Dávila 666 / Davila 666

It's tempting to call Davila 666 Puerto Rico's leading garage punk band, but let's face it, how many other rock bands from Puerto Rico can even a well-informed American rock fan name? Then again, if there are a bunch more bands like Davila 666 down there, it may be time to hop the next flight to San Juan to check out the scene, since the band's North American debut is heady stuff indeed. This six-man combo generates a monolithic wall of sound, and if this isn't as frantic as some of their contemporaries in the United States, Davila 666's better-than-average chops, potent swagger, and thorough knowledge of the cooler chapter of rock & roll history more than compensate. "Nueva Localizacion" and "Muy Chistoso" suggest a beefed-up version of the Velvet Underground, "No Quiero" and "Dimelo Ya" are near perfect evocations of Beat-era 1960s pop, "El Lobo" and "9:36 (P**o)" replicate the glorious sneer of first-generation punk rock, and "No Puedo Ver" sounds like these guys learned a bit from the tight-focused drive of Radio Birdman. Unlike most guys with taste this good, Davila 666's instrumental skills are every bit as good as their record collections, and guitar maulers Johnny Otis Davila and Gigi Davila lock in with a fiery six-string attack just as drummer San Pablo Davila can hold down any kind of rhythm the band throws at him. And while the production and recording are a bit on the lo-fi side, each track has the appropriate variety and amount of grit added — very rarely does aural sludge sound so artfully applied. Davila 666 can kick your butt, but they can also do a lot more, and this album is more than just a Spanish-language novelty for garage rock fans, it's a great set from a band with talent, smarts, and muscle, and anyone with an ear for the loud sound should add this to their playlist.