There are guitar riffs and then there are rock guitar riffs. Great, big, chunky, meaty riffs. Evil-sounding rock riffs. The kind Jimmy Page, Angus Young, Eddie Van Halen and Satan cook up during a jam session. The kind from melodic hard rock trio Chevelle. The kind found on their newest album, the 2011 release Hats Off to the Bull. The kind found specifically on the first single and lead-off track from that bruising album, “Face to the Floor,” a rant against corporate corruption. There’s a reason that song owned the new rock radio charts for weeks. It has a riff you could start a war with.
The band — brothers Pete Loeffler on guitars and vocals, and Sam Loeffler on drums, and the siblings’ brother-in-law Dean Bernardini on bass and vocals (who replaced brother Joe Loeffler in 2005) — has long been known for riff-heavy, aggressive rock; music tightly coiled and influenced by bands such as Helmet, Tool and Metallica. But the riffs are only part of the band’s story; their taut, dynamic music is also melodic. Big riffs give way; big choruses surface. Because of those two dynamics working so well, over the course of their six-album career Chevelle has become a new rock radio staple, scoring a handful of mainstream rock hits, including their latest, and becoming a touring monster. The Chicago band’s Riverfest appearance will wrap up a monthlong slate of shows.
(See the full lineup of Riverfest acts by clicking here).
Calling from Green Bay, Wisc., Sam Loeffler talked about Chevelle’s music, the story behind the album’s title, Bull's producer Joe Barresi and playing live:
On the riffs written by brother & songwriter Pete Loeffler:
“When he writes that riff I feel like the rest of [the song] is already done. You’re listening to it, and you hear it in your head and you already know what it’s going to be. We sync up pretty well after all this time of writing songs together so ... that part is easy, which is good. The hard part, of course, is coming up with the riff that is good. A song like ‘Face to the Floor’ almost wrote itself. You know you have a good song when it works out that well.”
On the title of the band’s sixth album Hats Off to the Bull:
“The title ... is really about rooting for the underdog. At the time of writing it we were following the news, and just seeing how as Americans we are the underdogs compared to the people who make our laws and who are representing us. We’re trying to leave politics and religion out of the music, but you are still influenced by what is happening in the world. The title track is about animal cruelty.”
On the energy level of an outdoor show
“One of the biggest factors, surprisingly, is darkness. With a festival you usually only have one or two bands that play when it’s dark, and most of the bands play when it is light. People are a little bit insecure [in the daylight]. They want to watch the music and be a part of it, but when it is light out people get a little bit insecure, and it changes the vibe. ... But playing a club or a theater where it’s absolutely packed — and we’ve done that a lot lately — is an amazing thing. ... To connect with a crowd like that.”
On their song-packed sets
“We don’t do much antics on stage because our shows are so packed because Pete and Dean are playing and singing, and we are all doing so much during the show, and we are trying to fit so many songs into whatever amount of time we have that we end up not being able to sit back and enjoy the process. Lately we’ve been taking a song out so we have a little bit of breathing room so we can talk to the crowd and engage them.”