hard rock

Chevelle

1 festival played →

Illinois band led by the Loeffler brothers, three decades deep in heavy, tightly coiled alt-metal — 'The Red' and 'Send the Pain Below' still doing the work.

Chevelle formed in Grayslake, Illinois, in 1995, when brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler began writing songs in their parents' garage, Pete on guitar and vocals, Sam on drums. The band took its name from the Chevrolet Chevelle, a car familiar from the Midwestern hot-rod scene the brothers grew up around. Bassist Matt Scott played on early shows before younger brother Joe Loeffler took over on bass in 1996.

The band's debut album, Point #1, was recorded with producer Steve Albini and released in 1999 on Squint Entertainment, a contemporary Christian label; its singles earned Dove Award recognition. Legal trouble at the label pushed Chevelle toward Epic Records, where the group signed in 2002.

Chevelle broke through with Wonder What's Next (2002), which debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200 and went on to double-platinum certification behind the single 'The Red.' The follow-up, This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In) (2004), debuted at number 8 and went platinum, carrying the single 'Send the Pain Below.'

The sound is built on drop-tuned riffs, restrained verses and heavy choruses, with Pete Loeffler's vocals shifting between a clean upper register and a harder edge. Chevelle is usually described in terms of alternative metal and hard rock, and has remained a consistent touring act.

Joe Loeffler left in 2005; touring bassist Geno Lenardo filled in before Dean Bernardini, the Loefflers' brother-in-law, took over until his departure in 2019, with Kemble Walters joining in 2021. Nine studio albums and more than six million records sold later, Chevelle has continued releasing records across two decades.

Read more

hard rock