The Latin subtitle for the second album from Chilean guitar/drum duo At Devil Dirt, Vulgo Gratissimus Auctor, translates according to the interwebs to “most popular author.” What this phrase might have to do with the Corvus Discos release of Chapter II itself, I’m not sure, but the thick-toned Santiago twosome make a strong case for the bestseller list all the same. Listening to the new 11-track collection doesn’t pack the same kind of surprise as did the first run through their 2011 self-titled debut (review here), if only because that album did so well to establish At Devil Dirt’s tidal-fuzz methodology, but Chapter II: Vulgo Gratissimus Auctor satisfies thoroughly nonetheless, growing the melodic vocal style of guitarist Néstor “Gato” Ayala and presenting a number of developmental changes both superficial and aesthetic. Primary on the surface is the fact that at 47:38, Chapter II is 12 minutes longer than was its predecessor, and with one less track, the obvious conclusion to draw is that Ayala and drummer Francisco “Hongo” Alvarado are riding their parts out longer, increasing the average length of the songs. That’s true. Where eight of the tracks on At Devil Dirt were under three minutes long last time, only “Peel” qualifies this time around – though a couple others are close. The long songs are also longer – mid-album highlight “Let it Flow” tops seven minutes, and opener “I am an Ugly Skin” six and a half – both longer than anything At Devil Dirt has attempted to date. As those two tracks are some of the best on Chapter II, I feel comfortable calling the experiment a success, though there are places on the album where the wash of low end in Ayala’s guitar tone – the self-producing outfit does not use a bass and makes a point to say so – seems to be straining at the weight of its monolithic largesse. Offsetting that is largely the responsibility of the vocals, which are gorgeous layers of psychedelic melody, such that even the titular proclamation of “I am an Ugly Skin” seems somewhat less believable by the sheer prettiness of its delivery.

Also of note for anyone who may have heard the first record – or even if you didn’t, I suppose – is that none of the tracks on Chapter II is sung in Spanish. The catchy hooks that make standouts of “I Walk Aimlessly,” “Better the Devil You Know than the Devil You Don’t Know,” “Let it Flow” and “I Said Goddamn” are all in English, and while most of the self-titled was as well, the shift is nonetheless noteworthy. That doesn’t stop it from being or at least sounding personal lyrically – three of the song titles also start with “I” – and though “I am an Ugly Skin” is given a surprisingly abrasive intro of feedback and screams, once the song itself actually starts, it’s a mid-paced lolling groove that sets the tone well for much of what At Devil Dirt have on offer with the album. Moods vary somewhat throughout, but Ayala’s tone remains consistent across the board, and that’s a good thing. While I wonder at various points what a bass might add to the dynamic between the guitar and Alvarado’s similarly-hefted crash and periodic show of bluesy swagger, At Devil Dirt want nothing for thickness. Shorter tracks like second cut “Don’t be Afraid” (3:06) or the later “Lie to Me” (3:26), “Peel” (2:03), and “I Said Goddamn” (3:09) run a faster tempo, and while one might think the overwhelming heaviness of the guitar would be best suited to sluggish stoner groove, on “Peel” the effect is like elephants running. Additionally, as much focus is by the nature of the material and the recording going to be on the guitar sound – the tone is just that good; it can’t be ignored as a defining element of the listening experience – periodic landmark choruses and the depths of arrangement and layering in the vocals show At Devil Dirt aren’t solely relying on riffs and fuzz to carry across their ideas. “Better the Devil You Know than the Devil You Don’t Know” beefs up an early High on Fire thrust, but the sweetness of the melody makes the track even more memorable, and with the upbeat, brighter mood of “Let it Flow,” At Devil Dirt touch on heavy psychedelic pop in a way that few desert rock bands dare, and do it brilliantly, marrying harmonies and fullness of sound with a grace that makes one wonder how they ever became viewed as separate ideas to start with. On a single-song level, it is their best work to date.

And their positioning it toward the middle of the tracklist seems to indicate that they know it as well, which can only be a good thing. Still, it’s “Lie to Me” that’s the actual centerpiece of the album, its lurch turned into a shuffle, and “Peel” follows with a continuation of pacing and Queens of the Stone Age-style riffing. There are a couple shouts in the chorus of “Peel,” but they’re mixed lower and never quite as abrasive as some of the vocals were on the self-titled. “Curse” cuts the pacing somewhat, but keeps the momentum, though at five minutes it feels less able to get out of its own way than did either of the two songs before it. However it might smooth the gap between the rush of “Peel” and the languishing psych of “Unleash Your Anger” – another strong hook vocally and a riff that in another context wouldn’t be out of place on a Conan record – it’s still overwhelmed by the surrounding tracks. Ayala’s repetitive chorus in “Unleash Your Anger” flows well with the insistent guitar line, and Alvarado grounds the song well as he has the whole album through. His playing isn’t flashy or overly technical, but he’s got presence enough in what he does to stand up to Ayala’s guitar, and that’s saying something. With “I Said Goddamn,” his drums propel the bluesy Goatsnake-esque push forward, making the plod sound almost playful behind the swaggering chorus, and though the fuzz seems lighter and more dynamic on closer “That the Start Sweet Ends Bitter” it’s soon brought about to full thickness, and the final undulating groove makes a firm bed for the layers of vocals overtop, more harmonies making the verses and choruses emblematic of At Devil Dirt’s quickened evolution. They end without pretense, as they started, and retain a sense of grit underneath the surface of the music, but it’s about the melody and about the tone and about what Ayala and Alvarado can make with both. The first album was strikingly cohesive, and showed that the duo had a firm grip on what they wanted to be as a band. Chapter II: Vulgo Gratissimus Auctor goes further – not only in confirming the potential of its predecessor, but in setting a course for progression in style and performance that makes these songs a joy to hear. There are a few that resonate better than others, but taken as a whole work, At Devil Dirt’s second offering is a rich collection that gives a lasting impression, and the span they cover proves that it’s not all about tone… even if there’s plenty of that to be had as well.

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Tags: At Devil Dirt, At Devil Dirt Chapter II, Chile, Corvus Discos, Santiago

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 8th, 2012 at 3:20 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.