I didn't run away screaming from it but it's not really my thing either. For me the references are the swollen sound of Muse, the heaviness of Tool, the nu-metal link with Deftones and the prog atmosphere of a band like Dream Theater, all bands which I don't really like. I don't really find any effort to sound original either: everything sounds like I heard it all before and btw hasn't anyone noticed that the line 'I'm On My Way To Mars' in Mars Simula sounds just like 'I'm Afraid Of Americans' from Bowie.
Not an album for my 2021 year chart.
I've always liked Chevell, but never enough to make sure I was up to date with everything in the midst everything else I've got going on. Saw them in '15 as an opener for Disturbed and it was a great show. Sounds like it's time for me to have a new listen.
Chevelle have always and I mean always wanted to be the Deftones really bad. This album is obviously not different; as I said, this is their most complete album and not just a collection of songs. Not sure where the "not original" comments are coming from, but despite wearing their influences on their sleeves Chevelle does manage to be pretty inventive here. Beyond that, outside of the Deftones themselves you won't hear this brand of alt metal being done quite as well as it is done here anywhere else.
Highlights are the Tool-drenched "Peach", some of the coolest alt metal guitar-work this side of Deftones and Helmet in "Piistol Star (Gravity Heals)", the Deftones worship of "So Long, Mother Earth" and obviously "Mars Simula".
I'm not big on the Muse comparisons but there are some guitar flourishes and textures that do sound like Origin of Symmetry Era Muse so I guess I can see where the comparison is coming from.
Admittedly I really loved their 2000s singles, but somehow never cared to listen to albums.
Heard this was good, so checked it, and it's solid from A to Z. Great pick Gowi!
yeah, i went through a brief chevelle phase back in the day, mostly because that's what my friends were into, but i've got fond memories of them nonetheless. i legit enjoyed the red, vitamin r, and send the pain below. my friend bryan and his best mate russel were trying to put together a chevelle mimicry act at some point... don't think anything ever came of that.
so album listening club, i put this record on a bit ago, but to my chagrin, i just couldn't make it through. call it getting old or having a lawn to chase children off of... i managed through the album up to peach before i scurried off into chanson. for what it's worth, this sounds like a pretty good metal record if that's what you're into... i'm just not into the whole metal thing at this point in my life.
Hey that's my line!
I'm typically the metal meh guy... I think that's what made me like this record a bit more, I typically like the first 60 seconds of a metal record and then minus maybe 10-15 metal records, all the rest just bore the hell out of me.
This album broke that mold for me. Could've been my mood at the time... dunno.
The idea of listening to this has me screaming in terror, but I' ll try my best to at least give it a try.
Ok, I listened to it three times (!!) and lived to tell the tale. A welcome change of pace compared to everything else I'm listening to nowadays - or ever, who am I kidding.
Not that I am familiar with the rest of their discography, but what was immediately striking here was how the interludes plus their bombastic -without being inaccessibly heavy, the melodies are there - sound and of course the lyrical content did fit really well with the overall sci-fi/space theme and gave the impression of a highly cohesive, almost concept album. Much better than my intuition suggested, though clearly behind Magic Mirror and Takaisin as far as Gowi's picks go, I can think of at least 3 ALC nominations I'd rank below this. Cool stuff.
That's gotta be some of the best album artwork I've ever seen. Major Ralph McQuarrie (Star Wars) vibes.
all i get is city of ass vibes
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
i'll keep from making a cheapshot "buttrock" joke... for now
as for the music itself, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Still wasn't really my cup of tea, but interestingly I kind of enjoyed this quite a bit more than some of their clear influences. Like this shit is way better than Dream Theater or Tool, although perhaps not quite as good as deftones (I am using these terms relatively, can't say I'm terribly fond of any of the bands mentioned here, but I hate none of them sans DT I guess. ok and Tool). Anyway, this is one of those albums where I feel like it accomplished exactly what the musicians set out to do and I respect the tightness of the whole ordeal, but I'm just really not the target audience here. when the backing guitar rhythms got a bit crunchier and more pulsating rather than more typical alt-metal sleek riffing was when it was at its best imo, a lot of the best bits for me were contained in the first track which didn't really help my appreciation of everything that followed. Some unexpectedly interesting melodic choices here and there, few and far between unfortunately as a lot of it was... i guess a lot more predictable? there were periodic moments when I was caught off guard with a "ah I didn't think they'd do that there", would've preferred a fair few more of such moments. I realize I'm not exactly being entirely insightful here but I guess I don't wanna just sound completely backhanded here even if my ultimate thesis is basically "I surprisingly didn't hate this" because I do appreciate the care that went into this much more than I do some sonically similar albums that just feel way more detached and personalityless. i dunno, don't really have much of value to add. was an interesting listening experience even if I can't really see myself ever coming back to this.
oh should note my partner really enjoyed this though, but unlike me they were already familiar with the band. regardless you've converted at least one new fan to this particular project _________________ A Variety of Artists
i'll keep from making a cheapshot "buttrock" joke... for now
as for the music itself, I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. Still wasn't really my cup of tea, but interestingly I kind of enjoyed this quite a bit more than some of their clear influences. Like this shit is way better than Dream Theater or Tool, although perhaps not quite as good as deftones (I am using these terms relatively, can't say I'm terribly fond of any of the bands mentioned here, but I hate none of them sans DT I guess. ok and Tool). Anyway, this is one of those albums where I feel like it accomplished exactly what the musicians set out to do and I respect the tightness of the whole ordeal, but I'm just really not the target audience here. when the backing guitar rhythms got a bit crunchier and more pulsating rather than more typical alt-metal sleek riffing was when it was at its best imo, a lot of the best bits for me were contained in the first track which didn't really help my appreciation of everything that followed. Some unexpectedly interesting melodic choices here and there, few and far between unfortunately as a lot of it was... i guess a lot more predictable? there were periodic moments when I was caught off guard with a "ah I didn't think they'd do that there", would've preferred a fair few more of such moments. I realize I'm not exactly being entirely insightful here but I guess I don't wanna just sound completely backhanded here even if my ultimate thesis is basically "I surprisingly didn't hate this" because I do appreciate the care that went into this much more than I do some sonically similar albums that just feel way more detached and personalityless. i dunno, don't really have much of value to add. was an interesting listening experience even if I can't really see myself ever coming back to this.
oh should note my partner really enjoyed this though, but unlike me they were already familiar with the band. regardless you've converted at least one new fan to this particular project
haha this is hilarious, is that a real card or a photoshop? Yes, similar vibes lol. Fantasy artwork I guess.
I felt much the same way about the band as you did, I've never been big on Tool or Dream Theater, and this sounds in a similar vein but just appealed to me more. _________________ 51 Washington, D.C. albums!
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