to update it. They’re just all about being a great rock and roll band – and Armed to the Teeth is just a great rock and roll record.