CHEVELLE — La Gárgola (review)

Album · 2014 · Alternative Metal

5/5 · 2016-12-08
Unitron

La Gárgola is the seventh studio album from alternative metal band Chevelle. Returning from a three-year gap after the good but inconsistent Hats Off to the Bull, Chevelle came out with another masterpiece that is not only even darker than before but even heavier as well. The band steps into sludge metal territory as well as brooding post-rock ambiance, the aforementioned styles blending right in with the band's depressive alternative metal sound.

After the menacing chimes that open up the album, your skull is blasted with the crushing riffing of "Ouija Board". It's one of the most blistering tracks of the band's catalog, as well as one of my favorites. Plus, the brooding bridge of this sludgy song sounds like it came straight out of a Mastodon album, which is a very fitting and welcome addition to the band's sound. La Gárgola perfectly comes together as an album, with the aforementioned track going straight into another masterpiece, "An Island". This song's got absolutely crushing grooves, with some amazing subtle bass playing as a syncopated drone. "Take Out Gunman" was a perfect choice for a single, fitting in with the dark and crunching heaviness of the rest of the album while having a catchy hook to get listeners (like me!) invested.

That's just the first three tracks! This album is just packed with skull-crushing, blistering, rampaging, sludgy, and punishing riffing, rumbling bass, and heavy beating of drums. Just take a listen to the ending riff of "Choking Game" for proof of that. Pete Loeffler gives some of his best vocal performances on this album. "Hunter Eats Hunter" and "Under the Knife" are up there with that opening song as my favorites. Loeffler's screams on these are stark and brutal, and the guitar grinds its teeth while beating the listener over the head with a sludge-hammer (get it?). The latter provides great contrast however, with Loeffler singing some calmer vocals in between delivering his gruff screams with much conviction.

The album isn't without it's softer moments though, like I mentioned at the beginning of the review, the band never leaves their softer melancholy sound behind. "One Ocean" has an almost U2-esque sound to it, and it's okay, but it's certainly the only song on the album I'd call a bit on the weaker end. "Twinge" on the other hand, the other softer song, is an absolutely beautiful finale to the album. This brings in the post rock ambiance that I mentioned, but mixes with some very beautiful melancholy melodies that bring tears to my eyes.

This album is a masterpiece, if you like depressive alternative metal with a strong sense of brutality, this is essential. It's hard for me to pick a favorite Chevelle album, but this may very well be it. This is the album that got me to love the band, and it's among their best albums either way. One of my favorite albums of all time, from one of my favorite bands of all time. Hope you found this review helpful, feel free to comment!