Written by Massiel Pinzón and Juan Carlos García de Paredes are a rare kind of pairing. In most bands there’s a single dominant force, but in AlphaWhores there are two – both pushing, both hungry, both dead-set on carving out something bigger than their circumstances. Hailing from Panama, a country with a population half that of London and only one major metropolitan area, the odds were stacked against them from day one.
“We started this with our hands and legs tied behind our backs,” guitarist and vocalist Juan Carlos says. “We really had to hustle.”
With grit and grind in equal measure, the duo – two albums in and a third underway – have already surpassed what they once thought possible. After two decades playing in different projects, the pair started jamming in 2021 during parallel breakups – a bit of creative therapy that quickly morphed into something far louder and more ambitious.
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Named after a South American pastry, AlphaWhores – a play on alfajores – became a snarling riff machine with a meticulous rhythmic backbone. Thick, low-end blasts collide with bedrock percussion, spiralling into shrieking solos. But they were surprised by the dark sound they summoned.
We’re like fish out of water!
Juan Carlos
“I never expected to be in a doom band. Maybe that gives us freedom – we’re like fish out of water!” Juan Carlos laughs.
Determined to avoid the usual duo comparisons (no, they don’t sound like Royal Blood or The White Stripes), they’ve carved out a rig and tone entirely their own – a colossal sound that feels like it’s coming from a six-piece. They write from the gut and operate with absolute trust in each other.
“Our love and respect is the driving force,” Juan Carlos says.
Massiel adds, “No one in Panama is doing what we’re doing. We’re committed, we have big goals – and we’re ready for the next step.”
Sounds Like: Thunder clouds dropping their apocalyptic load on scorched earth
For Fans Of: Melvins, Baroness, Royal Thunder
Listen To: Pirate Mode
You Can Come Out Now is out now via Editoris / Mother City. AlphaWhores tour the UK in May, including an appearance at Desertfest
