Chevelle
Three brothers from Chicago start a group and before long are playing parties, outdoor events and clubs, even though the bass player is only fourteen. They land a record deal, get a big name producer, Steve Albini, for their debut and take their act national. Sounds like the Hanson story but it's actually Chevelle.
Pete (guitar/vocals), Joe (bass) and Sam (drums) Loeffler formed Chevelle in '95 plying a sound that contained soft passages but relied on a thunderous raw Metal guitar to drive the songs home.
"Point #1" with the potent title track was released in '99. Three years later, "Wonder What's Next" answered its own question.
As a reflection of Chevelle's extensive touring "Live From The Road" arrived in '03. That was followed by their third full-length studio effort, "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)." Chevelle hit the road again, this time opening for Disturbed. They showed up on Disturbed's "Music As A Weapon II" CD/DVD." Recorded on the Chicago stop, the '04 release also featured songs from fellow touring partner, Taproot.
After Chevelle headlined the SnoCore 2005 Tour there was the announcement that Joe would not be on the summer tour because he wanted to take "a break to be home with family." Once Joe announced he was looking for another gig, the band admitted that he had been sacked due to "irreconcilable differences." Chevelle took the opportunity to add that they planned to continue. And continue they did. Chevelle, along with Trapt, toured the U.S. supporting Nickelback. And keeping it in the family, Chevelle toured with bassist Dean Bernardini, Pete and Sam's brother-in-law.
Chevelle's '07 effort, "Vena Sera" with "Well Enough Alone," landed in April. "We did take some risks on (the album), more so than we have in the past," said Pete. "(But) it has those big, chorus-y hooks which have been a staple in what we do for so long now." Sam added, "I can say that I love these songs . . . and that's good because I have to play them for a long time."
So what does "Vena Sera" mean? "It's Latin and it's two words that sort of don't necessarily go together, but basically it means 'vein liquid,'" explained Sam. "It sounds good and it's certainly a little bit morbid, and I like that a lot."
"Vena Sera" landed at #12 on the Billboard 200 selling 62,00 copies in its first week. Lead single "Well Enough Alone," a song written about Joe's departure, did well on the Mainstream Rock Chart (peaked at #4). To help promote the song (and album), Chevelle teamed up with renowned horror-flick director Wes Craven for a contest in which fans created their own video for the track.
While touring in support of the album, the band's equipment trailer was stolen in Fort Worth. Some of the gear did find its way back to the band thanks to an online post asking fans to keep an eye out and report any suspicious sales. "Of the 14 guitars, we got two of 'em, and then we got some amplifiers back and our monitor system," said Sam. "So it's really, I mean it's cool because it's kind of like Christmas, only really weird. People have been calling us and saying, 'Hey, I bought this or that', and you know, we're just doing our best to buy it back from them."
In February, '09, word arrived that Chevelle was in Nashville with producer Brian Virtue (Jane's Addiction, Deftones) working on their fifth studio album (with a lot of new equipment). "We have spent a lot of time making these songs something different from past records, without losing the core of our passion," said Sam. "We are a Hard-Rock, melodic band and it's still what drives us as musicians." A few months later, just prior to the September, '09, release of "Sci-Fi Crimes," Sam had this to say. "We wanted to do a record that was more true to what our live sound is like. We wanted to go in the studio and play the tracks and just record them and not make a perfect record the way I think a lot of our [previous] records... have been made."
Chevelle's major label debut "Point #1" features "Prove To You" and ranges from sensitive ballads to full-on Metal - a little something for everyone. "Wonder What's Next" rolls down the same road but with a more confident approach. The album's three best Rockers, the title track, "Family System" and "Comfortable Liar" have individual characteristics.
"Wonder What's Next" features intense guitars and throat ripping vocals while "Family System" leans on a straight-ahead approach with desperate half-sung vocals. "Comfortable Liar" is more brooding. It's a good mix. The rough textured ballad "The Red" and "Don't Fake This" are other highpoints. "Don't Fake This" starts slow before giving way to good old slashing distorted Tool-ish guitar. Yeah.
"This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)" is another dense guitar heavy album with dark, brooding themes and the plodding rhythmic punch to match. The epic vocals are meant to convey power and force. And for the most part they do. "Still Running" stands out and so does, oddly enough, the acoustic ballad "Panic Prone."
"Vena Sera" has a greater emphasis on melody, tighter song structure - more economical - and tight riffs. The single, "Well Enough Alone" is accessible rage while "Midnight To Midnight" has a relentless, driving chorus. "Antisaint," with processed vocals, "Straight Jacket Fashion," "I Get It" and "Saturdays" nail it.
"Sci-Fi Crimes" is a hit and miss effort. The good news is they are never really far off the mark.
For all the dark churning in "Sleep Apnea" or drama that permeates "Mexican Sun," it's "Shameful Metaphors" that jumps out. "Letter From A Thief" and "Roswell's Spell" also grab attention. And surprisingly two ballads, "Fell Into Your Shoes" and the acoustic "Highland Apparition" are keepers due largely to the evocative vocals.