THE LAST HOWL, AVALANCHE PARTY’S UNTAMED LEGACY
I can’t believe I’m writing this. One of my favourite bands since I started Northern Exposure, Avalanche Party, are calling it a day. I’ve always said it, AP has always been a band that deserved way more recognition than they got. No one could quite capture the raw, untamed and intense energy of garage punk as they have. From dirty, sweat-drenched gigs in filthy clubs in their early days to experimental recording at the world-renowned Rancho De La Luna studio, it’s been a path of unremitting energy, creative ambition, and uncompromising passion. I’ve travelled far and wide to see them, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
Avalanche Party was formed in 2016 by brothers Jordan and Joe Bell as a reaction to a necessity for a band that embodied an anarchy ethos. They were just as volatile on stage as their music was untamed. Their frontman, Jordan Bell, took the stage with the same intensity as Nick Cave’s shamanistic fervour and with as much unbridled emotional intensity as Iggy Pop’s. Their early singles like Solid Gold and I’m So Wet set the precedent for a band that could not be tamed, a sound as much untamed as they were classy.
Jared Thorpe brought a unique element to Avalanche Party with his melodic guitar work and unexpected saxophone explosions, adding depth and chaos to their sound. Kane Waterfield’s drumming was relentless, pounding, precise and dynamic, driving the band’s intensity with a bouncing-bomb style that made every performance feel like it was going to explode at any second. Joe Bell’s basslines were athletic and commanding, providing foundation to their music while locking in perfectly to the band’s erratic rhythms. Glen Adkins on keyboards added an intoxicating synth component, spinning eerie textures into their music that instilled Avalanche Party with a distinctive atmosphere.
Their debut album, 2019’s 24 Carat Diamond Trephine, was a statement of intent. A record unafraid of risk, weaving strands of garage rock, post punk and cinematic, gothic narrative. Songs like El Dorado showed them capable of writing beautiful, poetic music with haunting melodies, and Howl was a tribute to Allen Ginsberg’s beatnik principles. The record was critically acclaimed, and identified them as one of Britain’s most colourful underground bands.
The pandemic was against them, but Avalanche Party would not be silenced. They opened their own studio in Middlesbrough, a return to their DIY roots. Things took a bleak turn when their studio flooded, and they had to rebuild. Nothing, however, was going to stop them, eventually relocating to California to record their second album, Der Traum Über Alles, with legendary producer Dave Catching. The 2025 album release was a searing, furious reaction to hardship, one massive blast of punk fury and lyrical intensity.
Their breakup is a finale, but the legacy of Avalanche Party is solid. A band who would never compromise, never back down, and never get comfortable, Jordan Bell, who is a phenomenal frontman, will be an underground rock legend for many a day, even after he performs live for the very last time. Their attitude, their style and their music will still be influencing people in the future.
I always felt that other bands replicated Avalanche Party’s formula and took it to the next level, while Avalanche Party lingered at the fringes of mainstream success. What a frustrating situation that unfolded in the same mould as Milburn and Arctic Monkeys. Milburn was instrumental in enabling them to create such a raw around the edges sound from Sheffield. Arctic Monkeys went on to make it big while Milburn gained cult status. The same could be said of Avalanche Party. Their wild, cinematic rock was volatile, uncompromisingly experimental, innovative and it was replicated.
They were a band who created moments, Jordan Bell stalked the stage like he was possessed by the devil, and their music had a sense of menace which few others could even get near. Others in the past and even now can be seen trying to imitate them is evidence of just how ahead of their time they were as a band. Though never breaking the mainstream, those who witnessed, those who were around them, knew how special they were. Their impact, especially on the underground scene, cannot ever be overstated. There are bands tailored for the mainstream, others create their own in raw, untamed and hugely influential ways that have everything and nothing to do with fame or figures. Avalanche Party were such, and to those deeply affected by their music, their legacy will endure.
Avalanche Party may have disappeared into the shadows, but their legacy will continue to smoulder without a doubt. While the band itself has drawn its final curtain, their influence will reverberate for years to come. The hope now is that this isn’t the end for Jordan Bell. As a frontman, his presence was magnetic, his talent unmistakable. If there’s any justice, we’ll see him emerge again, perhaps in solo projects or new collaborations that allow him to channel that raw energy into something fresh. His artistry is far too singular to be left dormant.
RACHEL BROWN
