Biography
Emerging from Brooklyn in 2005, I Am the Avalanche fused the heavy sonic impact of punk and post-hardcore with the visceral emotional drive characteristic of earlier emo and screamo scenes. The band achieved its strongest commercial showing in 2014 when the third album, Wolverines, entered the Billboard 200; four years later the group returned with Dive, further sharpening its melodic punk and post-hardcore approach.
Vinnie Caruana, formerly of the Movielife, fronts the project on vocals and songwriting, while guitarist Brandon Swanson previously played in Further Seems Forever and bassist Kellen Robson once belonged to Scraps and Heart Attacks. Caruana assembled I Am the Avalanche in 2004 after the Movielife dissolved and a brief attempt to join the fledgling Head Automatica ended without result. A painful breakup supplied the initial spark; once several songs addressing the relationship were finished, Caruana recruited Swanson, Robson, second guitarist Michael Ireland, and drummer Brett “Ratt” Romnes. The band name was taken directly from a lyric in one of those compositions. Caruana has stated in the group’s official bio that he was unaware “I am the avalanche” also serves as a pivotal line in Stephen Dobyns’ autobiographical poem “Oh, Immobility, Death’s Vast Associate,” collected in Pallbearers Envying the One Who Rides.
Drive-Thru Records signed the band in 2005, and I Am the Avalanche first appeared on a split single shared with labelmates the Early November, offering two early demos of forthcoming material. Barrett Jones, known for his work with Foo Fighters and also contributing keyboards here, produced the self-titled debut, issued in September 2005. The follow-up, Avalanche United, arrived in 2011 and reached number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Wolverines marked the band’s first Billboard 200 placement, and Dive became the fourth full-length release when it surfaced in 2020.
Vinnie Caruana, formerly of the Movielife, fronts the project on vocals and songwriting, while guitarist Brandon Swanson previously played in Further Seems Forever and bassist Kellen Robson once belonged to Scraps and Heart Attacks. Caruana assembled I Am the Avalanche in 2004 after the Movielife dissolved and a brief attempt to join the fledgling Head Automatica ended without result. A painful breakup supplied the initial spark; once several songs addressing the relationship were finished, Caruana recruited Swanson, Robson, second guitarist Michael Ireland, and drummer Brett “Ratt” Romnes. The band name was taken directly from a lyric in one of those compositions. Caruana has stated in the group’s official bio that he was unaware “I am the avalanche” also serves as a pivotal line in Stephen Dobyns’ autobiographical poem “Oh, Immobility, Death’s Vast Associate,” collected in Pallbearers Envying the One Who Rides.
Drive-Thru Records signed the band in 2005, and I Am the Avalanche first appeared on a split single shared with labelmates the Early November, offering two early demos of forthcoming material. Barrett Jones, known for his work with Foo Fighters and also contributing keyboards here, produced the self-titled debut, issued in September 2005. The follow-up, Avalanche United, arrived in 2011 and reached number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Wolverines marked the band’s first Billboard 200 placement, and Dive became the fourth full-length release when it surfaced in 2020.
Albums
