American hard rock acts with a Christian message became quite common in the new millennium, as chart-toppers such as Creed and P.O.D. helped pave the way for newer bands such as Chevelle. Formed in 1994 by brothers Sam Loeffler (b. Samuel Loeffler, 17 December 1974, USA; drums) and Pete Loeffler (b. Peter Loeffler, 19 October 1976, USA; vocals/guitar) in their home town of Chicago, Illinois, the original line-up also featured bass player Matt Scott. Citing US bands Helmet and Tool as prime influences, the brothers did not have to search far to come up with a name, as they were born into a family heavily into building racing cars. Although all still in their early teens, Chevelle began making the rounds playing local clubs and bars, before third brother Joe Loeffler (b. Joseph Loeffler, 12 September 1980, USA; bass) was brought in to replace Scott. The trio made a fan out of renowned producer Steve Albini, who produced their 1999 debut album, Point #1, for the independent Squint label. The album included several lyrical references which pointed to the Loeffler’s faith, but in interviews the brothers disassociated themselves from the Christian music industry.
Interest from major labels soon followed, as the trio signed a recording contract with Epic Records. In 2002, they released their major label debut, Wonder What’s Next, on which they worked with another renowned producer in the alt metal genre, Garth Richardson aka GGGarth. Despite lacking some of their debut’s raw power, the album spawned the radio hit ‘Send The Pain Below’ and repaid Epic’s faith in the trio by quickly reaching platinum status. A live collection acted as a stopgap while the band worked on new studio material. The resulting This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) reached the US Top 10 in October 2004. Joe Loeffler left the band the following summer, with producer Geno Lenardo standing in for touring purposes. His replacement was the Loeffler’s brother-in-law Dean Bernardini, who made his debut on the band’s fourth studio album, Vena Sera.
