Domingo 27 Ene 2013, 1:04

CHEVELLE

I own:
All albums minus the two live albums they have released (but I do have their greatest hits album, Stray Arrows)

Listed in order of overall preference:

6. Sci-Fi Crimes———- In my opinion, Chevelle can’t come out with a bad album. They are very consistent and that is very important to me in a band. While this one is really good, and it used to be my favorite (Sometimes my favorite changes), it’s just not quite as outstanding as the rest. Mainly I think that Jars is overplayed to me and no other track really stands out like songs on the other albums do. No complaints though, still enjoy listening to this one.
(Though I love probably almost every song on every album I decided to pick a low point too. It doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the song. And I’m not one of those lame people that can’t appreciate acoustic songs, just the other songs are so awesome it’s hard to pick and be fair haha.)

Highest Point/Lowest Point:
A New Momentum/Highlands Apparition

5. Vena Sera———-It’s not really my fault that I couldn’t get into this one as much as some of the others. You see, I got most of these albums from my friends’ music libraries and some of the songs wouldn’t download correctly on my computer, so it took me forever to even just have the album in its entirety. Anyway though, I still think it’s a great album so I don’t have much negative to say about it except some of the songs seem like they might be trying too hard. For some reason some of them give me a forced feeling (ahem cough, cough the fad). But really it’s probably just a silly matter of taste. I do love the album though, particularly the songs Brainiac, I Get It, and Humanoid.

Highest Point/Lowest Point:
Humanoid/Paint the Seconds

4. This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)———-I used to not like this one as much as some, but now I find myself going back to it time and time again. Even though emotional drought is really cool in theory, I think I listened to it too much or something and got tired of it. I really like most of the songs but sometimes it occurs to me that the build up to some Chevelle songs is better than what it’s actually building up to (Does that make any sense? I feel that way about the Clincher even though I love it.) My favorite is probably Vitamin R (Leading Us Along). The whole feel of the album is just pretty cool and kind of heavy so I dig it.

Highest Point/Lowest Point:
The Clincher/To Return

3. Hats Off to the Bull———-In a word, listenable. Take that how you want, but I think it can be a good thing. While I don’t think of this album as particularly heavy in comparison to the others (piñata being the heaviest I think), once I listen to one song off this album I have to listen to almost all the rest. Because it’s not too hardcore or anything, you can listen to it in basically any mood which is great. Chevelle has this weird way of making you feel like you’ve conquered something after listening to their songs, whether it be external or internal opposition you’ve conquered, like they are on your side helping you or something haha. It’s kind of dorky I know, but I feel like that after hearing this album. Also it’s the one I always listen to in the car if I’m with my parents because it’s the one they are least likely to throw a fit about having to listen to. Haha.

Highest Point/Lowest Point:
Revenge/Prima Donna (Lol I keep putting acoustic sounding songs as the lowest point, I feel bad ha.)

2. Point #1———-Ahhh Point #1. I’m always a big fan of band’s first albums and this one is worthy of appreciation. I’ve heard some stuff that makes me think they aren’t particularly fond of this effort or are maybe even embarrassed of it or something, even saying I think something about the production and how it accidentally sounded like an “indie” album. (It’s on a different record label or something so maybe that in some way leads me to think that. For instance, it wasn’t on their greatest hits album stray arrows.) I remember from the second I heard the beginning of Open/Point #1 I was hooked. Skeptic sounds like Pearl Jam to me (just the guitar at the beginning I guess?) Dos is probably my favorite song by them overall because it means a lot to me. And Sma is up there with my favorites on the album if not just plain favorites of Chevelle because just listen to that guitar it is freaking awesome. And his vocals are so passionate. Plus, I have a thing for researching bands and finding the albums from before they made it big. This one doesn’t disappoint.

Highest Point/Lowest Point:
Dos/Anticipation

1. Wonder What’s Next———-It’s, in my opinion, their heaviest album to date. While I often fear receiving flack for liking this one the best since it’s arguably their most successful release (It spawned the well-known hits Send the Pain Below and also the Red) after listening to them all, this is my favorite. I really don’t think they will ever top it, but that’s okay.
Highest Point/Lowest Point:
Don’t Fake This/An Evening With El Diablo

On Comparisons with Tool/General Hate/In Conclusion:

I heard of Tool way before Chevelle. Of course I instantly liked the singles I heard. (They are undeniably cool). I respect that Tool influenced a lot of good bands (Chevelle being one of them). But for me, I was never able to get into Tool much really. I think they are one of the most pretentious bands ever and the frontman carried that same pretentiousness into A Perfect Circle too. If you don’t have a feel for a band and just don’t connect with them, you just don’t.
I realize they are in a similar/the same genre kind of. But why soooo many comparisons? Anytime you look up Chevelle on youtube or anything there’s always a discussion going on about which one is better blah blah blah. Even if they did sound a lot like Tool and weren’t original at all (I think they are, but just hypothetically), they are still in my opinion one of the best bands that’s still putting out music so why discourage them in any way? Anyways, I get tired of talking about this so I’m going to stop now. (However I don’t mind them being compared to deftones because I love them and I think that’s an awesome compliment.)
Everyone has their own taste or whatever, but to me, anyone that hates them either simply doesn’t like this type of music, or is a huge idiot. In my opinion they stand out amongst their contemporaries. Other hard rock bands that still put out music either fall too much in the post-grunge genre for my taste (Three Days Grace, Staind, Seether) and I think they kind of suck, or just sound kind of like a boy band vocal set to a heavy guitar sound. (Crossfade, Saosin, Trapt) They lack inspiration lyrically and leave a lot to be desired. But Chevelle strike me for lack of a better word, sophisticated, or mature (but in a good way).

Moreover, they are very consistent. I’ve heard some people complain about them not changing their style, but me, I’ve experienced musical heartbreak when a band I liked went to crap. Then you have to deal with those stupid fans that only like their “new” sound, feeling like a bad fan because you just don’t enjoy the music anymore, feeling like you have to defend your band but also feeling embarrassed because even you realize that they suck now, feeling like you should try to open-minded, the whole thing. I know everything is a matter of taste or whatever, but I don’t even think bands are just changing and growing. I think that’s just an excuse people use to justify their bands when it’s happened to them. Bands don’t usually change their style for the better, like ever. They just start sucking eventually. But I appreciate Chevelle because even what, 12 or so years after releasing Point #1, Hats Off to The Bull doesn’t disappoint. Now that’s remarkable. If they keep on the same course to me they are on their way to becoming a classic.

Chevelle
point #1
Wonder What's NextThis Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)Vena SeraSci-fi CrimesHats Off to the Bull