Chevelle
Hats Off To The Bull

What do you think is the best way to be forgiven after two consecutive flat and uninspired albums? A break? A cover album (...)? Deluxe reissues of the first albums? Retire and never be seen again? Each of these choices is highly debatable. But how should we react if the band in question, as a sign of forgiveness, releases with a bang their best and heaviest album?

Indeed, "Hats Off To The Bull" is exactly that, the band's best studio album since "Wonder What's Next", and not only that! In this sixth milestone, the band undergoes a transformation of their music. We witness a violent and effective strengthening of the sound, where alongside their classic Deftones-influenced alternative metal (and also a bit of Tool) a powerful, very linear and compact hard rock is added, similar to AC/DC. This results in 11 tracks of pure devastation, creating an indestructible and impregnable reinforced concrete sound wall. This is more than evident with the opening "Face to the Floor," the first single from the album, which hits hard like a rock despite having a very radio-friendly appeal, which does not take away at all from what it essentially is. And the emotional state already acquired by just listening to the first track remains entirely unchanged with the subsequent "Same Old Trip," "Piñata," "Hats Off to the Bull," and "Clones," all of which are potential ear-shattering bombs, and it's not just a figure of speech. But the album, unfortunately, is not a continuous pounding of drums and earth-shaking guitar riffs; every now and then, more subdued pieces alternate and fall within the classic style of the Illinois trio, like "The Meddler" or "Envy." There are also those usual two or three tracks that serve as fillers for, in this case, very small empty spaces, found in "Ruse" and "Arise." The album even gives us a bit of time and space for a completely acoustic track, "Prima Donna," tasked with quenching our thirst for destruction (because after hearing this and also this, you become desirous and want more, always more!) before blooming again with the concluding "Clones."

Overall, without a shadow of a doubt, without ifs and buts, without second thoughts: the album I listened to the most in all of 2012, despite being released the previous year.

Do I recommend you listen to it? But of course!

Do I recommend you buy it? Absolutely, start saving up!

Is this review too short? Alas, yes. And I'm sorry.

Are you still asking questions?! Go listen to it!

SCORE = 90 / 100