Chevelle

Artist Biography by Tracy Frey Wonder What's Next An aggressive and riff-heavy, sibling-led Chicago band that evolved from moody indie rockers to a platinum-selling alt-metal act, Chevelle is inspired by the lurching riffs of Helmet and the soft-loud vocal dynamics of Tool. Emerging in the late '90s, the band broke big in 2002 with the release of their sophomore full-length, Wonder What's Next, and continued to lay waste to the Billboard charts with platinum- and gold-selling outings like 2004's This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) and 2009's Sci-Fi Crimes. Chevelle spent the 2010s and beyond crystallizing their radio-friendly but punishing blend of alternative metal, post-grunge, and hard rock on anthemic, commercial-grade works like The North Corridor (2016) and Niratias (2021). Point #1 Formed in 1995 and comprising brothers Sam (drums), Pete (vocals, guitar), and Joe Loeffler (bass), the band began playing parties and outdoor events, which quickly led to bookings at Chicago clubs when youngest member Joe was just 14 years old. In 1999, Chevelle released their Steve Albini-produced debut album, Point #1, on Squint Entertainment. Three years later, following tours with groups like Filter, Sevendust, Powerman 5000, and Machine Head, the band inked a deal with Epic and issued Wonder What's Next, released in August 2002. The album went platinum by the following summer, propelled in part by its second single, "Send the Pain Below," which became a number one hit on modern rock and mainstream radio. Main-stage dates with the annual Ozzfest tour followed that summer, and 2003 brought a concert album, Live from the Road. Vena Sera Chevelle returned in the fall of 2004 with their third full-length effort, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), and with it came another hit song, "Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)." Joe parted ways with his brothers in July 2005, and though he was replaced on bass a month later by Dean Bernardini, Chevelle remained a family affair, since Bernardini was the siblings' brother-in-law. With the new member came a newfound energy and optimism that replaced the internal bickering of the past, and the guys carried that spirit into the recording of their next two albums, 2007's Vena Sera and 2009's Sci-Fi Crimes. The following year, the band celebrated their ten-year anniversary in the music business with a pair of live shows in Chicago, later released on the concert film Any Last Words. Hats Off to the Bull In 2011, Chevelle announced that they were taking a break from touring to head into the studio, eventually releasing their sixth album, Hats Off to the Bull, in the winter of that year. Following the touring cycle for that album, they went back into the studio with Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Tool, Queens of the Stone Age), utilizing the producer's vast collection of percussion instruments to subtly reinvent their sound once again. Arriving in early 2014, their next release was the groovy, aggressive single "Take Out the Gunman," from their seventh album, La Gárgola, which followed in April of that year. 12 Bloody Spies: B-Sides and Rarities Two years later, the band released their eighth album, North Corridor. The heavier effort -- again produced by Joe Barresi -- was showcased by lead single "Joyride (Omens)." In 2018, Chevelle issued 12 Bloody Spies, a compilation LP featuring B-sides, covers, rarities, and remixes. Longtime bassist Dean Bernardini departed the following year, leaving brothers Sam and Pete as the band's core. Early 2021 saw the arrival of the single "Self Destructor," which appeared on the group's long-awaited ninth full-length effort, the sci-fi-inspired Niratias, which arrived later that March.