Chavez spins off into new territories on their second album, Ride the Fader. Equal parts post-hardcore punk and prog-metal, Chavez's music is intellectual guitar rock riffs are fractured and self-consciously asymmetrical, winding in and out. What prevents Ride the Fader from becoming a tedious, pompous exercise in experimental rock is visceral directness, combined with detail. Chavez is a powerful, muscular band, capable of giving their densely packed songs a startling immediacy. Top Pocket Man, Guard Attacks, Unreal Is Here, New Room, Tight Around the Jaws, Lions, Our Boys Will Shine Tonight, Memorize This Face, Cold Joys, Flight 96, Ever Overpsyched, You Must Be Stopped
