2 keepers
keeper avg .200
Suburban-Chicago (Christian) alt-metal band Chevelle is a blend of the hard rock sounds of the time, including the drop-D riffs of STP and Filter (meathead and rapid-fire respectively), alt-metal crunch like Deftones, and especially the desolate vocal of Maynard James Keenan, but without the unique nuances and virtuoso musicianship that would eventually make (2 of 4 of) those bands great. The album's title track (and its introduction "Open") starts off with an infectious skipping rhythm (which Deftones would also use a lot), followed with the stuttering rage of "Prove To You." Neither of these tracks especially distinguish Chevelle, though the single "Mia"**** did make them MTV stars briefly, as much for their Tool-proximate stop-motion music video as for the song's frantic but melodic riffage. The album's other high point is "Blank Earth"****, which swings at a fast, heavy waltz-time. As this album is my starting point (or #1 if you will) I don't know currently what new tricks the band would develop, but with a relatively limited palate Chevelle does deliver a concise, energetic, and pro-sounding debut album.
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