Chevelle has been a quality band for a decade now, consistently putting out dark, moody, accessible hard rock along the lines of what Tool might do if they took their sound in more of pop direction. But aside from a couple songs on their breakthrough album Wonder What’s Next (2002), Chevelle’s first four records never quite grabbed me the way my favorite music does. There’s always been a coldness to their sound that keeps them at a distance from the listener, and that space only grew wider as each album came out sounding more slick and polished than the last. Album No. 5, Sci-Fi Crimes, has a looser feel, which instead of sounding rushed or sloppy, comes across as more energetic and spontaneous than anything they’ve done in the past.

Before this album, if you had asked me what my favorite Chevelle song was, I would have told you “Comfortable Liar” without any hesitation. Sci-Fi Crimes is such a strong effort that several other candidates are now in the mix: “Fell into Your Shoes,” with some of Pete Loeffler’s best guitar work and a nice vocal; “Shameful Metaphors,” which builds more smoothly than the typical loud/soft approach and has a title that the writer in me loves; and especially, “Sleep Apnea,” “Mexican Sun” and “Roswell’s Spell,” three of the heaviest tracks in the band’s catalog.

The approach and attitude have changed a bit, but Sci-Fi Crimes is very much a Chevelle album. It isn’t likely to change the opinion of a non-fan. Chevelle followers should eat it up, though, and for someone on the fence—as I was—it might be the push you need to gain a greater appreciation of the band.