Chevelle
La Gargola
(April 1st, 2014)
Epic
Three piece alt-metal outfit Chevelle has their formula down pat by now. Seven albums into their career and they have managed to carve out that place in the music pantheon of being commercially accessible enough to get that sweet, sweet radio play (and the revenue stream that comes with it. Even if it does mean you’re forced to co-headline with Shinedown for all eternity), but still having enough creative juice in their song crafting to offer something more challenging.
And their cool blend of atmospheric guitar effects and unconventional song structures, married with growling, aggressive metal riffs, continues to work for them on La Gargola. (I’ll spare you the Google search. It’s Spanish for “the Gargoyle.” And, no, this is never referenced again.)
The downside to having a formulaic sound, however, is that over time it becomes just that: formulaic. Chevelle may be as inspired as ever on La Gargola, but you can’t tell with a few of their track choices here. It’s almost as if nailed to a studio wall somewhere was the ABC’s of how to replicate the Chevelle sound effortlessly; churn out the same few chugging guitar lines, lay down a few pedals, turn a few studio nobs for that layered effect, then let Pete Loeffler do his thing on the vocals.
The band knows it and he knows it. Loeffler’s trademark vocals are the most standout element about this band and, on some of the more lacking tracks, literally the only thing worth listening to. He invokes a unique mix of Maynard James Keenan’s paper-thin whisper with his own rough-around-the-edges croon to create some truly enjoyable moments even when the music itself gets repetitive.
And speaking of Tool, the homages to the band of brother’s biggest influence is as strong as ever here, especially on the album’s single “Take Out The Gunman.” Everything from the minimalist, precision-heavy intro to the sudden spike in sound pre-chorus invokes the Tool song “Stinkfist.” But as far as homages go, it’s a damn good one. The weird harpsichord-backed intro to the album opener “Ouija Board” gives way to an aggressive, chaotic romp, showcasing some real finesse from the lads.
But after expending all of their ideas on these two songs, the rhythms settle into a much too comfortable and forgettable groove. ”Jawbreaker” sports the brilliant Pete Loeffler vocal performance (the clenched-teeth whispering he pulls out on the verse “Took the day out/at least a part of it,” before rocketing it back up to the chorus, needs to be heard to be believed).
But, outside of that, a good many of the tracks stick close to the alt-metal milkshake of the winning Chevelle formula, never varying too far from just chugging along.
Two great highlights thankful to break up the affair are the atmospheric, pedal-guitar heavy, “One Ocean,” the “ballad” of sorts on this album, and the similarly moody “Twinge.”
If there’s anything to complain about with La Gargola, it’s that while it sounds like a competent, complete album, it doesn’t really sound like a step forward. Granted though, if this happens to be Chevelle’s musical ceiling there are far worse places to be.
Grade: B+
Verdict: This serviceable album shows Chevelle knows a winning formula when they hear it; and they’re not budging from it any time soon.
