In a dusty desert, crickets chirp as tumbleweeds blow past in the moonlit night. The faint howl of a coyote can be heard in the distance as a chill cuts to the bone. Is this Earth’s new reality, the hellscape that is 2021? Or is it a distant land and a distant time? It’s not quite clear, but not much is anymore. The purple-hued sky is scanned for signs of reassurance, but none can be found. Just then, a distorted guitar chord breaks through. Other vibrations gather with it, overtaking the expanse of the desert. The unfamiliar sound beckons. Saddle back up. There is no more time to rest—it’s time to ride.

La leggenda di Chong Li (out digitally + physically on April 2 via Triple Eye Industries), the new offering from Devils Teeth, is a spaghetti western garage rock operetta inspired by the character Chong Li from the martial arts film Bloodsport. Self-recorded, largely in a barn-turned-art space next to an insect-infested forest on the outskirts of Milwaukee, La leggenda di Chong Li sprung from the cinematic mind of guitarist/vocalist Jonny Glissando, was produced under the keen direction of bassist/vocalist Erico Bello, is driven by the unparalleled rhythmic prowess of percussionist/drummer Chazz Bolognese, and is augmented with the melodic saxophone contortions of il Snaggletoots. La leggenda di Chong Li follows up the band’s 2018 debut Suki Yaki Hot!, reaching far beyond that album’s garage-punk-surf mold. Following a sonic and narrative arc, La leggenda di Chong Li builds on the old sound with elements of exotica and spaghetti western, and with production qualities reminiscent of a rich Orbison record, to create its own Wall of Sound coupled with an other-worldly cinematic experience.