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The Sound of Fury
By bukkhead | July 3, 2007
CD REVIEW: ‘VENA SERA’
Artist: Chevelle
Produced and Mixed by Michael “Elvis” Baskette
Record Company: Sony BMG/Epic
Chevelle is hard rock stripped down and rebuilt on riffless lead guitar, heavy fuzz on the reverb, and a driving percussion underscored by coffin-lid bass. Vocals on top are either screaming or lyrical, less melodic and more punctuated by emotional intensity. Chevelle can be dropped into the genre of your choice: hard, modern, grunge, even punk if you’re so inclined. But their unique sound, hard to capture in black and white, is nevertheless immediately recognizable by fans and new listeners alike.
From their debut album to their present offering, Chevelle have definitely matured, which is not to detract from the angry intensity and unrelenting emotion of their earlier works. But Vena Sera showcases a Chevelle that has become more confidant, more controlled, more willing to move outside their comfort zone, incorporating new elements in their sound that become as familiar as Pete Loeffler’s rhythm work and plaintive voice.
Comparing Chevelle’s albums to each other is an exercise in exploring the nuanced difference between synonyms. Their first album, Point #1, was simply angry; Wonder What’s Next is possessed of the more poetic sounding enmity; This Kind of Thinking (Could Do Us In) is a display of wild rage, and Vena Sera brings the controlled chaos of out-and-out fury. Pete maintains the simple force of his heavy rhythm-style lead guitar, but has added more variation to the sound, though still not bothering with guitar solos or any kind of riff work . Probably more telling is the difference in Sam Loeffler’s drums: sharper, both in precision and sound. Songs that don’t ride the hi-hat as much push their energy from the unrelenting snare partnered by the bass drum, featuring double and triple bass triggers that add an intensity to an already intense sound.
I’m not going to speak to the content of the lyrics themselves, since that’s too subjective, and frankly, I don’t pay much attention to words (unless I’m in the mood for some kind of sophomoric exposition). I will speak to a few individual songs, however. The first single, “Well Enough Alone,” has an almost anthem-like sound, and is an appropriate introduction to Chevelle’s new-found musical confidence. “I Get It,” the second single, starts off more like the whine-rock that has dominated the alt charts for the last few years, but quickly becomes recognizable Chevelle. In my estimation, “Brainiac” is the most pop-friendly song and could become their signature piece—encompassing exactly what Vena Sera achieves above and beyond Chevelle’s earlier albums.
Simply put, Chevelle fans won’t be in the least disappointed by record number four, and most if not all will be excited by what they hear. And while liking this album doesn’t in the least require familiarity with their earlier work, those who know and like their other three albums will recognize new layers that add dimensions to Chevelle’s sound. This is a band that has taken what they have already perfected, and found a way to expand it without breaking that perfection. I wonder what’s next, indeed.
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