Chevelle - Vena Sera
Rating
RIYL
EarshotDeftones
30 Seconds to Mars
Evans Blue
Label
EpicTracklist
1. Antisaint2. Brainiac
3. Saferwaters
4. Well Enough Alone
5. Straight Jacket Fashion
6. The Fad
7. Humanoid
8. Paint the Seconds
9. Midnight to Midnight
10. I Get It
11. Saturdays
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When Chevelle’s first mainstream album, Point #1, was released, they were widely accepted as a profoundly Tool-influenced, yet promising, new band. Of course, as with any band’s first album, some of the flaws or shortcomings will be acknowledged, however, with less regard. A first disc is, after all, generally where the band is still finding its niche, testing the waters, fleshing out, or whatever else you'd like to call it. This is where potential is usually recognized and focused on; it is the following album that determines their true standing with the masses.
The release of Wonder What’s Next, with its slicker production and fine-tuned hooks, solidified a fan base and garnered widespread play on modern/alternative rock radio with its two hits, and a less-received third single. Their third studio album, This Kind of Thinking…(Could Do Us In), saw success with its first single, but nothing like what was achieved with the previous effort. While the album may have polarized some of the newfound fan-base and received mixed reviews, the band succeeded in fleshing out their own sound and taking it to the next level. It appears that between This Kind of Thinking… and their current release, Vena Sera, (in addition to firing their family member bassist), the remaining two members and the one newcomer have revisited their Tool albums and decided that they had strayed a bit too far from what they felt was home.
Vena Sera finds the band returning to their roots: increasing the testosterone for a much heavier, grinding sound. The process of regaining Chevelle’s hard edge credibility, however, has relinquished some of their individuality. The comparisons to Tool and A Perfect Circle songs are simply unavoidable yet again, which is something that had seemed to have died down a little on their last album. It feels as though they’ve also sacrificed a lot of the depth present on This Kind of Thinking…. Gone is the moving urgency of “Still Running”, missing is the desperation in “Bend the Bracket”, and compromised are the gut wrenching screams of “Emotional Drought”. This album even would’ve benefited from something like “Get Some” with its sudden, drastic time changes for added listening variation. In all of its stead is a thinner, crunchy sound with more emphasis put on rock-show posturing than a wholly developed record.
Don’t misunderstand me; this is not to say that the CD doesn’t offer its good points. The guys still know how to write a catchy chorus, and the addition of some new spacey background elements found at points throughout the album provides some added depth. “Straight Jacket Fashion” stands out as a highlight track, as does “I Get It”, “The Fad”, and “Humanoid”. In all honesty, the album offers up a full plate of decent tracks; just not nearly the quality that should, or could have been, expected. Any Chevelle fan will certainly enjoy the album with their worst reaction probably being slight disappointment. People previously on the fence about the band will not find much new to push them in either direction. The album that could have been another stepping stone forward in their career finds them going in circles.
--Jeremy Deal
Comments
Cincinnasty, OH
Dallas, Texas
This crap is so boring.
Austin
The Daily Galaxy
An elephant that never forgets...to kill!
VT
My Top Songs of '09
The Appleseed Cast//as the little things go
Caspian//sycamore
Sunwrae//Chinook Winds
Dredg//down to the seller
If These Trees Could Talk//the sun is in the north
From Monument to Masses//an ounce of prevention
Straylight Run//i'm through with the past
LpShinobi's Post-Rock and Shoegazing Recommendation, via YouTube
Lpshinobi's Post-Rock Band, New Song Posted
Minnesota
I agree. I thought it was a seriously great disc. This Type of Thinking was decent too, in my mind. They just didn't evolve quite as much as I'd hoped on that one.
Find me EVERYWHERE:
Anytown USA
You play to win the game.
Minnesota
Find me EVERYWHERE:
From a couple listens through vena sera, it sounds like (in retrospect) what should have come before This type... it sounds similar overall, but doesn't feel as thought out. I need to get more familiar with it though.
Cincinnati
VT
My Top Songs of '09
The Appleseed Cast//as the little things go
Caspian//sycamore
Sunwrae//Chinook Winds
Dredg//down to the seller
If These Trees Could Talk//the sun is in the north
From Monument to Masses//an ounce of prevention
Straylight Run//i'm through with the past
LpShinobi's Post-Rock and Shoegazing Recommendation, via YouTube
Lpshinobi's Post-Rock Band, New Song Posted
"These are our lives, but did they ever even matter - are we worth remembering?"
- "Tip The Scales"
Rise Against
Anytown USA
You play to win the game.
Spokane, Washington
Current Listenings:
7 Horns 7 Eyes - "Throes of Absolution"
Horse Feathers - "Cynic's New Year"
Andrew Bird - "Break It Yourself"
Sigur Ros - "Valtari"
Rocky Votolato - "Television of Saints"
Janus - "Nox Aeris"
Blues Traveler - "25"
Leeds, England
Decent review. I pretty much agree with it, although, I personally would give it a 3.5/5.
"Any Chevelle fan will certainly enjoy the album with their worst reaction probably being slight disappointment." <-- How I feel really - not bad, but could have been better.
Pennsylvannia
because you take it, want it, need it forever
the more you take the effect gets better
which makes you need it to survive
killing yourself no need for knives