Avalanche

"Avalanche" is a song by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Produced by keyboardist Jordan Fish and vocalist Oliver Sykes, it was featured on the band's 2015 fifth studio album That's the Spirit. The song was also released as the sixth single from the album on 27 June 2016, reaching number 97 on the UK Singles Chart and number seven on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart. Promotion and release The first preview of "Avalanche" was released on 31 August 2015 in the form of a 30-second teaser trailer, alongside another for the song "What You Need". The full song was premiered on Annie Mac's show on BBC Radio 1 on 9 September, two days before the release of That's the Spirit. "Avalanche" was not performed live until 22 April 2016, when it received its live debut (along with That's the Spirit closing track "Oh No") at the band's landmark performance at the Royal Albert Hall with the Parallax Orchestra, which was recorded for December's Live at the Royal Albert Hall release. Since this show, the song has made several appearances in the band's live set lists. Composition and lyrics According to Bring Me the Horizon vocalist Oliver Sykes, "Avalanche" is the band's attempt at creating "a stadium-sounding anthem" in the vein of bands such as U2. Keyboardist Jordan Fish echoed the influence of 1980s "arena rock" on the song, which Sykes claimed was not intended merely for the purposes of "getting big". Rock Sound writer Andy Biddulph described the song as featuring "rumbling, widescreen rock" and "powerful lyrics", compared its style to that of Linkin Park, particularly in terms of its "huge, open chords and Oli's raking vocal performance". David Renshaw of the NME noted the song's "singalong choruses and driving, expansive production", comparing it in these respects to "Throne". Lyrically, "Avalanche" is a song about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with which Sykes was diagnosed prior to the release of That's the Spirit. Identifying the diagnosis as a factor in his recovery from drug addiction, the vocalist noted the lyric "Cut me open and tell me what's inside" as indicative of his headspace at the time of writing the song.