LA ISLA DE LOS MUERTOS

With this third release "La Isla de los Muertos", Chilean band La Desooorden began to unweave and develop their progressive side after two albums in which they had focused on a more straightforward approach to rock-fusion. Now, this is a concept album about one of the most miserable moments of Chile's history: the termination of around 2000 people who worked for the Baker Exploitation Company in the XI Region: all of them had been taken to the distant region of Caleta Tortel and killed so the company wouldn't have to pay them their salaries. This dramatic story of greed, blood and injustice inspired poet Manuel Zúñiga to write a sort of epic, and that is where the band took their idea for this album. Poetry and social concern can easily motivate a sort of ambition in the musical domain, and La Desooorden properly accomplished this intuition. The band's sonic delivery is related to Koiak and Mar de Robles, as well as the Mexican band Maldita Vecindad (one of the most celebrated bands in Latin America in the 90s, despite their reluctance to be part of the mainstream), and for the more lyrical passages, Congreso. The album starts with a dreamy intro of piano and violin, portraying an air of mystery augmented by the sampled voices that represent the dead men, women and children's spirits. The dreamy stuff slowly developed into a creepy mood, although the disturbance is never explicitly explosive. 'Pardos Fueron Frente al Mar' brings us the whole ensemble's sound for the first time. The strong presence of extra percussions together with the permanent rhythm duo is highlighted in the global arrangement, although Pfeifer's sax and Banda's guitar noticeable display traces of refined energy. Both singers alternate chanting and narration, which also helps to convey the sense of drama inherent to the concept: actually, the recitations outnumber (or so I think.) the sung parts. 'Algo Tenía que Ver la Luna' keeps up with the momentum, reinforcing the jazz element: this song has hooks, but also a reasonable dose of complexity. 'Pero Dios Los Visita de Vez en Cuando' displays melancholic nuances, while 'Me Pregunto Entre Todas las Preguntas' shows the most aggressive facet of the band. The latter's vibrant scheme ultimately states an electrifying climax for the ambiences that had been first originated in the preceding track. 'En los Ojos de la Muerte' sort of recapitulates the moods conveyed on tracks 2 and 3. 'Caleta Tortel' is headed for the exotic potential of fusion, with guest violinist Benjamín Ruz assuming a preferential role in the instrumental architecture: a very majestic interlude. 'Seguramente Encontraremos' brings back the band's aggressive side, only this time blended with sophisticated interludes on martial rhythmic cadences, as well as a finale that is more evocative than flaming. 'Las Palabras Viajan en el Viento' bears lyrical textures ordained in an overall jazz-fusion framework. Not unlike 'Caleta Tortel', 'Bajo Pisagua' is majestic and dreamy, and it also features guest violinist Ruz. The album is closed down by 'Lo Que Ha Quedado Es Solo Esto', a mid-tempo that perfectly recreates the sense of farewell and distance that ghosts embrace when thinking of the world that they were forced to leave behind. The sax lines are particularly evocative. "La Isla de los Muertos" is an interactive CD: when you play it on your PC, it displays a series of images and photo from Chile's jungle areas, credits and lyrics, band photos, wallpapers, fauna and nature's sounds,. really lovely. In terms of using rock as an art of eclectic sounds, La Desooorden really went for it with this album. In comparison with the follow-up "Ciudad de Papel", this album's sonic strategy feels less robust, but definitely, richer in subtleties and moods. Both albums are excellent items recommended to those die- hard prog fans with fusion inclinations.