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Vena Sera

 
Album Review: Vena Sera

  • Artist: Chevelle
  • Rating: StarStarHalf Star
  • Release Date: April 03, 2007
  • Total Time: 44:10
  • Type: Lyrics are included with the album
  • Genre: Rock

Review

Despite Chevelle undergoing its first lineup change since the mid-'90s (trading out bassist brother Joe Loeffler for brother-in-law Dean Bernardini), not much else has been drastically altered in camp Chevelle. The loud/soft dynamic and angst-fueled vocals that nod heavily towards Tool, and which have always been the group's trademark, arrive in full force on their fourth album Vena Sera, but it's not enough to make the proceedings any more interesting than anything they've recorded in the past. Every song seems to be set up in the exact same manner; guitars lurch forward, diminish and eventually swell into choruses where Pete Loeffler's emotional vocals (ranging from shrieks to tuneful cries) take center-stage over a backdrop of steady yet dense rhythms. "Brainiac" and especially "Midnight to Midnight" take a noticeably heavier angle, the latter song running on a nice urgency that so many of Chevelle's other songs lack, instead choosing to lumber along in a murky sense of despair. First single "Well Enough Alone" emotes and then emotes in that way so perfect for the airwaves, and though it's a decent song -- the opening shriek is especially nice -- it more so highlights the frustrating aspect of Vena Sera. The album is good enough, but too much of it simply sounds like rewrites of songs from the band's past. "I Get It" has a relatively lighter underbelly than the rest, which is a nice change of pace, but it's ultimately too little, too late. However, Vena Sera probably won't disappoint fans, if for the sole fact that it basically sounds just like Chevelle's other albums, so that if they liked those, they'll like this one. But anyone looking for a little more, well, they'll be left looking. ~ Corey Apar, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track TitleComposersPerformersTime
Antisaint (Lyrics) Pete Loeffler, Chevelle Chevelle (4:21)
Brainiac (Lyrics) Pete Loeffler, Chevelle Chevelle (3:21)
Saferwaters (Lyrics) Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (4:11)
Well Enough Alone (Lyrics) Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (4:18)
Straight Jacket Fashion (Lyrics) Pete Loeffler, Chevelle Chevelle (4:02)
The Fad Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (3:37)
Humanoid (Lyrics) Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (3:58)
Paint the Seconds (Lyrics) Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (3:58)
Midnight to Midnight (Lyrics) Pete Loeffler, Chevelle Chevelle (4:24)
I Get It (Lyrics) Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (3:54)
Saturdays (Lyrics) Chevelle, Pete Loeffler Chevelle (4:06)

Credits

Sean Evans (Art Direction), Michael "Elvis" Baskette (Mixing), Peter Loeffler (Guitar), Farra Mathews (A&R), Jef Moll (Digital Editing), Bill McGathy (Management), Peter Loeffler (Vocals), Dean Bernardini (Guitar (Bass)), Michael "Elvis" Baskette (Producer), Ben Goldman (A&R), Michael 'Elvis' Baskette (Audio Production), Sam Loeffler (Drums), Danielle Varvaro (A&R), Dave Holdredge (Engineer), Ted Jensen (Mastering), Dave Holdredge (Audio Engineer), Jef Moll (Programming)
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Wikipedia: Vena Sera
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Vena Sera
Studio album by Chevelle
Released April 3, 2007
Recorded OctoberNovember 2006 at Studio at The Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada & at Studio Barbarosa in Bavon, Virginia
Genre Alternative metal
Hard Rock
Length 44:17
Label Epic Records
Producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette
Professional reviews
Chevelle chronology
This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)
(2004)
Vena Sera
(2007)
Sci-Fi Crimes
(2009)

Vena Sera is the fourth studio album by Chevelle and was released on April 3, 2007 through Epic Records. Many of the tracks on this album were based on material from unreleased songs the band had previously recorded.

Vena Sera is the first Chevelle album with bassist Dean Bernardini, the brother-in-law of fellow members Pete and Sam Loeffler.

The first single, "Well Enough Alone", was released to radio stations on February 13.

The album debuted at #12 in the United States with sales of about 62,000. This was less than their last album, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In), which debuted at #8 with sales of about 90,000.[1]

As of September, 2008, the album has sold 353,740 copies in the US.

On May 31, 2007, drummer Sam Loeffler updated the official site to say, among other things, that the song "I Get It" would be the second single from the album. The single was released to radio on June 12, 2007. In late December it was announced by the band that "The Fad" would be the third single from Vena Sera. As of January 17th, 2008, the song has been put up for adds on radio stations across the country. "Antisaint" is featured in MLB 07: The Show.

Contents

Etymology

Vena Sera has been translated and interpreted as meaning many different things.[citation needed] It is translated as "Vein Evening" or "Evening Vein" in Italian, and "In like vein" in Latin. However, Pete Loeffler has stated that the title means "Vein Liquid" and is representative as "the blood of the band and the work we put into the album".[citation needed]

Track listing

  1. "Antisaint" – 4:21
  2. "Brainiac" – 3:21
  3. "Saferwaters" – 4:11
  4. "Well Enough Alone" – 4:18
  5. "Straight Jacket Fashion" – 4:02
  6. "The Fad" – 3:37
  7. "Humanoid" – 3:59
  8. "Paint the Seconds" – 3:58
  9. "Midnight to Midnight" – 4:24
  10. "I Get It" – 3:55
  11. "Saturdays" – 4:06

iTunes Bonus Tracks

  1. "In Debt to Earth" – 4:12

Best Buy Bonus Tracks

  1. "Sleep Walking Elite" – 3:40
  2. "Delivery" (Compulsion Cover) – 3:03

Writers

All songs written by Pete Loeffler, Sam Loeffler, and Dean Bernardini, except "Delivery", written by Compulsion.

Credits

  • Pete Loeffler - vocals, guitar
  • Sam Loeffler - drums
  • Dean Bernardini - bass, drums
  • Michael "Elvis" Baskette - producer, mixing
  • Dave Holdredge - engineer
  • Jef Moll - digital editing & programming

Bonus Tracks

  • Jef Moll - coproducer, engineer, editor, & mixer

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
2007 The Billboard 200 12
2007 Top Rock Albums 4
2007 Top Internet Albums 6

Singles

Year Song Chart Position
2007 "Well Enough Alone" Mainstream Rock Tracks 4
2007 "Well Enough Alone" Modern Rock Tracks 9
2007 "Well Enough Alone" Bubbling Under Hot 100 16
2007 "I Get It" Mainstream Rock Tracks 5
2007 "I Get It" Modern Rock Tracks 4
2007 "I Get It" Bubbling Under Hot 100 18
2008 "The Fad" Mainstream Rock Tracks 13
2008 "The Fad" Modern Rock Tracks 39

References

  1. ^ Katie Hasty, "'NOW 24' Trumps McBride, Duff, Timbaland At No. 1", Billboard.com, April 11, 2007.

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Album Review. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. Content provided by All Music Guide ®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Vena Sera" Read more