Doomed Confessionary: Massiel & Juan (AlphaWhores)
Photos by Tito Herrera
Massiel Pinzón and Juan Carlos García de Paredes are AlphaWhores.
Massiel and Juan Carlos started working together over twenty years ago when they were both members of the Panama based alternative rock band Mabí and they’ve collaborated on various musical projects since then.
In 2021, after the end of longstanding personal relationships for them both, Massiel and Juan Carlos found themselves in the studio together jamming and making new music, as a way to help them process the changes happening in their lives. The studio sessions were so successful that they decided to make it into a new music project and AlphaWhores was born.
AlphaWhores released their debut album »I« in January 2024 on Juan Carlos’s Editoris label, preceded by the singles »Same Team«, »Raw Nerve« and »GTO«. The band’s new single »Over And Over« just dropped ahead of their first European headline tour in February and March 2025.
Can you say a few words about your band?
AlphaWhores is a two-piece band from Panama composed of best friends Massiel Pinzón and Juan Carlos García de Paredes. Our sound falls somewhere in between stoner metal, sludge, doom, grunge and alternative metal. We started jamming together in 2021 with a very clear concept of the band and later on went onto recording our first album.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Being from Panama (Central America), there isn’t a big market for metal or heavy music in general, thus we have had to set our efforts in reaching European and North American markets to find our audience.
What can you be most proud of so far?
We are proud of reaching international attention in our first two years of existence as a band and doing it with little help, just our own determination to make great music with a serious work ethic.
What was your biggest regret?
We have no real regrets so far, but it would’ve been cool to have started this band sooner.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
We did a short tour of the US where we played to some awesome crowds in Florida. Those were our first international shows, so there’s something special about them.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
The more people we reach with our music, the more surprises we see about how the music industry works. A memorable example is that a small band from Central America can actually reach fans in other continents without ever playing there.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Amyl and the Sniffers, Pinback, Spotlights, Brutus.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Treat your music like a business. No days off. No task is beneath you.
What are your guilty pleasures?
We like watching YouTube videos of people falling down.
Can you say something more about current music scene in Panama?
The rock scene in Panama has been in a steady decline for a decade or so. Being the Mecca and birthplace of Reggeaton, most other music genres have been put to the side. However, there is a lot of unity and love for rock music within the small scene and there are many bands making great music. The problem is finding a large enough audience to make it sustainable.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
For now we have shows scheduled in Panama, Dominican Republic, Denmark, Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland, England, and hoping to add more European dates for the end of the year.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Our plan is to keep creating, writing and recording music as well as playing in as many countries as we possibly can.
How can people best support your band?
People can support our band by listening to our music, buying our albums and merch, and going to our shows.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Thank you for listening to our band! We are truly grateful and we promise to keep releasing music that is authentic and from the heart.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well