Published in Flash! October 7, 1999

Chevelle breaks out of the garage onto the stage

Most bands hack away for years in someone’s garage dreaming of the day they
will be heard. With Point #1, Chevelle has proven that you can take the band out of the
garage but you can’t take the garage out of the band.

Consisting of brothers drummer Sam, bass player Joe, and singer/guitarist Pete
Loeffler, this Chicago-area band has the right elements for a successful garage band to
make it. Unfortunately, the band often sacrifices musicianship for the trashing that can
be heard in many of America’s garages and basements.

Produced by Nirvana collaborator, Steve Albini, Point #1 begins with an
instrumental track, “Open,” that is mosh pit-friendly and headbanger approved.
Consistently showing their Tool and Helmet influences, the young men, ranging in age
from 19-24, have put together a project that reflects the angst felt by almost everyone
going through adolescence and early adulthood.

While some tracks such as the first single, “Mia,” lean heavily toward an
industrial influence, most of the songs show a very prominent Nirvana influence.
Pete Loeffler’s vocals, shaky at times, take a commanding presence on the aforementioned track.
The songs ebb and flow with the best of them. “Dos” is a good example. This
song deals with a typical frustration of garage bands everywhere, lack of an audience.
Telling “you two what’s left, I don’t take requests,” Pete emotes the anger and tension
that runs throughout the album.

Full of heavy riffs, Chevelle takes their Tool influence and turns the lyrics around
to portray a message, while not happy-go-lucky, that is ultimately positive. The song
“Long” points the listener toward a message of faith saying, “See how the sparrows get
fed from our Lord.” Released on the Christian label, Squint, the band delivers its
message through often cryptic lyrics and symbolism. It works with the heaviness of the
music however.

The band’s musicianship, while lacking at times, shows a band that could develop
into a major player soon. The mix of the album is consistent; guitars up in the mix with
the vocals buried somewhere underneath the distortion. Pete’s guitars whip out riffs that
are undeniably catchy and filled with a groove that most bands many years their senior
could only dream about. For those looking to understand the lyrics, good luck. The
vocals are buried so much that, like their influence Tool, one needs a lyric sheet to know
what’s being said.

Chevelle is a band for those who can’t get enough of raw riffage and light to dark,
Nirvana-style songs. The album presents the public with a band that will be poised to
make major waves not only in Christian circles but also in the general market, which is
where the band really deserves to be judged. Hopefully they will continue to develop and
break a little further out of the garage.

My Grade: B-