Hats Off to the Bull

Background

Pete Loeffler, when talking about the album in an interview with Artistdirect, cited his difficulty when writing saying he read a lot of books and went on to cite Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins as an example of getting away from music when hitting a wall, quoted saying "I'm constantly rewriting them and trying not to rhyme too much." He also stated that the song "Clones" touches on the criticism that the band sounds too much like the band Tool, but going on to say it's about "getting shit from peers and people saying that you're ripping somebody else off" and that the song goes back to his youth as well as one other track.

The band also stated that "Clones" felt like it belonged on Point #1, questioning if it was a negative or positive direction.

In the interview with Artistdirect.com, Pete also said that he and Bernardini were on a "Stanley Kubrick kick", noting The Shining as one of the movies they'd record and watch at the end of the night on the tour bus, but marked that he found a humor to it and that he had also watched all the Star Trek movies back-to-back.

The album's title comes from Pete's disgust at bullfighting. He explains "It’s such a heartless sport and it’s so torturous for these animals ... We got the idea of rooting for the bull instead. We root for the underdog."

Critical reception

Hats Off to the Bull received generally positive reviews from critics. AllMusic reviewer Gregory Heaney said, "Heavy and dramatic, the album is packed full of tightly coiled, muscular riffs, giving the album a controlled feeling more like a slow burn than an explosive, cathartic release." Ryan Jones at Alternative Addiction states "The guitar lines and effects here are nothing short of fantastic.", citing the songs "Face to the Floor" and "Same Old Trip". He does, however, state it's not as good as Chevelle's past albums, citing "...while this album starts and finishes strong, the middle is a mundane experience."

In About.com's article for their Best Rock Albums of 2011, in which Hats Off to the Bull placed sixth, author Tim Grierson said, "Chevelle have yet to turn into mature, reflective balladeers -- and that's a very good thing. With Hats Off to the Bull, the Chicago trio continue to deliver on-point rockers full of snarling nastiness. Taut and lean, catchy and mean, these 11 tracks expertly deliver their payload in four concise, punishing minutes of superb guitar rock."

PopMatters reviewer Pete Crigler said, "On Hats Off to the Bull, Chevelle’s sixth album, they return to their roots with the amazingly heavy first single, "Face to the Floor", which has already become one of their biggest hits. Built on an amazing riff, the song sounds just like Chevelle of 2002, and in this day and age, that’s something that’s perfectly acceptable to listen to."

Sputnikmusic reviewer Elijah K. said, "Hats Off to the Bull, like all Chevelle records, is truly a solid album if there ever was one. It opens up with the heavy hitter, 'Face to the Floor', and largely keeps the energy flowing from there. Chevelle’s sixth proper full-length is a well-produced and overall very enjoyable rock album. However, the band is starting to show age in their formula, making Hats Off to the Bull feel like it's been down a very, very well-traveled path."

The song "Hats Off to the Bull" was ranked at No. 90 on Music Choice's Top 100 Songs of 2012.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Pete Loeffler; all music composed by Pete Loeffler, Sam Loeffler and Dean Bernardini.