Vince Leigh’s Single Review: Dad, I Joined A Rock N Roll Band by Avalanche
By Vince Leigh (Ex drummer of Pseudo Echo, Tina Arena and John Farnham) of Australian Radio Promotion for Sheldon Ang Media
Avalanche’s latest, Dad, I Joined A Rock N Roll Band, isn’t just a song—it’s a middle finger, a bloodshot-eyed, whiskey-soaked anthem that stomps all over everything polite society holds dear. It’s the kind of track that grabs you by the collar and says, ‘Hey man, remember why you started loving rock ‘n’ roll in the first place?’ It’s loud, fast, and mean in all the ways you forgot you needed. And boy, it feels good. Right out of the gate, the guitars hit like a bar fight on Saturday night—sharp, messy, and impossible to ignore. The riff doesn’t just kick in, it detonates, blowing away the cobwebs and reminding you why you should be ashamed for ever thinking a laptop could be a musical instrument.
This is primal stuff—nothing fancy, just the sound of a band swinging for the fences and connecting every damn time. And then there’s Steven Campbell’s voice. This guy’s not trying to serenade you. No, his voice sounds like it’s been through hell—dragged across gravel, drowned in cheap bourbon, and somehow lived to tell the tale. When he shouts, ‘Dad, I joined a rock ‘n’ roll band,’ it’s not an apology—it’s a declaration of independence, the kind you make when you’ve already quit your job, smashed your phone, and thrown your last dollar at a beaten-up Fender Strat. It’s pure, unfiltered defiance wrapped in three minutes of bluesy, bad-attitude rock. But Avalanche isn’t just about throwing elbows in the mosh pit. There’s craftsmanship here, too. Yeah, I said it.
These guys know how to build a song, and they’ve got the brains to pull it off without losing an ounce of that raw, animal energy. The bluesy verses chug along like a beer-soaked freight train, building up to a chorus that hits like a boot to the head. And don’t even get me started on that solo—it’s the sound of a guitar screaming for its life, and somehow, it’s the perfect complement to the track’s straight-ahead, no-bullshit attitude. This isn’t a song for the faint of heart. It’s for those moments when you’re fed up with the world and just need to feel alive again. It’s a wake-up call. A reminder that rock ‘n’ roll isn’t dead—it’s just been hiding, waiting for someone like Avalanche to drag it out of the gutter and set it on fire. And Dad, I Joined A Rock N Roll Band? It’s the spark that lights the match. So put down your headphones, crank up the volume, and let this one rip. You’ll be headbanging in no time.
