Unitron
Sci-Fi Crimes is the fifth studio album from alternative metal band Chevelle. Two years after the release of the weak Vena Sera, Chevelle began to explore some new territory with 2009's Sci-Fi Crimes, especially on the lyrical front.
Chevelle always knows how to make a great album opener, and "Sleep Apnea" continues that trend, blasting a heavy riff in your face as you turn it on. The band continues their depressive alternative metal sound here, but adds in a few things to give the album a different tone. Some of the more alternative rock-leaning elements of the previous album are here, but the band uses them much better here. It's used more atmospherically here though, along the lines of a band like Incubus. "Jars" shows this sound really well, combining heaviness and a bittersweet atmosphere.
Speaking of, most of this album has just that. It manages to sound dark and unsettling while having that bittersweet melody to balance everything out. The band manages to balance and combine sounds incredibly on this album. A great example is one of my favorite tracks, "Fell into Your Shows", which begins with muted riffing and unsettling sound effects before bringing in a sound that mixes headbanging riffs and great soloing with a sound reminiscent of Finger Eleven's early material. "Highland's Apparition" is an acoustic piece, and easily one of the band's best of the kind, using the album's overall sound to it's advantage. Don't worry though, right after that the band comes in with the blasting riff of "Roswell's Spell". Oh, and the bonus tracks are great too, especially the crushingly heavy "The Gist".
The lyrics here have taken a turn from the cryptic personal lyrics of previous albums, to exo-politics. Many of the lyrics tackle U.F.O.'s and other ideas of that ilk, as you may gather from song titles such as "Highland's Apparition", "Mexican Sun", and "Roswell's Spell". As well as the lyrics being different, so is the production and recording. This was Chevelle's first recorded live in the studio as a band. This gives the album a much more real and raw sound, which it really benefits from.
As solid as most of their discography was at this point, Sci-Fi Crimes really elevated the band's sound and I think this is when the band really found their own sound. There's few weak moments to be found here, and certainly one of the first albums I'd recommend to anyone wanting to get into the band. The band's cryptic nature, heaviness, and melody is retained while developing themselves into what can only be called their own sound. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!