Manual de Combate – Para acabar con la repetición de lo existente

Punk, since its early days, has always held a soft spot for experimentalism, remaining closely linked to avant-garde and Dadaist theories and movements. For instance, one of the age-old debates is about the duality of the art form and its context—especially in countercultural movements like DIY punk. Chile’s Manual de Combate rank among the most prominent bands in recent years that transform their political background and punk aesthetics into a boundless, experimental art form. Their new record, Para acabar con la repetición de lo existente, is another exquisite example of how broad this sound can be.

Like its predecessor, Damos vueltas en el círculo de la noche mientras el fuego nos consume, their new record offers a kaleidoscopic glimpse into Manual de Combate’s artistic philosophy. Across 31 minutes, the experimental punk group—firmly rooted in their jazzy bass-and-drums foundation—opens up toward a more cinematic atmosphere, laden with melancholy and subversive overtones. This time around, the flute takes a prominent role, setting the tone in pieces like “Más allá de la amnistía / Beyond Amnesty,” while the vocals present adapted texts from the Beyond Amnesty zine in an interesting and poetic style.

Social alienation, schizophrenia, and personal desolation under the capitalist machine all feature prominently in this record, whose title translates to “To put an end to the repetition of what already exists.” Tracing lines from Charles Mingus and Gil Scott-Heron, through Coltrane to MC5, and from Birthday Party to The Nation Of Ulysses and Fugazi and their free-jazz influences, punk and jazz have maintained common ground as countercultural art movements linked to the struggles of lower social classes, especially in their formative years. On each release, Manual de Combate are keen to explore into this tradition, seeking to place art’s imaginative facet at the forefront. For example, the harsh screams that pierce the air during “Piedras que se lanzan desde los puentes / Stones being cast from the bridges” unleash the subliminal musical tensions without disrupting the dreamy, surreal ambiance.

Manual de Combate are masters of their songwriting craft, and their new album is no exception. Personally, after many listens, I’m convinced the Chilean quartet deeply honors their country’s long, rich tradition of revolutionary art—particularly in tumultuous times. Para acabar con la repetición de lo existente is very cohesive, with recurring themes appearing across different tracks, shaping a holistic performance. Jazz-punk is a fascinating hybrid, and Manual de Combate manage to deliver a multi-tiered rhythmic display within concise song structures. Their anarcho-communist, visionary art still resonates powerfully, conveying alienation but also camaraderie, confronting everyday challenges of the modern capitalist world, and reminding us of experimentalism’s and transcendent art’s roots: growing from below, from the oppressed, bearing ideals that unite artistic freedom with social liberation. It’s a bond that must not be broken.

Manual de Combate are currently on tour in Europe—don’t miss them if you’re around any of their stops!