🎧Podcast: Long before arena tours and double platinum plaques, a band of brothers quietly dropped a Steve Albini–produced debut… on a Christian label. No, really.
I remember loving this album very much when it came out, having bought it 100% just because Albini produced it. I haven't listened to anything else this band did in their entire career, but I think this one still holds up. Maybe that's because of the memories associated with it, as I used to drive to it all the time...
I think you guys covered this one pretty well. You were probably too kind in fact. It's definitely no better than an EP. You nailed it when you said nothing stands out. There are no hooks. The only songs that I would listen to more than once are "Point #1," "Mia," and maybe "Anticipation." The only "anticipation" I had for most of the album was waiting for the songs to end, particularly "Dos" which was exceptionally brutal since it was over 6 minutes long.
You asked if you heard any of their other songs on the radio in the early 2000s. I guarantee that you heard "The Red" and "Send the Pain Below" from their second album, "Wonder What's Next." If you queue up those songs right now, you will immediately recognize them. They were all over hard rock radio in the early 2000s. And, dare I say, much improved over anything on their debut album.
Still, I never bothered to listen to a Chevelle album in full until this review. I'm not sure I will listen to any of their later stuff now, either, but those two songs I mentioned show me that they were already much better by the second album.
I remember loving this album very much when it came out, having bought it 100% just because Albini produced it. I haven't listened to anything else this band did in their entire career, but I think this one still holds up. Maybe that's because of the memories associated with it, as I used to drive to it all the time...
I think you guys covered this one pretty well. You were probably too kind in fact. It's definitely no better than an EP. You nailed it when you said nothing stands out. There are no hooks. The only songs that I would listen to more than once are "Point #1," "Mia," and maybe "Anticipation." The only "anticipation" I had for most of the album was waiting for the songs to end, particularly "Dos" which was exceptionally brutal since it was over 6 minutes long.
You asked if you heard any of their other songs on the radio in the early 2000s. I guarantee that you heard "The Red" and "Send the Pain Below" from their second album, "Wonder What's Next." If you queue up those songs right now, you will immediately recognize them. They were all over hard rock radio in the early 2000s. And, dare I say, much improved over anything on their debut album.
Still, I never bothered to listen to a Chevelle album in full until this review. I'm not sure I will listen to any of their later stuff now, either, but those two songs I mentioned show me that they were already much better by the second album.