"Under the volcano" is, according to unanimous criteria, one of the most important works in the history of universal literature. It is the masterpiece of Malcolm Lowry, author who wrote little more. Published in 1947, it narrates the last day of the life of the fictional ex-consul of Great Britain in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Lowry uses the character, Geoffrey Firmin, to describe, in a partially autobiographical way, a self-destructive personality dominated by alcoholism. It is a novel of around 500 pages that describe, through the "stream of consciousness", the course of a day, the Day of the Dead of 1938, in the Mexican region of Morelos, where the Popocatepetl volcano is located. The book deals in depth with the personalities of its three protagonists: Geoffrey, Yvonne (the ex-wife) and Hugh (the half-brother).
"Under the Volcano" is the reference of Àlex Torío to write the album "THE NEGLECTED GARDEN".
Based on the work of Lowry, through 12 songs, - like Lowry uses 12 chapters for his novel, Torío makes a recreation of the environment and the feelings that are perceived throughout the text. From the point of view of various characters, depending on each song, expresses their interpretation of the psychology of each of them.