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27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Hard Rock Available, April 25, 2007
Wow, many of the reviews here have been harsh. Have you listened to the radio lately? There's a lot of crap out there and very few hard rock acts are breaking the top twenty in sales. So we should appreciate Chevelle for being an accessible yet hard-rocking, successful band.
I love the last two albums (especially WWN) and Vena Sera compares favorably. First of all, even though there are some melodic songs here, this cd rocks HARD. Not a ballad to be found and plenty of the crunching riffs that we all love from Chevelle. Yet I don't believe it's just "more of the same." They might be baby steps but the band does branch out a bit without sacrificing its trademark sound. Let's face it, if they lost the chunky guitar, it wouldn't be the same and we wouldn't like the band. I think this album delivers the best of both worlds.
If you like music that ROCKS and/or like Chevelle, this cd is a no-brainer. Get it now and get going. BTW, I just saw the band live for the first time last night and it was an incredible show. It's a lot of sound for three guys and they pull off every song. I also got to chat a bit with Sam (drummer) after the show and he is the nicest, most normal rock dude you've ever met. If you get a chance, don't miss the band in concert.
Embrace the best in hard rock music. Appreciate and enjoy one of the few great rock bands - and rock albums - in these very lean times!
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Let's Call It Change.", April 6, 2007
While Chevelle are a band whose ceiling is admittedly low when it comes to experimentation and progress, their fourth album, "Vena Sera" just might prove to be the album that takes them to the next level and show that they have what it takes to stand out from the crowd. Brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler are delivering their first album without their bassist/brother Joe and with newcomer/brother-in-law Dean Bernardini entered into the fold, and the changes can definitely be felt. "Vena Sera" isn't introducing a sound that will alienate fans of previous releases, but rather, sounds more confident, energetic and flat-out better.
Opening with the addictive "Antisaint," which wears it's Tool influence proudly on it's sleeve, "Vena Sera" is, from start to finish, the heaviest and richest album Chevelle have come up with. Combining elements from all three previous albums, this is hands down, their best to date. The goal they set for themselves during the making of This Type Of Thinking Could Do Us In of creating songs that were faster and would sound better performed live has definitely paid-off here. There really aren't any mid-tempo hits to be found that resemble "The Red" or "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)" and honestly, it's a breath of fresh air. Granted, the previous album was great in it's own right, but showed a band stuck in the mud, beginning to repeat a formula. On this album, however, they sound fresher than ever. Not only are the songs heavier and broader, but Pete has definitely fine-tuned his melodies to perfection. The layered "I Get It" is possibly the most radio-ready of the crowd, and makes good use of Pete's ever improving vocals. Another example would be the way he magnificently caps off the first single, "Well Enough Alone." Much of the lyrical content is obviously dealing with the exit of Joe, who was reportedly unhappy with the band's constant touring schedule, with prime examples being "Braniac" and "Humanoid." "Saturdays" breaks the tradition of closing an album out with a somber, acoustic number, but suits the album well. Chevelle obviously don't want to be pegged as a rock-radio band, writing ballads that are purposely made for the masses. That's not to say that some of these songs couldn't be hits, but you get the impression that the band is putting their best, most honest effort forward.
The album's only true downfall is that the mid-section tends to sag a bit. But when it's sandwiched in between some of the band's best material to date -- "Antisaint," "I Get It," "Braniac" -- it's an easy fault to forgive. If you loved the Chevelle you got used to on the last few albums, you might find this album a bit hard to swallow. But honestly, if they had went and made something on the same level as Wonder What's Next I would personally be very disappointed in them. "Vena Sera" is hardly an instant hit, but it's easily the best thing they have done since Point #1 and it'll be interesting to see if they can pull off putting another foot forward on the next album.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Decent - Some songs superior and strong, others forgettable, July 18, 2007
I guess I'm not as enamored with the new release as others, in saying that I'm glad that so many fans have embraced the new album with such acceptance. When I first heard the final song "Saturdays" I was very impressed, I simply loved this song! The lyrics were especially meaningful to me, particularly the verse "Now we all belong...In the Saturdays of our youth" and that coupled with the sonic soundscape and simple yet prophetic songwriting made this a song I really, really enjoyed.
Perhaps I'm being too critical, and that song to me is a 15 on a 10 scale and should not hold a bias for me when judging the rest of the songs on this album. The problem is that some of the songs don't have much of a connection with me, instrumentally or lyrically. At times I enjoy the edgy guitar riffs but for the most part I felt like a lot of these songs just float by instead of reaching out and grabbing me like "Saturdays" did. The song "Well enough Alone" is memorable as its razor sharp opening leads into some emotional singing, and again I am excited in hoping there are more on the album like it.
Then I started giving it time to grow on me, and it did. The song "Humanoid" has some great changeups with regards to varying riffs and also a song that seemed to stick with me at its very first listen. The song "Paint the Seconds" is stoic at times and although the riffs on this particular song seem to be too familiar in connection with other songs on the album, the chorus has a great crescendo to it that makes it different enough to add to the overall driving power it has. The song "I get it" is also very likable and puts the songwriting and vocals a bit more in the forefront, including an infectious beat found throughout.
Chevelle has managed to stay visible on the front lines of new rock bands that have emerged in this decade among the remnants of a "rock" industry that is always trying to find a new identity, but all too often having its poster child fall off a cliff as the assembly line pushes forward, not heeding that the bridge is out ahead. There is still enough talent within these guys to blaze new trails and I look forward to their next release, while continuing to enjoy albums in their past discography.
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