MOVERS AND SHAKERS" FOR 2007

"TRACK OF THE YEAR" AWARDS

AVALANCHE (3-TIME WINNER)

The Road Less Traveled/Deeply/The Golden Sun.

Keeping the rock torch up and burning brightly has fallen to several groups over the years but to my mind none of them have filled the bill as meatily as Avalanche. Rock from the old school, red in tooth and claw, from a bunch of guys with enough actual experience to float a thousand 'rock schools.' American rock, in all its gory glory and then some....

Steve Gilmore...London, U.K.
SG Reviews - The Blog *
SG Ringtones *
Soundclick * Songplanet * MP3 Unsigned.

SongPlanet Head DJ Mike Kohlgraf...has introduced me to some very fine new rock artists, but none of them have impinged on my sensibilities more than AVALANCHE, whose appearance on Mike K's show was nothing short of groundbreaking...it was a "blinder" performance...a session par excellence...and hearing a live experience like that sealed my interest astronomically. With a production quality that should win awards in its own right...it's as fresh as "today's milk"...but with extremely comfortable nods at the classic rock treatments of years long ago...(AVALANCHE)...exemplifies just how good real rock can be...Even the most cursory listen will show you that these guys mean business...Lyrically, musically, and production...faultless...what it does show...in no uncertain terms...is just how professional and together these musicians are...(music) so well presented that it should be a politician.
"It'll Come Back and Haunt You" is brand new...and a track from their recently completed double CD set "COMPLETE AVALANCHE"..."Haunt You" is my kind of track...although for my money, it has more in common with STYX or KANSAS than Ted Nugent....
..."When You Smile" is much more my kind of Rock Beast." With a rhythm line that would have fit in perfectly with a BOC or BOSTON album...this is one of those "sing along" kind of tracks that peppered the late 70's and 80's....I've played this track in loads of different musical setups....from soft headphones to loud and wall-shaking...and I have to say..."When You Smile" held up it's end well enough for me to want to keep it...and oh yeah, the guitars are WAILIN'.....
And, finally, we come to the apple of my eye, a track I would normally run a mile from and it's such a nod to Mike Foster's considerable talent as a guitar totin' Rock God, that I even contemplated giving it hard disk room. Recorded at fellow SongPlanet DJ Terry Martin's StormSurge studios,"SongPlanet Blues" is a completely acoustic track that show just how good a guitar player this guy is...and should give you a real good idea why that initial "Avalanche Live" session was so mind boggling. "SongPlanet Blues" is a direct descendant of that night's activities...Technically a "walking blues", Mike's intricate guitar figues will keep fellow listeners transfixed while the rest of us oiks will just be amazed at how powerful and involving one man, one voice and one acoustic guitar can be. It is, of course, a pean to our Saturday night get togethers (even it if doesn't mention me) and lyrically it will give you a good idea why normal radio is - to quote the track - really lame."
AVALANCHE..."Not your normal rockslide".

Steve Gilmore...London, UK....November 5, 2005
(excerpts from STEVE GILMORE REVIEWS: AVALANCHE)
Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog
Soundclick * Songplanet * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet *

I am a well known musical magpie. I flit from genre to genre in a light-headed daze, ogling each sparkly geegaw as if it were the finest thing in the world. Meanwhile, a world away, master craftsmen labour at their art, stamping their unique and individual sound on everything that they do. When I'm not magpie-ing, I can be found stuffing classic rock down my ears at a rate of knots, and this is where said master craftsmen separate the magpies from the men. I refer of course to that rock institution known as Avalanche who have come to almost own the classic rock genre on Soundclick, and many other sites with their faultless, nay fekkin flawless, "take"...on the rock monster.

In case you've been living on some other planet, let me bring you up to speed. Avalanche are yer straight ahead classic rock band to their roots and - much more to the point - they know what made the genre so special back in the day. See my idea of classic rock songs is exactly that. Great songs, well performed with rock bollocks the size of skyscrapers and lyrics that say something besides ***** and *******. Classic songwriting has always been at the heart of what Avalanche do best, and - for me anyway - the good time-y feel and the especially timely lyrical content of Tell Us Where The Money Went sent this straight to my hard drive. Although we haven't agreed on every single Avalanche track they have released, when they hit it, they hit it good. Tell ya what, listen to the first thirty seconds of this and see if you can stop after that.

Being a 'proper' band, Avalanche are still restricted to the tried and true (and VERY expensive) recording studio method, which means a certain amount of restriction on what they can do. This track is from the latest series of sessions (in the middle of this year) and is a sure sign that Avalanche are still powering up. Seriously, if you love a good old headbang this is exactly what you need. I've played the gubbins out of the copy I had (this is very AC/DC, in feel) and was delighted when Mike Foster threw a fully mastered version courtesy of David Pendragon into my inbox. To be sure, the new version is right up there but without the power, energy and intelligence behind the music - (which is there in abundance) - it would have been a nice mastering job. As it is, it's the final blue touchpaper to this little chunk of rock dynamite.

MUST HAVE Classic rock. We are not worthy.

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog
SG Ringtones
Hear the new DOUBLE CD 'Inter Alia' at any of these sites:
Soundclick * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Mixposure * PopSpace * Imeem

Sheer serendipity that this track was back to back with the Farrell Jackson/Gary Hart collab, because they share a lot of ground with Avalanche. Moreover, as time went on and I kept hearing them as a matched pair, Gypsy Princess became the perfect introduction to Avalanche's very hot-off-the press new song, "Trust The Quiet Voice." It's an indication of the band's popularity that the track has already become a number one in Soundclick's Rock Charts. Nay, you say, the charts don't make any difference anyway. Well, maybe, maybe not but when you are number one out of 187,078 others, it would give you a nice satisfied buzz. If anyone has worked for that online popularity Avalanche have...and are reaping the rewards of all that hard work. After all, YOU wouldn't turn your nose up to a number one would you?

I thought not.

Recorded by the band...Mixed by Mike Foster and Mastered by David Pendragon, this is THE track I've been looking forward to ever since I heard they had hooked up. It doesn't disappoint either, and in some ways surpasses what I had imagined this production combination to sound like. I can see that extra sheen David has brought to this...but the real work was done by the band itself in structuring and performing this classic Avalanche track (if you know what I mean). Now that I have spent some time being immersed in their style, I think I would recognize that two gunslinger guitar approach on sight and Mike Foster's vocals are, without doubt, one of Avalanche's major strengths. But, like all good things, this is made up of many parts.

For sure, it wouldn't work without the solid work by Barry Easton and Michael Corsini on drums and bass respectively, but it's the sparkle of their two frontmen that catches the attention. Like all of Mike Foster's songs, this track has a political message, and one I heartily ascribe to having listened to my own quiet voice for years. More to the point, Trust The Quiet Voice is a great song, and one Avalanche fans will instantly recognize. For my money, the guitar work on this track is a shade above most classic rock bands and they use the two guitar approach to devastating effect. The kind of tightness that makes this kind of rock special indeed.

Highly professional classic rock. MUST HAVE for fans and rockhounds alike.

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog
SG Ringtones
Hear the new DOUBLE CD 'Inter Alia' at any of these sites:
Soundclick * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Mixposure * PopSpace * Imeem

Whenever anyone asks me about where to find good unsigned rock bands, one of the very first groups I would be pointing at are Avalanche, about as solid a bet as you are likely to get if you need your rock BIG. As an example of how serious I am, grab a listen to the new David Pendragon-mastered Will There Be Tomorrow here. The original Will There Be Tomorrow (February 2009) absolutely blew me away with its exactness and its precision...and this Mastering is exactly right for it. There again, considering that Avalanche have been a live gigging band for over thirty years, they would learn a thing or two. Now obviously I'm smitten because I just love that classic rock style when its done properly and no one comes closer than Avalanche to that....

That there's fightin' talk btw....

A lot of the Avalanche material I have reviewed over the last year has been stuff in the pipeline (as it were) but "The Rest Of Me" comes to us freshly baked from the band's June-July 2009 sessions at Rough Cut Studio. Long time fans of the band will be a bit amazed at the change in style this time round, although when called on, the band still delivers that essential classic rock feel. The outro, for example, is almost classic Avalanche...but the minutes that preceed it show a much more relaxed band, with one of the strongest songs I've heard from them yet.

Big kudos too on the vocals, a really effective harmony between Mike Foster and Mark Easton that works a treat. Mind you, it didn't strike me right off the bat. Indeed, The Rest Of Me took some getting used to because it is a bold move, and one that I think will bear solid fruit. After all, classic rock comes in all forms and with this one individual track, Avalanche cover a lot of those bases, evoking endless musical references back in time. In short, precisely what I would expect from a band that truly deserves all the credit and attention they have gathered in their time on Soundclick - long may they rumble on...

MUST HAVE Classic rock.

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog
SG Ringtones
Hear my new CD 'Retrospective 2001-2008' at any of these sites:
Soundclick * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Indiehitz * Mixposure * PopSpace * Imeem

Although my own musical sphere is usually more esoteric than most musicians, my abiding and eternal fascination has been for the Devil's Own Music - ROCK. I cut my musical teeth on this genre over thirty years ago and I still look forward to a good head banging session wiv me mates over at Mike Kohlgraf's "SATURDAY NIGHT ROCKS" radio show on Songplanet. Like me, Mike K is also a consummate rock animal, mixing the roughest of blues with Texas hardcore, and out and out heavy metal as if they were designed to be slammed together in the roughest of fashions. Both of the tracks I am starting off this month came from my exposure to them on this most listenable of internet radio shows and both feature artists I have reviewed before: Christopher Martin Hansen and Avalanche.
I don't know for the life of me why Avalanche are not on Soundclick, but either of the two sites I mention above should get you to their output. "EXCESSIVE" is a brand new, hot off the press recording...and it blew me away when Mike played it on SNR, and so I automatically singled it out for a review on the strength of that ONE listen. Not only have I been schooled in this genre since it first came to light...I've also been a record producer/engineer working solely with this type of material...so it covered two of my favourite passions - high octane rock performance and classic rock production techniques. Both of which are on on display in this excellent track, giving us the smallest glimpse of just how electric this band could be live.

A further bonus has to be the quality of frontman Mike Foster's leads, his class vocals and - more than anything else - his songwriting ability. There's a sense of the classic about this track in a great many ways...and I am (stupidly enough) reminded in both performance AND sound of the "Wildman" himself, Mr. Ted Nugent. I was lucky/unlucky enough (depending on one's level of deafness) to work on a couple of tours with the ol' hunter himself and there is a lot about this track that reminds me of his work. It's powerful, energetic and classy enough to stand out in any rock crowd - particularly lyrically. The lyrics were written way back in 1985*...but you wouldn't think that on first hearing them...they are as relevant now (more so maybe) as they no doubt were then.

Since their incredible debut as live performers on Mike K's SNR Radio Show, Avalanche have supplied me with lots of great rock experiences...but none that will better this.

MUST HAVE rock.

Steve Gilmore August 5, 2006
London, UK/

*(A correction here...The lyrics were written in June, 2006.)

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog

Imagine, if you will, having this track squashed up against the murky hellspawn created by Pilesar and you couldn't get much further apart which is why, to my ears anyway, I welcomed this track with open arms every time it's turn came up on the Ipod. I'm a dagnabit rock creature anyway but once let loose from the audio vortex that is Pilesar and into the bright, sunlight uplands of good old rock and roll I am as if reborn. Just kidding about Pilesar, you understand, he knows what I really think. Besides, this is Avalanches review and if I don't get on with it, I'll catch an earful from Mike Foster and that will never do. I've reviewed this track a-fore in its original release but this is a brand spanking new version with - damn, I'm soooo excited - a mix done by one of my favourite producers - David Pendragon.

I've been wittering on about the amount of class Classic rock bands we see right now, but there is no doubt that Avalanche have a very special place - for me and a great many others. Will There Be A Tomorrow always had that reach-for-the-11-button feel about it, going from influences such as Deep Purple, AD/DC and even The Who, yer complete guide to everything rock all in one neat package. That's always been one of the trademarks of Avalanche; their ability to get EXACTLY the right sound and feel for the genre. Mind you, playing together for thirty odd years will always do that.

I have a tremendous respect for the skills of Mike Foster and Mark Easton, both excellent and what they do as musicians and producers but - as the old saying goes - a fresh pair of ears can work wonders. In a way, I wish I had kept the original, and it's not on the webpage so I can't compare the versions other than levels of excitement and - to my ears anyway - this sounds a LOT punchier and immediate than the original. I think I remember that I liked the track a lot and I guess one of the reasons I ended up not keeping it is because it didn't have the same zing to it that, say, The Road Less Travelled. David seems to have corrected this, while at the same time keeping that essential Avalanche feel and stereo picture. AFAIK, David is up to more of his tricks with other tracks but by God, this is a great starting place.

Classic Avalanche. As the man says: Avalanche rocks! MUST HAVE.

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog

Perfectionists? pffffttt! Who would have them? Well, a great many of the leading lights on the music scene I know about have lots. Face it if you want to make excellent music (as opposed to being rich and famous) perfection is the driving force. Like many musicians around (especially on Soundclick) it's taken us years and years of slogging away at it to be able to make what appears to be seamless music. Avalanche are also a case in point; a live gigging band for over thirty years has to have a huge arsenal of experience to draw on to sort the men out from the boys, and Avalanche do it in grand style. They would though, the whole band has that driven feeling but none more so than Mike Foster, one half of the guitar duo that drives the band and one of its chief songwriters. Not only is he a perfectionst to the nth degree, he wants you to know all about it; as you will see from the song comments.

See? Pfffftttt!

Actually I think Mike does a sterling job of illustrating his music with information on how it was made, and always enjoy reading his ranti... ooops, sorry musical information. It's also something to do while Avalanche shaves your ears off centimetre by centimete with the best classic rock you are likely to hear. The list of favourite Avalanche track grows longer by the minute so a new one (Mike says kinda final mix but not really, David Pendragon gets the honours for that) is well anticipated. Moreso since it features Stephanie Krowka, a vocalist I have reviewed with Avalanche supplying the music on Oxygen (September 2008). At the heart of I Believe is, as always, a great song. There's no doubt that Avalanche are the real deal, from the opening chords the song has you in its grip as the track unfolds into the first guitar solo.

See, that's the thing about Avalanche, you would be duty bound to be a rock animal to really appreciate the flame they are carrying, but that's where - I believe (no pun, honest) - their exceptional arranging and songwriting skills would reach out to anyone who likes a great song, performed faultlessly. Now, here's the thing. I Believe has its share of rock for sure, the the way the guitars stutter around the point in the verses gives this a whole new feel from their usual straight ahead style and one I definitely appreciate. Apparently, so I am told, this was performed live on the groundbreaking Mike-K show on Songplanet which I was priveliged to hear and take part it. Mind you, my mind was sooo blown by that night, I'm surprised I remember anything and that was just an unplugged version with just Mike Foster and Mark Easton, the selfsame guitar duo etc... Can't get enough guitars. Class.

MUST HAVE for fans, Highly Recommended song anyway.

Steve Gilmore
London, U.K.
SG Reviews - The Blog

My personal picks for the SongPlanet Artists that most impressed me (FEMALE and MALE) in 2005...are without question...MARIA DAINES....and AVALANCHE....the consistency and quality of these artists is simply outstanding...based on the quantity and quality of the material submitted by these two artists...they were the only two possible choices, really."
Mike Kohlgraf (The Germinator)...SongPlanet Radio HEAD DJ (Excerpts from his Christmas Eve, 2005 "Saturday Night Rocks" radio show).

    --SongPlanet.com Mike Kohlgraf's "Saturday Night Rocks" Christmas Eve Show (Dec, 24th, 2005)

Gotta admit that when I first saw this title being put forward, I had a sense of doom, gloom, despondency and despair. I know that's actually four senses (as it were) but hey, I'm a drama queen, what can I tell you? Not because I thought The Road Less Traveled was going to be a bad track...with Avalanche that wouldn't be possible. A so so track maybe, but never anything less than highly professional. That professionalism comes from the band being together for thirty years this year. Nope, my conniption was about the song's title, a name I had ascribed to one of my own upcoming releases, and it led me to a few choice words wiv me ol' mate Serendipity. Not to mention a couple of hissy fits in the direction of Avalanche Still, ferk it, s'all good innit? Regardless of what my own particular panty twist is at the moment, just playing an Avalanche track will soon dispel a bout of grumpy gruff. The reason is twofold: Avalanche are the ultimate rock animal, red in tooth and claw. The second reason is the one I mentioned before, the total dedication to getting it right - every time.

First time, I bet, that an avalanche can be considered consistent eh?

It helps that the sort of rock you like is the kind that has spawned all the memorable American rock bands...because Classic Rock is what Avalanche delliver; the sort you can picture in action as the track plays. Having said all that, The Road Less Traveled takes a while getting to the real meat and potatoes (Edit: he means keeeerrraaannggg)...but once you get there...all is forgiven. It's the part of this Avalanche I like the best. For example, the track starts with a whole acoustic section; redolent of the American style of rock. But when the band put the pedal to the metal, in the chorus, they show the massive pair of rock stones that endear them to an old rock freak like me. I defy you, o gentle reader, to give this a spin though, and not find yourself going down the road singing it to yourself...and if you get in a car and drive you are f****** for life.

The combination of drums, bass and twin guitarists is irresistable enough, I'd be glued from note one. Take that thought one step further and combine it with the skill and experience of this four man band and blend it all with some awesome songwriters such as Mike Foster and Mark Easton, and there is no way this track could fail. At least within its genre, and certainly IMHO, it's as commercially viable as anything else you are likely to hear on the face of the Earth. If you are not aware, I expect more from artists I have respect for, and I am highly critical of anything out of place - and believe me I do look hard. I couldn't find anything whatsoever I didn't like about The Road Less Traveled in a professional manner; and it hits a couple of personal emotional buttons too. The song is about the band's thirty year history and is a track full of the truth known to more musicians than the miniscule amount of artists that manage the task of being 'stars. Well, in my world, stars are people who affect me directly and personally...and no real world music comes close.

MUST HAVE Classic rock.

Steve Gilmore...London...U.K. October 9, 2007

SG Reviews - The Blog
SG Ringtones
Soundclick * Songplanet * MP3 Unsigned

Amongst the many anniversaries being celebrated right around now...is the anniversary of the formation of Avalanche. Here is a sign that a good band - like a good marriage - is forever, because this year marks the 30th year of Avalanche's existence. Yep, thirty fekkin' years, so obviously not much chance of an overnight success there, then. Keeping a band together and alive over the amount of time isn't just a feat of endurance - although it certainly is that too - it's also an act of selfless love...putting the band before pretty much everything else. Now though...in this digital age where music is piped into your ears direct from the internet...being a live, working band is surely...well past its "sell by" date? Well, in some ways I guess it is, as Avalanche have been finding out for themselves. Rock will never die, but I'm afraid live rock performance - at least outside of the major leagues - may well be in its last days.
This song, according to Avalanche guitarist and songwriter Mike Foster, is older than the band...being originally written in 1972...and then recorded with this band in 1979 on 2 inch, 24 track tape...along with the original Avalanche bass player, Charles Calmese (who had earlier found fame and a couple of Platinum Records with the Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like and Eagle" and "Book of Dreams" albums). The GOLDEN SUN really is a golden oldie. Especially seeing that Charles Calmese died in 1988, in a car accident...this is a little bit of rock history. Previously unheard...(the original tapes have been damaged over the years...and are not in very good condition according to Mike F) this track should in no way count as being representative of where Avalanche, as a band...are right now. (BTW...where they are right now is a very nice position indeed, and they are rocking it for all they are worth as a quick listen to - say - EXCESSIVE will show you.)

In common with the time it was written...THE GOLDEN SUN is an epic rock track...sprawling out over thirteen and a half minutes...and for an old hippie like me...it is still strangely timely. In other words...it sounds pretty much like the Avalanche I have come to know and love, albeit with a slightly sunnier outlook...but hey, we all thought we had the answers back then, didn't we? It is an extraordinarily clear recording...especially considering all the caveats Mike Foster loaded onto its shoulders...and I honestly doubt whether anyone but himself will ever notice those problems. For the rest of us lucky bar stewards, here is a slice of Avalanche rock that has so much depth...you may very well find yourself drowning in it. As good as it is instrumentally (as you would expect from Mike F, Calmese and the equally talented Easton Brothers)...this is also a terrific song...and had I heard it way back then...I would have been a fan of this band from the "get go." As far as Rock goes...bands have come and gone on Soundclick and I have had me "Rock Funnybits" tickled a time or two....but ever since Avalanche came along...they have been my staple "holder of the flame." I would agree that this track is a bit of a rock "noodle"...(but things were back then)...it's more the style that existed...rather than a bunch of musicians showing off how good they are....and Avalanche would never have to do that live. They would be too busy having fun and making us...their audience...happy campers. At this point...I have listened to this whole track all the way through at least seven times (at the time of this writing) and I know this is going to take me forever to wear out.

A "MUST HAVE" slice of Rock History, and even Highly Recommended Rock for those less rabid than myself.

Steve Gilmore
London, U.K.
March 18th, 2007.
SG Reviews - The Blog

SOUNDCLICK.COM March, 18, 2007.

Good God is it that time already? Didn't I already review this?? How come everything comes up Avalanche all of a sudden? Have I been NAV-alated?? Mind you, when you have 30 years of being a band under your belts you are going to be able to do things other bands can only wish for. The reason Avalanche have such a high profile on the sites they hang out in is as simple as ABC; they know exactly what to do and how to do it. The string of classic tracks they have released over the last couple of years is ample testimony to their total professionalism, and a sad, sad indictment of how short sighted the music business can be. As I said before, since coming to Soundclick the band seems to have hit on a new audience and they truly deserve the recognition that means - at least from their peers.

Hey, every little bit counts.

Just as an indication of how professional they are, take a look at Mike Foster's (lead guitarist, cook and bottle-washer) production notes at the bottom of the lyrics page. Remember the old saying you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Bollocks to that. Not only are these old dogs learning new tracks, they are mastering them at a prodigious rate. It's a given then, that any Avalanche track will be as close to the real deal as you are ever going to get on the internet - no matter what site you hang out in. Alright, it helps that you have a healthy appetite for class American rock, as well as liking songs that have more to verbalise than riches and bitches. Whichever way you look at it, I would bet you are not likely to hear anything quite this good (sound and performance) anywhere else. And that, my bewildered breddren, is Avalanche's greatest asset.

I've always had a liking for the more traditional forms of rock and I cherish the bands I do find who embody not just the music, but the ethos of what the music is all about. Like all fine traditions, it's ultimately about storytelling; except the musicians get to cavort around like dickheads while wailing their particular strain of the genre. That's the other area that Avalanche have always scored big with me, they have a way of getting straight to the point that is heartening. Digital World could be an unreleased track from any other the early bands who experimented with electronic sound, notably the Who which this initially reminded me of. It's classic style and arrangement on served to reinforce that impression; especially in the stop-start chorus. Regardless of my own clearly obvious bias, I'd defy any one of you to tell me that this isn't worthy of the rating it so justly deserved.

Avalanche. Bury yourself in it. MUST HAVE classic rock.

STEVE GILMORE......LONDON U.K. September 15th, 2007

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog
SG Ringtones
Soundclick * Songplanet * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Indiehitz * Indieviews

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED" ...
Mike, guys...
I almost feel like I have watched this song grow...and maybe,shared some similar pathways, so I feel great sense of empathy with the song.

Crystal clear recording.

Vocals are top notch, both lead and backing.

Leads.....
Scorching, burning and soaring,for my pennies that could have gone on for about 10 or 20 minutes :)

I think songs like this are vital to both musician and listener. It is a bridge into the "band world" for the listener...and a smile between fellow musicians for having shared in this great, great, gift of making music.

You don't get to write this sort of material by being a copy of someone, or by pretending that you know what it's like...only front line "tours of duty" gets this kind of reality.

It's magic...and that, mates...is the best compliment I can pay...because as a musician I understand so much of what makes music...both in terms of inspiration, and the actual mechanics of making it, so when a song for me becomes PURELY a listening experience...that is magic.

Top notch...and max respects to you all.

Nigel.

September 20th, 2007... on AVALANCHE's Soundclick Artist Pages

Around about this time last year I had my first LIVE internet musical experience when I was in the chatroom audience over at Songplanet during Mike-K's Saturday Night Rocks. Mike had invited a couple of members of Avalanche onto the show to entertain some of the clowns...er.....regulars of the show...but what we didn't expect was to get one of the most dynamite performances any of us had heard. It was all down to the geetar styles of the Misters Mike Foster and Mark Easton that made the night special...and that's also the central rock on which this particular Avalanche rests on. That is not to denigrate the work of Mike Corsini and Barry Easton (yep Mark's brother) the bassist and drummer respectively. After all, without that massive engine powering out the wattage behind them, what kind of Rock Gods could Mike and Mark be? Having said that, they can be amazingly subtle with it too, when the need arises.

Finally moving onto Soundclick at the end of this year, Avalanche have only just begun to scratch the surface of this site's rock audience...and they have a bunch of influential rock stations playing their stuff. If you have never heard the band then I'd say that their name says what they are...not always, of course...but a goodly percentage of the time. Their chosen playground is Rock...Classic, Heavy, and everything in between. Get a quick listen to EXCESSIVE (August 2006) for an example of why I - in particular - like them. I have to admit I do love a bit of "kerrang" and EXCESSIVE is exactly what it says it is. "Will There Be Tomorrow" follows on in that classic rock way of theirs...think...The Who, Deep Purple, and in particular on this track...AC/DC.

To be sure, the verses are pure AC/DC riffery, and I think it would indeed be a fair comment to say that it doesn't break any new ground, but you don't expect rock to do that do you? It should, IMHO, sound like a dinosaur breathing down your neck...after all it's the reproduction of the genre that counts right? Mmmmm. Yeah, but it should also sound good enough to stand on it's own right...rather than a pallid copy...and that is where Avalanche have always scored with me...because their tracks are respectful of the past, and forward looking in their songwriting...and that's good enough for me. Where this track scores in particular, are the juxtapostions between the straighforward AC/DC style of the verses and the more complex WHO sound of the bridges (or choruses, whatever). It's taken me no time at all to warm to this track...but I would, wouldn't I? You should have some affection for the genre in general to really get swept away by this...but it's still a good enough song in its own right to maybe get over any rock predjudice. Time will tell.

Highly Recommended Hi-Energy Classic Rock.

Steve Gilmore
SG Reviews - The Blog
SG Ringtones
Soundclick * Songplanet * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Indiehitz * Indieviews

Speaking of which, do you ever think you are drowning in a fall of rock? Michael Foster, Michael Corsini, Barry and Mark Easton certainly are, but they are used to it because that's what they do for a living. Rock the joint, and often. I've already written a fair bit about this band on Soundclick, which is really good because they have only just joined this site...so now is your chance to catch up. Regular readers will be only too well aware of my rock animal credentials and my liking for this particular band's interpretation of the genre. Classic, guitar based rock is what Avalanche is all about but underlying that is a sharp eye to a song's basics - the hallmark of a performing musician. Have a listen to Excessive (August 2006) which I gave a "Must Have" rating...to see what I mean.

So, here's another month and I get a choice of two tracks, so which to review? I plumped for "Time Is A Wasting" because - to me - it exemplifies exactly why I rate this band. "Big" is the key word here. Big fekking drums, big fekkin geetars and a vocalist who knows what the word soul means. Time Is A Wasting borders on the clever-clever...and on a couple of fronts... and I mean that in a good way. The constant stuttering, chord changing of the guitars of Mark Easton and Mike Foster shows a tightness that can only be achieved by musicians who really understand how to play together; all ably pinned to the floor by a classic bass and drum combination.

Time Is A Wasting is billed on Avalanche's SC page as being 'Southern Flavoured'...and by crikey that's a very accurate description. The instant the guitar/hi hat combination hit my ears, I was up to my eyes in homily grits and cattle the size of France. So it stands to reason if you like either Avalanche or Southern Rock, you will gobble this bad boy right up. If you have no idea what I am talking about... think ZZ Top, with a dash of Johnny Winter and Ted Nugent to spice up the works. Rock...red in tooth and claw, and in the rudest of health in Avalanche's capable hands.

Excellent Southern Rock from the Old School. Highly Recommended.

Steve Gilmore...London U.K.
October 21, 2006.

SG Reviews - The Blog
Soundclick * SongPlanet * MP3 Unsigned * Acid Planet * Indiehitz * Vitamin C

Start up the engine, put it in gear, and floor it, that's the sound of this song...Avalanche is showing that formerly young guys can still bring it..."EXCESSIVE" is excessively driven and rockin' and it doesn't bother to slow down to pick up the Hot hitchhiker. This is a professional group that doesn't need a schlep like me reviewing their stuff, but I'm happy to do it, and even happier to have listened to their stuff."

(Excerpts from..."CRAGSTAR REVIEWS: "EXCESSIVE"
   

In my opinion...this band (AVALANCHE) is a "must listen to" for anyone who likes "Rock and Roll" at its best"....

(Excerpts from SongPlanet DJ Terry Martin's Web Site).

"AVALANCHE is the band I have selected as my personal pick for the 2005 "SongPlanet Artist of the Year". It is always a really hard decision...trying to choose favorites out of such awesome talent...there are so many great and deserving artists here...many of them are personal favorites of mine...and I wish I could pick them all...but this year, AVALANCHE got my vote."

Terry Martin...SongPlanet DJ and CEO of StormSurge Studio. Founder of Indiehitz.net

(Excerpts from Terry Martin's December 27, 2005 'THE TOP TEN PICKS OF 2005'... "A Storm is Brewing" Radio Show).

"It sounds as good today as it did back then....crank your speakers up until your ears bleed!! You will thank yourself for it.....because it doesn't get any better than this if you love Old-School Rock And Roll."

Pink Jimi Photon (JIMI POCIUS)...Rockville, Conn...January 13, 2005

"Ever since I started visiting SongPlanet.com there has been one artist that has stood out from all the rest. His name is Michael Foster (affectionately known there as "The NAV"). This one musician has proven himself as a monster songwriter and guitarist....My interest and respect for him as a musician has only increased with every new song he has posted....

"EXCESSIVE" required nearly 300 Studio-hours of mixing...to get it the way 'THE 'NAV' hears it...."SongPlanet Blues" is another example of Michael's unique talents as a guitarist. His Acoustic picking rivals any Mainstream Artist on the market today....His latest creation.....entitled "I Believe"... opens your heart to the sensitive side of "NAV"...leading you to drink from the 'Avalanche cup' one more time"...He is not alone in his creations, however...and "NAV" gives credit where credit is due...including Mark Easton (Avalanche's other talented Guitarist/Songwriter) and to all others who contribute to Avalanche tracks" (including Barry Easton on Drums...and Michael Corsini on Bass).

"Please take the time to enjoy this Mondo-Good player" ....

Terry Prong....August, 2006.
Indie Rock Cafe
Excerpts from Terry Prong's article "Avalanche" from "THE INDEPENDENT" (PAGE 3...2nd Edition-2006)
Published Quarterly in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.