“We just play Aussie rock,” they say matter-of-factly. “No frills, no ballads. Just straight-up hard rock as it should be.”

Although Armed To The Teeth is technically their debut album, Avalanche have been grinding away for eight years. The band, built around married duo Steven and Veronica Campbell, cut their teeth the traditional way: relentless gigging. “For five or six years we were doing 100-plus gigs a year,” they explain. “Any pub you can name along the East Coast, we’ve probably played it.”

The record itself took two years to complete, but in reality it represents everything the band has been building since day one. “It’s literally all our blood, sweat and tears,” Steven says. Working with producer Steve James — known for his work with Australian rock royalty — was a first for the band, but the mission remained clear: capture the essence of classic Aussie pub rock without compromise. “For this first one, we wanted to encapsulate that classic sound,” they explain. “That gives us a platform we can grow from.”

Comparisons to AC/DC or Rose Tattoo don’t intimidate them — they embrace the lineage. At the same time, they’re conscious of adding their own generational stamp. “We’re in our twenties,” they say. “We’re always going to put our own spin on it.”

While Avalanche openly describe themselves as a party band, there’s more beneath the surface than beer-soaked choruses. Several tracks reflect the grind of full-time jobs, financial pressure and working-class frustration — themes they know all too well. “All of us were working full-time while writing this,” they explain. “You go to work all day, then straight to rehearsal or a gig. It’s a grind.” Steven himself spent six years roofing in the unforgiving Australian sun. “If you’re going to sing about being working class, you kind of have to be working class,” he says. “The more genuine a band is, the more the message comes across.” They call their audience “the Aussie battlers” — the high-vis crowd grabbing a beer after work. But interestingly, they’ve discovered that spirit translates globally. Touring Japan revealed a similar culture of hard work followed by loud release. “It translates everywhere in one way or another,” they note.

The upcoming European tour, however, feels like a true milestone. Not only because it’s their first time on the continent, but because of who they’re doing it with. Airbourne frontman Joel O’Keeffe personally championed the title track — and ultimately convinced them to name the album after it. “We actually weren’t going to call it Armed To The Teeth,” they admit. “Joel told us we had to.” For Veronica, the moment carried extra weight. “I wrote the main riff when I was about sixteen, just learning guitar and playing AC/DC and Airbourne songs,” she says. “So hearing that from him was huge.” Beyond the endorsement, what struck them most was Airbourne’s support. “They just want to champion good rock,” Avalanche say. “And we’re glad they think we’re good rock.”

Now, with their debut finally ready to travel, Avalanche see Europe not just as a tour stop, but as potential second home territory. “We’d love to make it another home for the band.”

After eight years of grinding it out in pubs, juggling day jobs and pouring everything into their craft, ‘Armed To The Teeth’ feels less like a beginning and more like a declaration. “It’s for the Aussie battlers,” they say simply. And soon, Europe will find out exactly what that means.

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