Grief can come in many forms and affect people in a multitude of ways. Some are able to channel this feeling into a form of a therapy that they incorporate into their art, while others become crippled by the weight of the tragedy. I Am The Avalanche frontman Vinnie Caruana shared the inspiration behind the band’s new studio album The Horror Show by explaining, “Experiencing ultimate loss will change you on a cellular level. About 75% of the lyrics were written after my best friend passed away suddenly and unexpectedly.” I Am The Avalanche are able to rally around their frontman’s deeply personal loss in his life with an album built on friendship, loss, grief, and with love and appreciation for their music and the legacy they’ve built for themselves as a band. Caruana continued, “This record can become a lifelong companion for those who let it in. The message is simple: You are stronger than you think you are and you are not alone.” Nearly 22 years into their career as a band, I Am The Avalanche have made another strong and memorable statement with The Horror Show.

It feels great to have I Am The Avalanche back. With their first studio album in six years, DIVE wastes little time getting down to the business at hand with some incredibly well-crafted tunes. Lead single “Better Days” opens the record with a perfect build up to an ultra-melodic chorus. Lead vocalist Vinnie Caruana had this to say about opening the album with the track: “Not only is it the intro track to the record, but it is also the song the first the band wrote together since 2014’s Wolverines. It’s all about realizing too late how good you had it and raising a “drink to better days.” Oddly enough, it was written before the world went to hell in a handbasket earlier this year – making it an eerie prophecy.” Interestingly, many of these songs found on DIVE are the perfect soundtrack to the uncertainty of the days ahead of us while still remaining cautiously optimistic that things can improve.