I Am The Avalanche Has Wolverines

Given that Brooklyn-based rockers I Am The Avalanche has only produced three full-length albums in the ten years they've been together, Wolverines couldn't be just another release for the band. It had to their best release.

Most people will agree that it is, even if the progression smooths out some of their post-hardcore edges. I Am The Avalanche has truly put out its most cohesive album — the ten best tracks of 13 that they laid down in the studio.

It is everything they are touting— a tightly woven, cohesive album that truly captures the sound they wanted to produce with confidence. The album has a message too. The band chose Wolverines as the title to serve a metaphor for their own perseverance, a consistent theme throughout the album as they recant personal trials and triumphs.

Wolverines is a witness to their weathered post-hardcore sound. 

Many of the trials are personal too, torn from the pages of founding member and frontman Vinnie Caruana's life. The most obvious is The Shape I'm In, which addresses a serious back injury he endured. The herniated disc left him bedridden and in agonizing pain for about three months.

The painkillers and Hurricane Sandy proved to be a near deadly combination for the singer, who slipped into a stupor. It isn't the only place that the hurricane creeps into the album either. Where Are You? captures how people felt in the aftermath of the devastation. It's brutal but not nearly as personal as the song the band teased out as an album promotion.



The video was shot in Brooklyn, incorporating some neighborhoods not far from where the band lives. It captures not only the frustration Caruana felt by being controlled by his medical condition, but also the way Brooklyn felt in the wake of the storm. There is adversity but you know he never gives up.

The album opener, Two Runaways, carries the same energy while breaking away from more introspective lyrics. The track tells a story instead about two hard knock kids who make a break from their life by relying on each other. Caruana makes it clear they have heart and maybe that is all they need.

It sets an excellent pace for the album, especially with 177 following. It's another spirited story track, with the emphasis on staying put and sticking it out regardless of the consequence. The tune will become a contender for one of the best tracks on the album over time. It will be brilliant live.

Young Kerouacs, which channels some of the wanderlust of early Jack Kerouac, is an even-handed song about friendship. Wolverines twists one of the worsts days into one of the most anthemic tracks. Anna Lee is the heartbreaker of the bunch, with Caruana devastated but accepting of what was lost.

"I think it's our most well thought out and least rushed record," says Caruana. "Time spent at rock bottom and also feelings of personal triumph have shaped what I feel is the perfect record for us as a band and for our supporters as well."

Wolverines By I Am The Avalanche Rocks 8.6 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

There aren't any bad tracks on the album even if some arrangement similarities begin to feel slightly overtaxed by the end of the album. That would be problematic for most bands, but listening to Caruana, Brandon Swanson (guitar), Brett "The Ratt" Romnes (drums), and John Oliva (bass) never becomes too tiresome. The time they took to create it was obviously well spent, with additional props to The Ratt for producing it.

You can find Wolverines by I Am The Avalanche on Amazon. The album, Wolverines, is also available from Barnes & Noble or you can download it from iTunes. I Am The Avalanche is currently on tour along the East Coast and Midwest. They also plan to hit the West Coast before their European tour in May. Visit Facebook for a complete schedule.

Adam Lazzara Debuts A Late December

Taking Back Sunday frontman Adam Lazzara never intended to be a vocalist. He was originally invited out to Long Island by John Nolan (guitar) and Eddie Reyes (guitar) to play bass, and even that was meant as a joke. But then Lazzara jumped at the chance, moving out to Bellmore the following week.

As fate would have it, taking over as bassist and backing vocalist to fill a vacancy left by Jesse Lacey only lasted a few months. When Antonio Logo was the next to go after the release of their debut EP, Reyes asked Lazzara to become the lead vocalist.

A little more than a decade later, Lazzara has proven himself to be one of the most dynamic and evolving vocalists on the alternative rock/emo scene. Listening to him on the band's debut verses the band's self-titled LP in 2010 captures a transformation, just nowhere near as outstanding as his first solo debut put out at late last year.

Adam Lazzara debuts Because It Works on a 4-track EP sleeper. 

Released as a concept EP produced by I Surrender Records, Our Voices features four solo tracks by four members of influential punk and indie bands. Lazzara landed the lead position and was then captured by director Shamus Coneys for a video that Rolling Stone broke between Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The solo debut isn't anything like anyone would expect from the frontman of Taking Back Sunday. He trades in his familiar angst for a laid back confidence and then sets it adrift to a perfectly arranged alternative folk rock song. Because It Works is a promising debut for a future solo side project.


While punk and emo fans will likely pass on what many consider done-to-death acoustic showcases (so their favorite frontmen can prove they aren't just "emo guys"), Because It Works could easily appeal to a very different audience. No, the track doesn't break any new ground, but it does capitalize on the singer's increasingly worn and weary voice.

Three more tracks from singers and musicians on their own.  

The three other artists featured on Our Voices include Anthony Raneri (Bayside), Christopher Conley (Saves The Day), and Vinnie Caruana (I Am The Avalanche). The EP was conceived as an opportunity for the artists to step out of their stylistic boxes. There were no guidelines or expectations.

Raneri delivered an odd novelty pop ditty, String Me Along. Conley, who previously released solo material on a three-way split, sticks with his minimalist pop staccato on a track called Diamonds & White Gold. Caruana does something similar, contributing Sick Down To My Heart in a style similar to his solo City By The Sea EP.

Of the four, Lazzara provides the biggest departure while Caruana delivers a continuation of an already promising solo career. His songwriting and lyrical work is always compelling no matter how he delivers it. But I'll take his harsh vocals crooning over a six-string acoustic any day.

Raneri, in my opinion, would have been better off contributing something in the vein of  his New Cathedrals EP. And I have never felt settled on the solo direction Conley wants to set. Even so, I Surrender Records deserves some props for encouraging these artists to explore their options.

Because It Works By Adam Lazzara Works 5.8 On The Liquid Hip Richter Scale. 

Lazzara likely gets a bit more attention on Our Voices because it is his solo debut whereas the other three artists have released material on their own before. He clearly has a shot as an alternative country or alternative folk rock singer if he wants to take it in that direction. Conversely, Caruana has already established something that people will hunt for in a few years.

Our Voices was originally released in late November by I Surrender Records as a limited edition vinyl collection that has since sold out. The EP is available for download on iTunes. I Surrender Records Presents: Our Voices can also be found on Amazon.