I’d say a first blind listen was enough to understand why this work hasn’t stopped circulating by word of mouth in the underground. What La Estrategia del Caracol and Cámara Chilena de la Destrucción have created isn’t the typical contractual alliance where two bands gather discards to fill a format. El Hambre y las Ganas de Comer feels like a cohesive and fierce studio album, an eight-track pitched battle where both sides feed on the same rage to deliver one of the most well-rounded works of the Latin American independent scene so far this year.
What truly makes this roughly 30-minute release work is the brilliant dynamic of interspersing the tracks, achieving a narrative flow that grabs you by the neck and doesn’t let go. On one side, the Santiago-based La Estrategia del Caracol contribute the odd-numbered tracks, unleashing cathartic and relentless post-hardcore. Their sound features a fascinating hybrid of rough math rock, bursts of screamo, and even nods to the dense, ominous aura of Slint or even Radiohead. Songs like “Panqui” or the deranged “Sama Sushi Bar” progress through verses built on clean melodies and heavy bass lines, only to culminate in chaotic choruses where guitars explode, taking no prisoners.
On the other side of the ring, Cámara Chilena de la Destrucción contributes the even-numbered tracks with a more melodic yet equally precise approach. From Temuco, the band revives the essence of Midwest emo and 90s emo-pop (at times reminiscent of genre titans like The Brave Little Abacus), with hyperactive guitar lines that surprisingly bring to mind the pop brilliance of certain 90s anime openings. It’s in pieces like “Código Morse”, “Raúl Ducci Claro”, or the glorious “GTA Santiago” (possibly the best song on the album) where nostalgia hits you squarely in the chest with lyrics that are miserable in the best possible way, hyper-emotional choruses, and a rhythmic dynamism that makes you want to run at full speed.
In summary, more than two EPs forcibly glued together, this feels like a joint declaration of intent. Amidst unpredictable rhythm changes, bursts of distortion, and atmospheric passages bordering on doomgaze, El Hambre y las Ganas de Comer confirms that the creative spark in Chile is more alive than ever. If you’re into furious, sentimental, no-holds-barred alternative rock, this album is your direct ticket to the best noise being made on the American continent.