Komodos, a Brooklyn-based garage-rock post-punk band with influences that stray from just one genre label, recently came out with their second single, Deliverance.
Following their first release, The Score deviates from the liveliness of their lyrics and adds range to their sound, adding an angsty edge to their lyricism and overall production.
Deliverance starts with the isolation of a droning note and the beginning of the drum beat. The isolation that is noted at the beginning of the song repeats twice, highlighting key moments within the lyricism and emphasizing guitar riffs and drum beats. The structure of a Komodos song tends to show off their skills in understanding the power of isolation and emphasis as they create remarkable crescendos, not just instrumentality but through the emotions lyrically.
There are two instances in Deliverance, besides the beginning, where all drops except the bass and the drums which result in the lyrics having a spotlight. This is where you can hear the lyrics clearly as Taran Dugal, lead singer and guitarist of Komodos, sings “There’s snakes in the grass," “Bite your tongue, get inspired," and “The curtains close, Don't you know I burned the brakes last night?" some of my favorite lines. During this part of the song, Dugal continues to sing with more urgency and passion as the instruments build themselves back up, allowing the listeners to experience what Dugal feels.
What is interesting about Komodos is the production that goes into their unique sound. There are influences of Julian Casablanca with the distortion of the microphone on Dugal's voice that creates this muffled sound, making him sound further away, almost as if you're listening to this song play on the radio. The distorted sound is pretty reminiscent of post-punk bands because, in contrast to the vividness of the instruments, it has a heavier tone that adds a sense of rawness to the song. The instruments themselves do not have that distorted sound except for the lead guitar, which blends the deeper tone of the voice with the intensity of the drumlines.
They successfully blend two contrasting genres of post-punk and rock by bringing in elements of garage rock and punk rock, as the use of contortion blends them well, resulting in them creating a new sound for themselves. The warped sound comes from the instruments, but the use of drones that I previously mentioned makes their sound unique. This added element can be heard evidently in many garage rock bands of the 90s, but this sound was huge during the punk rock era, reminding me of bands such as The Velvet Underground and The Stooges of the late 60s and early 70s. The droning sound created this ambiance of darkness and creativity and had lyrics that spoke out against issues, their beliefs, and their morals, which is what Komodos do in their way.
When you listen to Komodos, I wouldn't say they sound like any other band, but rather, when you listen closely, you can hear the influence that they pull from, honoring bands and musicians from different generations they have pulled from to create their indescribable sound. If you’ve followed this band for a while now, as I have, you will know that they had an EP out before these two singles. It's incredible to see how their sound has evolved and how they've grown into it.
Written by Veronica Anaya
Photography by Kabir Dugal
Listen to Komodos latest single, Deliverance, and more from them!