Kristen Bass
Staff Writer
Local band Komatryp are known for playing very heavy metal with their own junkyard groove.
The band consists of lead vocalist Mike Lorentz, lead guitarist Roy Driggers, rhythm guitarist Brad Disney, bassist Clanton Miller and drummer Nani Vissepo.
The guys in Komatryp are family-orientated – most of them have wives and children and keep them as priority. The band mates have known each other since high school and have been close ever since.
“We are definitely brothers,” Vissepo said. “We hate each other and love each other on a daily basis.”
According to Driggers, the name “Komatryp” is a fusion of the words “Oklahoma” and “trip.”
“We wanted our name to kind of represent where we were from,” Driggers said.
Komatryp likes to put their own style into their music. No two songs sound alike – one song might be about zombies, but the next song about conquering tribulations. This disparity has given the band a variety of followers.
“We have a lot of people who don’t listen to our type of music that enjoy us,” Lorentz said.
Disney wants the band to appeal to everyone, even those who don’t usually enjoy heavy metal music.
“That’s one thing I like,” Disney said. “We usually, we play out of town somewhere or sometimes here, we just sound different than a lot of other bands we play with and it kind of sets us apart.”
Driggers said his time in Komatryp has provided him with a variety of new experiences and feelings.
“This band is just like a freedom and a voice that I didn’t have in my younger years,” he said.
Miller agreed that the music has also given him an emotional outlet he has seldom had in the past.
“It’s a vent, and I haven’t had a whole lot of vents in my life, but this is a great vent,” Miller said.
Along with performing music, Komatryp does a lot of benefits for the community as well. They have participated in toy drives and memorials. Vissepo felt this all stemmed from the local followers.
“Lawton has a good metal community in this family here,” Vissepo said.
According to the band, fans of metal and other genres coexist well – especially at places such as the Railhead Saloon.
“On a good night you will see a metal head standing next to a black dude, standing next to a punk rocker, standing next to a cowboy,” Miller said.
Komatryp will be performing at 10 p.m. Oct. 18 and Oct. 31 at The Railhead Saloon. For more information on Komatryp, students can check them out on Facebook and Reverb Nation.