Image by Ertok Design
When you think of a surf rock concept record, it may be hard to imagine a setting outside of a sunny beach. Milwaukee band Devils Teeth, however, have taken their stories elsewhere for their latest effort on Triple Eye Industries, La Leggenda di Chong Li. The record takes a spaghetti western tone, living largely around reverb-drenched guitars and a driving saxophone that lend themselves well to both surf and grittier rock songs. Chong Li, the central character, is from martial arts classic film Bloodsport.
La Leggenda di Chong Li is an expansion upon “Chong Li,” a staple of the band’s live set well before the idea of a concept record was in play. Eventually, the band would write a sequel, and then ultimately four chapters of the story that closes out the release. Three additional tracks, “She Speaks to Coyotes,” “Psychopath,” and the high-energy “Ride of the Devils Teeth” round out the record, playing like a movie score to accent La Leggenda. While not necessarily part of the overall story, they build sonic context for the series that plays out on the back half.
“It kind of naturally evolved” said guitarist Jon Hanusa. “’Chong Li’ was one of the first songs, if not the first song, that came together when we started the band. It was our one spaghetti western sounding song in the set list, and then Eric (Arsnow) came up with another riff, and it grew and morphed into this whole thing. Then we decided we should make this our spaghetti western album.”
Recording for La Leggenda di Chong Li took place at a converted barn on the outskirts of the city. In a case of art imitating life, the rural atmosphere played a subtle influence on Devils Teeth while tracking. In a more overt manner, atmospheric sounds were created by adding some unorthodox background instruments, spanning everything from chains to a washtub.
|
|
“It was fun, and it didn’t really take anybody by surprise within the creativity of this album” said Hanusa.
“I feel like we were striking down for the day, and someone would just randomly hit something and say ‘that sounded kind of cool’ and we’d layer it in there” said Arsnow.
To keep things cohesive, certain elements work their way between tracks. Guitar riffs resurface as the record progresses, and the transition from life to death for the main character is marked by a notable change in tempo. All the while, Devils Teeth keep the tight, raw sound that elevated their name on the 2018 debut Suki Yaki Hot!. Keeping the theme
“A concept record was a new thing for all of us, and we’ve kind of always wanted to tackle” said Arsnow. “Being able to play around with the instrumentation on this was really cool and experimental for us.”
You can check out La Leggendia di Chong Li today on all major streaming platforms.
