Avalanche Party have released their new album, Der Traum Über Alles. It was written back in the pandemic, with the band’s situation hampered by the restrictions that were put in place, physically and creatively. Each day, frontman Jordan Bell wrote the title – inspired by David Lynch’s (RIP) Catching the Big Fish and translates to “The dream above all else.” – on his arm, with the tattoo serving as a reminder that in spite of how dire things might seem, a dream can still be achieved. Even if you’re in the arse-end of nowhere.
Newly signed to Kartel Music Group’s alternative imprint AMK, Avalanche Party – Jordan Bell (vocals/guitar), Joe Bell (bass/vocals), Jared Thorpe (guitar/sax/vocals), Glen Adkins (keys) and Kane Waterfield (drums) showcase their willingness to experiment and mash styles together, creating an album that feels like an entire experience rather than something to have on in the background.
From the ominous melody that kicks off “John Coltrane’s Moscow Skyscraper”, the album will grab your full attention. Leaving you no option but to listen, and once that mammoth wall of noise plays, you will enjoy it. Its building urgency alongside the frequent announcement of “loosening up” feels like an awakening of the record. As if this beast is free to roam, and it is beginning to realise that. It’s a great way to start, and leads into the off-kilter “Nureyev Said It Best”. Its scatty, frantic instrumental feels like something Home Counties could’ve produced, with its grooves met with wails of vocals and instruments aplenty. It shakes the rust away. Becoming fully loose in time for “Shake The Slack”, which is a Talking Heads-inspired tune that embraces its eccentricities to great effect.
This explosive first half is rounded off by the excellent “Ecstasy”, which acts as a bridge between the two styles on the album. It takes advantage of a change in pace to deliver a different kind of impact. A slower pace allows guitars chords to elongate, and vocals to harmonise rather than rush. The additional time means the song can reach its climax organically, which sounds like the finale to QOTSA’s “The Blood is Love”, and is very satisfying to listen to. It also highlights how structured the band’s sound has become compared to 2019’s 24 Carat Diamond Trephine. Obviously, this all goes out of the window on “Serious Dance Music”, a two minute interlude that pays homage to their older sound in chaotic fashion.
Its second half continues to explore different genres, but embraces a tempo change that allows it to sound more anthemic and measured. There are hints of prog heard on the thunderous “The Noise Between Us”, which features vivid imagery that fits its higher-than-the-sky atmosphere. “Slinky” sees the saxophone take a bigger role. Providing melodies that direct the police detective vibe, as it slinks towards the industrial “Chainz”.
No longer hindered by lockdown, Der Traum Über Alles is free to express itself as the beast it is. While its influences can be heard, Avalanche Party twist them in a way that stops them becoming a direct copy. You can hear shades of David Bowie, and the desert influence of Dave Catching, but it is very much them on this record. It must feel cathartic to finally release something you’ve spent years creating, but the result is one of the most original albums we’ll hear this year. It’s brilliant, and a record I will continue to play for a long time.