Sci-Fi Crimes

In today's era of music, being around long enough to put out your 5th album is an achievement itself. But to grow musically and still rock hard? That's a trademark of a great band...and Chevelle does just that on their new album, "Sci-Fi Crimes." Their last effort "Vena Sera" was a hit among their core fanbase, but did little elsewhere. However, this time around, Chevelle experiments with a new sound that harkens back to their "Wonder What's Next" and "Point #1" days, and the result is a album that is never dull but is pure raw energy. Considering the fact that this band is still just a trio, the music that they have come up with is amazing. The opening track "Sleep Apnea" rocks harder than anything on Vena Sera, and immediately conjures up recollections of a combination between "Family System" and "Another Know it All." Sci-Fi Crimes makes a return to a heavy bass guitar sound, reminescent of when Joe Loeffler was bassist. Sleep Apnea is one of Chevelle's best works, and a fitting opening track. "Mexican Sun" itself sounds similiar vocally like songs on "Point #1" but keeps the new hard sound. The third track is the best off the entire album however. "Shameless Metaphors" cannot be compared to anything Chevelle has done before. It isn't as hard as their best-known song, "Send The Pain Below" but it fits the band perfectly. Beginning with an eerie guitar piece, and gradually gaining momentum as it builds toward the chorus. This could definitely be the standout single from Sci-Fi Crimes, and simply must be heard. The first single released off the album however is "Jars", a tongue-in-cheek song about saving the Earth into Jars, because of humanity's impact on the environment. "Jars" sounds like it could be from "This Type of Thinking(Could Do Us In)", and actually is one of the weaker songs on the album because it sounds as if it was crafted for mainstream consumption.

"Fell Into Your Shoes" is a song that starts off very slowly...yet bursts into the first verses with a fierce wave of guitar. It certainly doesn't sound like previous works, and is yet another song that Chevelle shows their superior musicianship.

"Letter From a Thief" is in this reviewer's opinion, the 2nd best track on the album. If a song screams pure Chevelle, this is it. Again, it's a totally new sound for Chevelle, yet somehow retains the very essential music and vocal properties that sets Chevelle apart from everyone else.

"Highlands Apparition" is an acoustic gem that showcases Pete Loeffler. With just his acoustic guitar and his voice, he makes a song that brings back memories of "Bend the Bracket" and "One Lonely Visitor", yet blows both songs out of the water.

"Roswell's Spell" is a hard hitting, slow, grunging song that places great emphasis on low-tuned guitars throughout the song. A great song, this one is another example of the new Chevelle.

The next track, interestingly titled "Interlewd" is an instrumental track that is kind of a break between songs. This reminds me greatly of "Point #1," where instrumental pieces were given whole track numbers.

"A New Momentum" is one of the tracks on Sci-Fi crimes that takes the bass guitar to a whole new level. Featuring prominently in the opening of the song, the whole song seems dark...and sounds brilliant. Yet another gem of a song, "A New Momentum" is just something that must be beheld in order to appreciate it. This is probably my personal favorite track off the entire album.

Unlike previous records, which ended on an acoustic whimper, this album does not. "This Circus" is definitely not an acoustic, yet ends on one of the most unique ways I have ever heard. Instruments are gradually faded out until it fades to black. A very fitting way to end one of the best hard rock albums to be released in recent memory.