Crisálida - Crisálida (2006)

Artista: Crisálida
Álbum: Crisálida
Año: 2006
Género: Heavy prog / Neoprogresivo
Duración: 52:42
Nacionalidad: Chile

Lista de Temas:
1. Alas (3:43)
2. A mi tierra no llegarás (4:47)
3. En el nombre de... (5:06)
4. Ameba (4:58)
5. Hojas en invierno (5:22)
6. Justicia made in Chile (5:04)
7. Sinfonía "V" (3:18)
8. Silencio (1:49)
9. Despertar (5:04)
10. Camino secreto (6:32)
11. De sueño y libertad (6:57)

Alineación:
- Cinthia Santibanez Verdugo / voices
- Cristian Alfredo Carrillo / guitars
- Manuel Soto / keyboards
- Rodrigo Garcia / bass
- Rodrigo Sanchez Meneses / drums

Neck se suma al show de resubidas y nos manda los links de descarga de este fantástico primer álbum de Crisálida, quizás uno de los mejores grupos progresivos latinoamericanos de la actualidad. Desde ya, gracias Neck!

"Desde los albores de la humanidad el hombre ha tenido en los insectos una fuente de inspiración inagotable. El vuelo y la belleza de las mariposas, el terror a las picaduras de los himenópteros, el sonido nocturno de las cigarras, los misterios de la metamorfosis, etc., han inflado la imaginación de los artistas. La literatura, la pintura, la cerámica, la moda, el periodismo, la música y otras tantas y tantas ramas del saber se han valido de estos diminutos y curiosos animales para expresar en un momento dado sus inquietudes."

Este fue el primer álbum de Crisálida, que en la misma senda donde se mezcla el neoprogresivo, el metal y el folklore, generan un disco interesante. Luego de tocar con Asia, The Gathering (dos shows consecutivos como banda de soporte), Asia, Deep Purple, el año pasado incluso tocaron junto a Quilapayún en el teatro Caupolicán celebrando sus 45 años de existencia, en el Festival Antofagasta 2009, en el Lima prog Fest II, la 2º Cumbre del Rock Chileno, etc. podemos decir que seguramente son una de las bandas de rock chilenas con más experiencia sobre el escenario, siempre desplegando su propio estilo y siendo fieles a su idea inicial.

Crisálida: cuatro coordenadas musicales para un ensamblaje de rock, metal, vanguardia y folklore. Cuatro musicos y una voz femenina sobresaliente conforman el núcleo de la banda, formada a fines de 1997. Catorce años después, la ilusión de la música continúa intacta.
Cuatro discos oficialmente editados, y siendo la única banda nacional independiente con rotación radial, confirma que Crisálida es una banda con una propuesta original y sólida.

I knew nothing about Crisalida until my colleague prog head Wahyu Adi informed me emotionally on how he has been totally impressed by the neo-prog music created and delevered by this Chile based band. He urged me to have a try and he gave me this debut album.
Oh man ... it BLEW me away at first spin! Why?
First, the kind of music the band delivers is something that I have been missing a lot from any new progressive bands: the combination of high energy, or you may call it an energetic or dynmaic kind of music blended beautifully with great tagline melody, captivating tempo, mood and style changes throughout the music that brings you to musical orgasm from start to end and you are not even aware that the album reaches its final track. Man ... I am not exaggerating it, try it for yourself and satisfaction guaranteed! The music scores high on the composition in terms of melody, complexity, harmony, change of styles and structural integrity.
Second, the music brings me to the zone when I don't need to think about what kind of genre or sub-genre or sub-sub-genre these folks are trying to do. I am just drown into the beauty of the music they are playing and I do not really care what the heck of musical genre they do - it does NOT really matter to me at all. It brings me to the basic principle: "Music is emotion". Yeah, that's right man! My emotion is totally stirred when I am listening to this album like what I am doing now while writing this review. Of course I am accompanied by a cup of kopi tubruk (freshly brewed Javanese cofee). Well... if you force me to say what kind of genre this band plays, I tend to say it's the kind where you can not differiantiate between symphonic prog and progressive metal. Yes, the texture is symphonic or neo- progressive but if you look at the tempo and guitar solo you will see the smell of Petrucci style but .. the keyboard sounds bring you to symphonic music - I would say it's Mark Kelly style (Marillion Fish era). Confused? I bet you are! I do apologize for not being able to give you the right answer on this issue. Can I suggest this: "A hybrid of symphonic prog and progressive metal"? You'd better have the album first and make your comments about it.
One thing for sure, do NOT miss this album!
"Alas" (3:43) (in Javanese language this word means 'forest') is a great opener in symphonic prog style starting with an ambient keyboard solo followed with musical riffs using keyboard as main instrument followed with guitar riffs. The music gives a chance to Cinthia Santibanez Verdugo delivers her powerful voice in Spanish. This is another excellent thing, the lyrics are Spanish and they sound well ini the kind of music Crisalida is playing. There are parts with guitar solo and keyboard solo that reminds me to progressive metal scene. The song ends beautifully in relatively short period.
The second track "A mi tierra no llegarás" (4:47) is in fact much more captivating with excellent opening part with drums followed with keyboard and guitar that brings to voice entering the music in moderate tempo. But the music climbs its tone with really powerful (I mean it) Cinthia voice. You will find this song is very dynamic and it demonstrates the ultimate power of female vocal who sings wholeheartedly throughout the song. I think she can control high and low tones beautifully in this song. The guitar solo by Cristian Alfredo Carrillo is also wonderful. This second track is really a WOW! to me. It's really great! Look at how Manuel Soto performs his keyboard solo after guitar one. Oh man ... You must listen to this album! Rodrigo plays his drums using double pedals that reminds me to typical power metal music.
"En el nombre de... "(5:06) maintains the same spirit with the first two tracks through the relatively fast tempo music with some insertions of heavy musical riffs - but it's not really progressive metal. Yes, you can find the nuances of power metal of Rodgrigo drumming - buut it's in a balanced way. The great thing about this song is its melody that allows the female vocal delivers her best through various changing moods and tempo of the music. This third track is more prog than the previous two tracks. It blows me away .. especially on the way the singer sings (it's because of the powerful melody).
You will remember Dream Theater if the track number 4 "Ameba" (4:58) is being played. It's becase of the opening riffs remind you to the similar prog metal music like Dream Theater. But the female vocal makes it different from other bands. There is part where the band is able to combine symphonic prog (through the keyboard solo) and progressive metal (through the drum work and guitar riffs). Garcia is finally given a chance to give his bass guitar solo followed with Petruccian guitar solo.
"Hojas en invierno" (5:22) starts mellow with stunning guitar solo followed with mellow female voice. When the track reaches the middle it elevates to a very nice and more complex symphonic prog music using keyboard as solo instrument. "Justicia made in Chile" (5:04) brings the music back to progressive metal style with double pedal bass drumming combined with excellent keyboard. "Sinfonía "V"" (3:18) brings the music into heavier tone with dynamic riffs and powerful vocal. "Silencio" (1:49) provides a musical break with nice piano touch and mellow vocal. It's a nice bridge to the next instrumental track. I bet you will love to listen to "Despertar" (5:04) - an instrumental track that reminds me to band like Aghora which combines heavy progressive metal music with jazz falavour. Well, you can say this track at par excellent with Rush 'Yyz" or other Dream Theater instrumental tracks like the wonderful "Stream of Consciousness". But this instrumental track is not purely metal as it has other styles as well. It's mainly a symphonic prog music, of course. The guitar solo brings you to the Petrucci style. This time the bass guitar solo gives the jazz components of the music. It's really an excellent composition.
The remaining two concluding tracks "Camino secreto" (6:32) and "De sueño y libertad" (6:57) are also excellent.
Overall, it's a highly recommended prog album that you must have it. It's a 4.5 star rating. Keep on proggin' ...!!!
Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW - Deep sympathy for the Gaza situation ...

Gatot Widayanto

Crisálida en la actualidad se encuentra promocionando su nuevo disco "SOLAR". Considerando que "RACO", su antecesor, fue distinguido como mejor disco de vanguardia" de Rockaxis.com en 2009 y uno de los discos del 2009 en musicachilena.cl, hay inmensas expectativas del nuevo material de estudio de la banda.
Mientras espero poder conseguir ese álbum en algún momento, este es un comentario sobre el nuevo disco "Solar":

SOLAR, cuarto disco de Crisálida, matices de tierra y rock
En esta ocasión, Crisálida y su art rock nos exhibe la muestra de un trabajo de muchos meses de intensa composición y cuidadosos arreglos, cuyo resultado está marcado por el reflejo de inconfundibles paisajes de nuestra tierra y etéreas atmósferas sonoras. Retratos de la cordillera, del mar, de sus volcanes, su fuego, sus desiertos y sus campos infinitos. Junto a ello, escuchamos una propuesta rítmica, donde predominan los 6/8´s que pocas veces ha sido utilizada en la dimensión rockera y que Crisálida asumió desde el inicio del trabajo de composición hasta el registro de la última nota.
También destaca en el que "Solar" será el sucesor de "Raco" (2009) la abundancia de pasajes acústicos que componen la base musical de esta nueva propuesta de Crisálida, sosteniendo de esta forma un discurso original, auténtico y profundo de las letras, a cargo de la inconfundible voz de Cinthia Santibáñez.

www.crisalida.cl
www.myspace.com/crisalidamusic
www.facebook.com/crisalidamusic