[1] 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".

[9] 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.

[10] 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.

[10] In a review of the album for the Alternative Press, Tom Bryant proposed that the lyrics and the music juxtapose with one another, describing the song as "melancholy, epic and uplifting all at once: "I feel like suicide," Sykes sings, but the swelling synths behind him seem to say, "Oh, cheer up.

[15] Loudwire's Chad Childers outlined that the video "features a mix of day and night shots, with the evening performances giving viewers a glimpse of the light wall that typically backs the band onstage.

Andy Biddulph of Rock Sound praised "Avalanche" as a "string-laden, wistful ballad", claiming that it is "ready-made for pyro blasts and sold-out arenas".

[13] Amy Gravelle from Gigwise compared it to Bullet for My Valentine for its "weary guitar licks" and "choral build ups", but criticised its "mainstream blunder", calling it a "disappointing lull".