"They Say Freak When You're singled out..."
Written: Oct 07 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: A good handful of songs that can rock your face off, Pete Loeffler's vocals
Cons: Several songs that are a plain bore, Some more diversity in sound would've been better
The Bottom Line: The good outweighs the bad on Chevelle's second hard rock fest. Just don't expect pure greatness.
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| smarterthan3's Full Review: Wonder What's Next by Chevelle |
Chevelle.
Yet another band that I have heard about for years, almost since my introduction to the music world a short 3-4 years ago. A band that eludes me to buying one of their records because seemingly more promising options crop up when the time for a purchase comes. But unlike most bands I'm hesitant to get into to, Chevelle doesn't have a 5 star resume of music for me to say "You can't miss this band". Well...not on this record anyway.
Raised in Chicago, what truly captivated me about Chevelle when I first heard about them is their history, even before the bands conception. Raised in Chicago, the band consists of three brothers. What really wet my appetite to check these guys out is that they were homeschooled, just like myself. Yeah, lame excuse to accept a band as worthwhile, but I fell for it. The guys got their start on the now extinct christian label Squint, and released their debut album, "Point #1" off of that foothold. But after that label sunk into non-existence all of the bands on its rosters were in question about their future. By round-about ways, the brothers ended up on Epic Records, and in 2002 released what is their sophomore album, Wonder What's Next.
Meet the Family Chevelle:
Pete Loeffler: Vocals, Guitar
Joe: Bass, BGV
Sam: Drums
The title of the opening track is no doubt reference to the relation that every member in the band shares. "Family System" is a raw and hard rocking opening act. The haunting strings that open up the song are just decoys to what is to come ahead, as after the short intro the guitar and drums break out of their slump and bang the listener over the head with how thick and clean the whole song can sound. It fairs well, as the collabartion between Pete's force evoking vocals and the heavy instrumentation kick serious musical tail, until the end where Peter forgoes any thought of clear and concise vocal prowess and instead opts for ear grating screams of "Just Grow Up!" until he obviuosly can't take anymore. From the silent cimble tapping of the opening moments of "Comfortable Liar" to the, once again painful, screamed finale, almost any hard rock listener will to some joy in listening to this track. The boys go from hard to soft use of their given instruments quite smoothly, going for hammering throbs of guitar and bass in the verses, while they all quiet down for the chorus so the reformed guitar can play a darker, slower tune against Pete's elevated vocals. Pete relents against the deceitful individual who is having no problem being that way in the lyrics: "My Take On You Is Simple...So Heal Your Fear / You're Such A Comfortable Liar"
Through the first three tracks, you can see the painfully obvious realization that the intricitacy that each track has is quickly vanishing as the disc continues. "Family System" was very good, "Comfortable Liar" was pretty good, and now "Send The Pain Below" turns out to be an only slightly average track, that is saved from drudgery only by Pete's vocals. The whole musical premise seems to borrow elements from the first two songs and although that may sound appealing, it isn't quite that. But getting the album right back on track is the next song, which is easily the best on the album; "Closure". The song has a remorseful coating spread over the soft moment and the electric guitar that does a decent imitation of an acoustic. The edgy verses deal with Pete's desperate need for closure to deal with whatever circumstance, but who can't quite seem to reach it. "Like A Leech I Hold On, As If We Belonged, To Some Precious Pure Dream" Pete snarls at his invisible thorn in his side (Which from the sound of it is himself), "Cast off, You've Seen What's Beneath. Now Fail Me". The best song the disc has to offer, and better then it first appears.
One thing the disc had going for it during its days of trying to draw people into purchasing it is that it has great oppurunities for singles to be released to radio. "The Red" is one such single and also the video for the album. In explaining the meaning of the song, Pete says the reference to the color red is our unability to control our anger ("Lay Down...The Threat is Real / When his sight goes red again. Seeing red again...."). Joe's bass not only offers up a solid groundwork for the footing of the song, he also makes good use of his vocals as they back up his brothers during the soaring chorus. The aggression is kept in check during the entrie song, until the end where Pete lets loose some yells (Thankfully not screaming) as he hands out decently sized riffs off his guitar to the listener.
Most title tracks are give and take, and you can bother enough to give the one from this disc away. "Wonder What's Next" is at first a heavy music treat. The guitar opens up aggresively before serving out a heavy guitar solo that is thick enough to cut through. Where it really fails is in the lyrical redundancy, and it gets downright ridicolous. Pete does offer up a noteable speech of sorts about how love for music is being displaced by the love for money instead by those who control bands futures in their hands. It's just too bad after he gets done talking that he lets loose on a 2 minute shouting parade of "We Play The Blaming Game. Yes, I Mind...It's Not Your Turn" until the song comes apart at the seams and collapses. "Don't Fake this" is a lyrical point paralell to the one found in "The Red". It's not quite as good as the previously mentioned track, but appealing in its own way with a fidgety guitar underlying Pete's cryptic sense of lyric and vocal presentation. "Forfeit" bares a guitar almost alike he one featured in the previous song, which makes for a slight De-Ja-Vu, which slowly takes away from the whole song. There isn't too much here to miss though, besides Pete's once again obviously agitated and negative vocals and mindset. The ending is semi-climatic, but bears nothing noteworthy, and the song just drones on after the first listen of it wears off.
"An Evening With el Diablo" latched onto my curiousity just for the title, but it hardly delivers. A few well chosen spots to rock out in between sober verses keep you awake amidst the sleep deprived sound of Pete toying around on his guitar, and vocals. The lyrics seem to be dealing with Pete or another individuals close brush and struggle with temptation, and for all intents and purposes, it could have worked. But it's quite dry. Although predictable and not ultra-stunning, "One Lonely Visitor" serves as a fitting end note for the entire album. The song is stripped right down to a downtrodden acoustic guitar. Add that along with unadultered sung vocals, and you've got yourself a typical closer for a hard rock/nu-metal album. But to the guys credit, this one has a very nice overall vibe. Even though the lyrical picture is hardly enlightening, it's probably the closest you'll get as far as a vibe of optimism goes. "Am I Alone In Here?" is Pete's redundant thought after he is apparently left alone after a breakup with a girl. My favorite part of the song comes on the bridge where Pete loses his composure and starts shouting for conflicting reasons. It's quite well done, even if the idea of a rock band tagging a ballad on at the end of LP's is cliche.
The first time I actually heard about Chevelle, besides from seeing them amongst a hundred other bands in a store, was at a camp I attended thre or so years ago. It was a simple conversation with an individual that somehow asked me a question about Chevelle, that I answered to the best of my ability. But the name of the band became implanted in the back of my mind, and continualy gnawed at me, until I picked up this record. Would I advise you to do the same? Well, if you're a fan of hard rock or the broad spectrum of nu-metal, I don't think you could go too wrong with this, though no doubt that their latest release, "This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In)", blows this one out of the water, but I haven't heard enough of it to give a firm recommendation. It's a good record, and rock fans will eat about two-thirds of it up, and fall asleep to the other third. But the odds are in its favor.
Final Rating: 3 1/2 Stars
Track Listing:
Family System
Comfortable Liar
Send the Pain Below
Closure
The Red
Wonder What's Next
Don't Fake This
Forfeit
Grab Thy Hand
An Evening With el Diablo
One Lonely Visitor
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Exercising
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Epinions.com ID:
smarterthan3
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Member: Jim
Reviews written: 194
Trusted by: 53 members
About Me:
If I was worth dying for, this God is worth living for
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