Instead of a young band trying to make a name for themselves, I Am The Avalanche brings together musicians who have already worked all of the kinks out of their music to create a band that brings some of the best new music to stage. Lead singer and songwriter Vinnie Caruana was previously of the band Movielife, and Movielife's breakup in 2003 eventually led to the creation of I Am The Avalanche. Caruana had a wake-up call after Movielife ended, working in the construction industry in Brooklyn instead of playing in front of a crowd. After a time of soul searching, he decided to form another band.

He added guitarist Brandon Swanson, previously of Further Seems Forever, Scraps and Heart Attacks bassist Kellen Robson, guitarist Michael Ireland and drummer Brett Romnes, formerly of Reservoir. The band brings in elements of both screamo and emo styles into their music. Caruana started writing music from personal experience, including a tough breakup. They released a couple of demos and soon had a deal with Drive-Thru Records in 2005. They teamed up with Foo Fighters producer Barrett Jones to release their first album. They dropped their self-titled debut in fall of 2005 to much critical acclaim.

Each track on the album shows a different aspect of this group, with influences ranging from power pop to reggae. One of the most powerful songs on the album is "Dead and Gone," the song that Caruana wrote about his tough breakup. I Am The Avalanche started gigging to support the release, gaining a stellar reputation as a live show, and the live performances also included performances at top festivals, sharing stages with the likes on Nine Inch Nails, Hellogoodbye and Anberlin. On top of touring, the band also started working on new material for a follow up release.