Chevelle has been officially rocking out since 1995, but their history stretches back even further. Brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler had played music together for years, but watching their heroes in the grunge movement inspired them to start a band. They recruited their buddy Matt Scott to play bass, and the rest is history. We examine that history, analyzing Chevelle’s studio albums and their sonic evolution.
Early Years: Point #1 and Wonder What’s Next
Chevelle released their debut album Point #1 in 1999. Produced by the small, independent Christian label Squint Entertainment, the album’s hard rock tracks were raw and aggressive. While the title track is noteworthy, the album failed to chart, and the band was reportedly unhappy with its overall sound. However, Point #1 laid the foundation for the music to come.
Chevelle’s 2002 sophomore effort, Wonder What’s Next, released through Epic, helped them break through. It went platinum two times after debuting at #14 on the Billboard 200 chart. Singles “The Red” and “Send the Pain Below” reflected the album’s heavier, more polished sound. Both were top five on the Billboard U.S. alternative and mainstream rock charts, with “Send the Pain Below” topping these charts. The album’s success led to tours supporting Local H and Audioslave and main stage performances at Ozzfest. Wonder What’s Next is Chevelle’s most successful album to date.
Mid-Career Refinement: This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) to Sci-Fi Crimes
While Wonder What’s Next helped Chevelle grow their fan base, they refused to rest on their laurels. In 2004, they released This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In). Chevelle wrote and recorded the album in just five months, but they had a clear understanding of what they hoped to achieve.
As Pete Loeffler explained in a 2004 interview, “We wanted to go heavy, we wanted to do a lot of double-bass drum, kind of syncopated rhythms, and we wanted to basically write songs that we could bob our heads to. That was sort of where we started. We’re a heavy melodic rock band, that’s what we like to write, and that’s what we like to play. And that’s what we did.”
From its opening track, “The Clincher,” the album feels heavier than its predecessors, but its aggressive sound balances its melodic core. The fans embraced it, sending This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) to number eight on the Billboard 200 in its first week of release. While it charted better, it sold fewer copies and earned single-platinum certification.
Chevelle began really expanding their sound with the release of Vena Sera in 2007. It was their first with new bassist Dean Bernadini, the brother-in-law of founding members Pete and Sam Loeffler. Sputnikmusic praised his inclusion, noting that he “breathes an astonishing amount of life into not just the rhythm section, but into the core Chevelle sound as well.” He also said the album was “a significant step in the right direction for the brothers,” citing the heavy riffs, catchy choruses, and wider vocal range of Pete Loeffler among the album’s strengths.
Vena Sera debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and went gold. The album’s most successful single, “I Get It,” also went gold after reaching number four on the Billboard U.S. alternative chart and number five on the Billboard U.S. mainstream rock chart.
Recording in Nashville for the first time with new producer Brian Virtue gave Chevelle’s fifth studio album, Sci-Fi Crimes, a very different feel. Recording live in the studio, without any samples or tuning, helped the band capture the energy of their shows.
“We wanted to go in the studio and play the tracks and just record them and not make a perfect record the way I think a lot of our records in the past have been made,” .
Sci Fi Crimes was well received by fans and critics thanks to career-defining songs such as “Letter From a Thief” and “Jars.” While it sold fewer copies than its predecessors, it peaked at number six on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Billboard U.S. alternative and hard rock charts. It also reached number 21 in Canada, where the band had not charted previously.
Recent Developments: La Gárgola to The North Corridor
Fast forward to 2014, when Chevelle again pushed the envelope with La Gárgola. The album cover featuring Pete Loeffler wearing a plague doctor mask set the scene for an even darker and heavier sound. Despite the Chevelle sound progression, the album earned critical acclaim and reached number three on the U.S. Billboard 200, Chevelle’s highest chart position on the Billboard U.S. mainstream albums chart, number nine in Canada, and number 36 in New Zealand.
The band built on this darker sound with the release of The North Corridor two years later. Rocking even harder than its predecessor, The North Corridor saw the band fully embracing the alternative metal genre. such as the lead single “Joyride (Omen)” and “Door to Door Cannibals” continued allusions to the horror genre that matched the heavy guitar riffs and Pete Loeffler’s aggressive vocals. The North Corridor reached number eight in the U.S. and number two in New Zealand. It was also the first Chevelle album to chart in Australia.
The Latest Chapter: NIRATIAS
In 2019, Chevelle released their latest album, NIRATIAS, short for Nothing Is Real and This Is a Simulation, which was radically different from anything that came before. It’s a progressive rock concept album that uses instrumental and spoken word tracks to tell a story of interstellar travel. The departure of Dean Bernardini also saw releasing music as a twosome for the first time. While NIRATIAS was ambitious, it earned praise and a number nine debut on the Billboard 200.
Chevelle’s Enduring Legacy: Consistency and Evolution in Rock
Over three decades, Chevelle has learned to harness their raw aggression and channel it into a polished hard rock sound. They have stayed true to their alternative metal roots but evolved to earn widespread acclaim. Ben Burnley of Breaking Benjamin and Dakota Jerns of Silent Theory are among the next generation of artists influenced by Chevelle. Their willingness to experiment musically has helped them remain relevant as the industry changed. Through it all, their commitment to their core hard rock sound helped them retain a passionate fan base who should support them in .
