Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Komodo: heavy metal from the heart of Panama
As every week, Chaoszine.net recommends a band for you to discover. This time, the featured band is Komodo, hailing from Central America.
Komodo is a heavy metal outfit based in Panama City, Panama. It was formed in 2014 as a cover project for legendary bands like Megadeth and Metallica. The remarkable chemistry among the members served as the driving force that propelled them to progress and remain united under the name Komodo.
In early 2015, the Panama-born group premiered their first songs, “Out Of Luck” and “One More Fight”, live at the Odebrecht Rock Festival, where they secured first place in a competition featuring 45 national bands. Later that same year, the band recorded their first professional single: “Out Of Luck“.
In August 2018, Komodo released their first music video titled “Fear The Komodo” as part of the promotional campaign for their debut album of the same name.
Komodo organized a launch concert for the album and music video at the renowned Hard Rock Café Panama, showcasing months of effort in production, lighting, and professional sound. The concert sold out all available tickets, reaching full capacity.
Komodo in W:O:A
In 2016, Komodo qualified for the Central American Final of the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle, held at the Megametal festival in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
In 2020, the outfit qualified once more as Panama’s representative for the Central American Final of the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle. However, the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Central American Final of the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle took place in Guatemala City on April 9, 2022, where Komodo triumphed in a contest against six Central American bands, earning a spot in the World Final of the Wacken Open Air Metal Battle to be held in August 2022 in Germany.
Komodo, made up of Hugo Andrade (vocals, rhythm guitar), Carlos Owens (Lead Guitar, backing Vocals), Juan Manuel Diaz (bass, backing vocals) and Miguel Yau (drums), was the opening act for Sepultura in Panama during their farewell tour (2024).
As for plans for 2025, bassist Juan Manuel Díaz states: ‘We aim to record four nearly ready songs, and then compile them with our last five singles into an album. The idea is also to enhance the visual aspect of our live concerts; we are preparing something exceptional for our launch concert in Panama, and we are also looking to perform at a regional festival like Rock al Parque or Grita in Colombia. After that, we will be composing an album from scratch, drawing from all the experiences we have gathered over the past ten years, and we believe our musical tastes have evolved. I think it will be a very interesting process“.
Going back to influences, the Panamanian musician adds: “We have quite different individual influences within metal. For example, Carlos likes bands like Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, and Trivium. Miguel listens to more progressive stuff like Leprous, Dream Theater and Gojira. Hugo’s thing is grunge, his favourite band is Stone Temple Pilots and I (Juan) like more power metal, Thrash and classic heavy metal, like Stratovarius, Iron Maiden, and Megadeth. We try to make music that sounds good to us and it usually varies somewhat because we all compose in one way or another“.
The group has already made a name for themselves in their home country and beyond, raising the question of where they want to take their music next. Their bassist responds to Chaoszine: “Ever since we performed at the Wacken Festival for Metal Battle, we have been eager to pursue this professionally. It’s a challenging journey, but very exciting, and we’re committed to giving our best to play at a festival of that calibre again. Being an established band and part of a tour would be incredible”.
“This was our goal after returning from Germany in August 2022. We understand it’s a significant challenge, but success comes from giving it your all, and that’s our current focus. We even plan to relocate to Spain by the end of 2026; we want to be closer to the music industry, as we believe it’s the best way to increase our music’s visibility. Europe has fantastic bands, and we aspire to connect with the best“, the musician concludes.
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