Review Summary: Chevelle make another Chevelle album.
Chevelle is a band that should require little introduction, as they have been steadily putting out accessible alternative rock albums for over a decade now, spawning several number one singles throughout the years. Despite being fairly standard mainstream rock, Chevelle has always been slightly above that of its contemporaries, with occasional thought provoking lines tossed in here and there, and just enough variety to keep them relevant.
Enter 'The North Corridor.'
The months leading to this albums release created a relatively large amount of hype, including much success of lead single Joyride Omen. Said song put fans under the impression that The North Corridor would mark some clear growth for the band, in terms of both songwriting and heaviness, but in full honesty, The North Corridor is nothing we haven't heard from the band before.
When it comes to modern bands, consistency can be both a curse or a blessing. In the case of Chevelle, their nearly infamous consistency has been a blessing in the commercial sense, although it can be considered a curse in the sense of musical achievement, as it's apparent that the band has much potential that has never fully been lived up to. Within the first minute of opener Door to Door Cannibals, you know what you're in for: Another Chevelle album. The song is a catchy, albeit standard, good start to the album. Good verses followed by a slightly underwhelming chorus make it reminiscent of Antisaint from 2007's Vena Sera. The two following songs are both standard radio friendly, having easily been taken from any of their other albums over the last decade, in the form of Enemies and the aforementioned lead single Joyride Omen. Track 4 is where the album truly begins to pick up, with 3rd single entitled Rivers. Easily the best single of the 3, it brings variety to the table, something that was sorely lacking in the the opening tracks. After track 4, the album goes into, if you will, autopilot, producing 6 more songs in the same vein, although with some highlights, but more on that later.
One of the problems I have with this album is something that hasn't been problematic in previous Chevelle albums: the music. Now they've never been the most technical band out there, but on this album from a musical standpoint, Pete Loeffler reached an all time creative low, with most of these riffs sounding like nothing more than dated and recycled from previous efforts. The second and most apparent problem with this album is the overall lack of variety and ambition, as nearly no new or creative ideas, putting off the impression that the band not only has settled into a comfort zone, but has an almost stubborn unwillingness to evolve their sound.
But now for the positives(yes there is some), Despite an overall lack of variety Chevelle is still capable of producing an enjoyable mainstream rock album. Clear album highlight, Young wicked lays down some of the hardest hitting riffs of the bands career, as well as a very impressively passionate vocal delivery, making it a very pleasant change in pace, but arguably the best moments of this album lie In tracks 8 and 10. The former, Punchline is very atmospheric and melodic, creating some of the most pleasant passages over the course of the album. The latter is easily the most impressive song here, clocking in at over 8 minutes in length, Shot from a cannon is the most accomplished Chevelle has ever been, complete with a progressive style instrumental outro being an excellent conclusion to an album that couldn't quite live up to its potential.
In conclusion, The North Corridor is nothing more than Chevelle being Chevelle. A good album brought down only by its own complacency, but for now while we wait another two years for more of the same to be released, we can listen to Shot from a Cannon and imagine the album that could have been.
