AVOID Pulls back the curtain in new EP "Creature of Habit"
AVOID, an explosive four-piece band out of Seattle, WA has developed a reputation for their high energy and wild live performances. With a music style that brings the party to metalcore, they have amassed over 118k monthly listeners with success across the globe. Following their first ever EU / UK run, the band has been touring for the better part of this year. With such success it’s only fair to realize that the high life may not all be singing on bartops and flashing lights. With “Creature of Habit” AVOID is offering a level of vulnerability about how success is often a double-edged sword.
“Sour Apple”, which released on October 24 of this year has hit over 100k streams to date. Lyrically it’s a bitter spiral of negative thinking and regret. Benny Scholl’s vocals are filtered in a way that they come across as gritty and warped. Every line has a solid punch behind it.The guitar and drums are relentless with tons of blast beats and glitched out riffs. Instead of slowing into the breakdown, the song seems to run right to it with Benny screaming until it all comes to a head. It’s intense and dramatic and makes for a wonderful opener to the EP.
The accompanying music video features the band playing on a speeding train. Flashing lights as they race past blurred scenery. It lands as a well done metaphor for the endless ride of stardom.
Watch the “Sour Apple” music video below:
That energy immediately slows in the opening of “Song of the Summer”. Getting to experience Chris Echols (guitar) and Travis Moseley (of Colorblind) on vocals adds even more. It’s bittersweet, with each person bringing their own flair. The echoing effects give it the perfect overcast of nostalgia.The tempo does ramp up pretty quickly with thrumming guitar solos and a breakbeat pace to the drums.
"'Song of the Summer' is one of my favorite songs we've ever done," says singer Benny Scholl. "It has Chris doing vocals in the first verse and our good friend Travis on the second verse. This is the first time we've ever had three prominent vocalists featured throughout the track, and a song in this vein is something we've always wanted to do!"
“Over Now“ injects some of the usual AVOID humor by starting with a raw unplugged guitar and vocal joke. The track is full of frustration and exhaustion that leads to a ferocious vibe. Paul Jaton on the drums takes the lead instrumentally with the drums constantly keeping an exhausting pace, just like the band. The entire tone being the precursor to a breakdown. It helps that this song has an epic breakdown complete with an eagle (yes, I know technically it’s a hawk, but for the sake of argument) screech. It’s after this breakdown that Chris Echols and Nick Olson absolutely bring it on guitar, going into this classic metal inspired piece to close things out. The track ends on another “blink and you’ll miss it" joke at the end that calls out the eagle screech moment that’s worth at least a chuckle as well.
"Burn" which debuted in 2024, brings a much darker feeling to things. Fully accepting the self immolation of burnout. An addiction to a life that’s unsustainable. The guitar is chugging and low while the drums bang out these heavy hits. Even the synth takes on a sinister and predatory tone. Put together this song feels like a final stand before the end.
The final original song on this EP is “If It Hurts”, a song that brings that perfect finale drama. The instrumentals are screeching and loud. The electronic sections have a higher pitch that almost comes across as humming in the background. It has everything from isolated vocal sections to a dance break to heartwrenching screams of “I just wanna drown myself”. It comes with all of the power that AVOID has as a band. It’s a culmination of all of the feelings expressed throughout the EP creating a sensational end. It’s also a personal favorite of mine.
The last track on this EP is a cover of “Song 2” by Blur, the widely known classic getting a new spin. It’s kind of a funny way to end such a raw EP but also makes sense in terms of intense lyrics with an uptempo vibe. It kind of brings listeners back to the party, like the encore for a live show. Putting a flashy bow to close it all out.
Currently, AVOID is not slowing the party at all. They’ve just started a US tour with Belmont that will be crossing states until mid-December. Then they’ll be touring Australia with Bloom in the new year. Hopefully that comes with some breaks to recharge, but the excitement following this new release is palpable. Catch them wherever you can, I guarantee it’ll be a time to remember.
