Avalanche - I Believe

Hear The Track Here

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. 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 perfectionist 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 centimeter 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 privileged 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.