Record Rack

Ten years after its inception, one of the most hyperkinetic salsa bands in the world is looking for new directions, with hit-and-miss results. Originally, it was such songs as “La Expresiva” and “Los Sitios Entero” that made the Cuban group superstars, through the explosive combination of a menacing brass section known as los metales del terror and a take-no-prisoners approach to rhythm. Now, the former fighters appear somewhat disoriented and, unfortunately, quite harmless.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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* Excerpts from these and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: https://www.latimes.com/soundclips