for the band, family, friends and fans – one big gang." Caruana wrote the lyrics and guitarist Mike Ireland wrote the music for "Holy Fuck", "Amsterdam", "I'll Be Back Around" and "Gratitude"; Caruana wrote the music for the remaining songs. Anthony Raneri of Bayside arranged "I'll Be Back Around" and "Dead Friends". Caruana's voice emulated the vocal style he used on The Movielife's This Time Next Year (2000). The opening track "Holy Fuck" is an aggressive pop punk song about Caruana's divorce. The next songs, "Brooklyn Dodgers" and "Amsterdam" come across as a mix between the Gaslight Anthem and the Ramones. "Brooklyn Dodgers" is dedicated to what Caruana dubbed the "real New York". Caruana wrote it in an apartment he shared with bassist Kellen Robson in Queens, New York. "Amsterdam" tells of the band's experiences in the Netherlands while being on drugs. "I'll Be Back Around" sees Caruana dealing with anxiety disorder. "Is This Really Happening?" is Caruana's first love song, and is followed by "This One's on Me", a drinking song. "Dead Friends" is about dying young and not living life to its fullest potential. Caruana said "You've Got Spiders" was written about "little weasels who try to scratch their way into our lives". "The Grave Digger's Argument" is about a gravedigger coming to terms that the only way to be rid of his wife is to bury her in his backyard. It recalled the work of Lifetime, and features a vocal appearance from Raneri. "Casey's Song" is about Caruana's friend of the same name who commands large boats. With "The Place You Love is Gone", Caruana said: "We, as people, take everything for granted. ... Sometimes a life-changing thing will happen and wake you up." "Gratitude" is dedicated to the band's fans, family members and friends for their support. The song ends with a group chant of the album's title. Release "Holy Fuck" was made available for streaming on August 22, 2011, and released as a single the following day. On September 7, the track listing for Avalanche United was posted online. "Brooklyn Dodgers" was made available for streaming on September 12 and released as a single the following day. The song was available for free download through the band's Facebook page. "Amsterdam" was made available for streaming on September 28. Avalanche United was made available for streaming on October 6, before being released in the US on