Kill City, formed in 2019 in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has quickly become a rising force in the heavy metal scene, captivating audiences with their bold sound and powerful themes that explore love, hate, life, and death. Featuring a lineup of seasoned musicians—vocalist Chemel Neme, guitarists Xavier Diab and Juan Iturralde, bassist Andres Miranda, and drummer Luis Neme—the band brings an impressive depth of experience, with some members having previously made their mark in the renowned group Black Sun. Signed under Doc Gator Records, Kill City’s music has been featured in celebrated compilations like Compendium 4 Quaterne (2022) and Metal Message IX – Iron Prophecy (2024), solidifying their place in the global metal community. In this interview, we dived into the band’s journey, uncovering the passion, influences, and experiences that fuel their music and drive their success.

TheNwothm: Hey there! Can you introduce the band and where you are form?

Hi ! Thanks so much for the opportunity and greetings to all your readers. We are from Guayaquil, Ecuador. The band is Andres Miranda on the bass, Xavier Diab and Juan Iturralde on guitars , Luis Neme on the drums and Chemel Neme is the singer.

TheNwothm: What inspired the formation of Kill City in 2019? Were there any particular bands or experiences that motivated you to start this journey?

Both Xavier and Juan were members of the same band on and off with Chemel Neme for a span of 15 years. With Chemel exiting this previous band , they found the opportunity to team up with Luis (Chemel’s brother who is a great drummer and had been on other bands for several years) and with Andres who had a lot of experience from playing with “Intrépidos” which is a very popular Latin/Tropical music in Ecuador.

We were all very good friends before starting the Kill City project and we lean more or less towards the same musical tastes. 

TheNwothm: Being based in Guayaquil, Ecuador, how would you describe the metal scene there, and how has it influenced your sound?

Truly there is not much of a Metal scene in Guayaquil or in Ecuador in general, of course there are good bands, but not that many big concerts.  

Our influences come from mostly from all the music we’ve listened since we were kids , which a very large and eclectic catalog.

TheNwothm: How does Kill City stand out in the current heavy metal landscape in Ecuador and globally?

Although we have 3 albums and one more coming this 2025, we are still a “new” band  in terms of metal or rock. 

We try not think about our standing locally or internationally , instead we focus more on doing the music we would love listening to and doing it better with each album. So we mostly compare Kill City to Kill City. Hopefully more and more people will share the taste we got for music. 

TheNwothm: Can you also tell our readers a bit about Ecuador?

Well, it is a beautiful country in South America. It is warm all year long (at least in Guayaquil). We are a country of 19 million people, the food is great and the beaches are amazing. 

TheNwothm: What bands or musical movements have influenced Kill City’s sound, especially in your early years?

We all have very different tastes in music, however, all of us are very fond of the 70s to the 90s era; 80s probably being our favourite decade and I think it’s the one that influenced our sound the most. 

We all grew listening first to Beatles, Stones , Bowie , Queen, Nazareth, America and later on Judas, The Cure, Soda Stereo, AC/DC, Journey, Helloween, Queensryche, Guns, Def Leppard , Metallica , Megadeth and so many others which would make this list endless.

 And we also like a lot of latin music, such as Juan Luis Guerra, Camilo Sesto or Jose Jose.

TheNwothm: What role does metal play in Ecuador’s cultural scene, and how has it evolved since the band started?

We are still a “young” band, having started only 5 years ago, so the metal scene didn’t change that much since we started Kill City.  

However since we were in previous bands before, we’ve been doing music for about 20 years now and from that start, up to now, the scene has changed a lot. We used to be able to listen to some rock or metal on the radio, nowadays it’s very rare. There also used to be more concerts locally. Nonetheless , we love what we do and we’ll keep doing it while we can. 

TheNwothm: You’ve released multiple singles over the years, like “Follow Your Heart” and “Bitter Smile.” How do you decide which songs to release as singles versus full-length albums?

We are usually either practicing for some gig or composing music all the time. At some point we decide to start recording and we choose the songs we like best; the rest are left for a next album or go into the vault of the past! 

When each already have some song recorded; we pick the ones we think represent the album the best and those go as a single. And sometimes the record label will help picking the singles.

TheNwothm: Out of the singles you released are thew any that particularly mean something to you? 

Maybe “Last Man Standing” because it was our first album, mostly made during the pandemic, so it has  a special place in our hearts. Although sonically and production wise it might not be our best album, it was raw and pure emotion. 

TheNwothm: Your debut full-length album “Last Man Standing” (2021) was well received. What does the album mean to you personally, and how did you approach creating it? 

It was our first foray into composition as Kill City, so everybody brought their personal experiences and “system”. 

Through the combination of all, patience, tension and very good friendship we arrived at last man standing and also at our formula for composing and producing music. 

Of course we still experience  tension every now and then while creating new music, this is normal and necessary I believe in a creative process. The key for us is to channel this tension into polishing our diamonds and not breaking them. 

So far we are doing great, everyone puts their 2 cents into our songs and everyone can bring ideas, be it a riff, a melody, lyric. We already have our fourth album in the works , so the formula is still yielding fruits. 

TheNwothm: Could you each share a bit about your musical backgrounds and how you contribute to the sound of Kill City?

Luis is our drummer, he is Chemel’s (vocals ) brother.  Chemel has been in music for almost 20 years now and Luis used to be in a band some 20 years ago. However curious it seems, this is the first time they are in the same band. 

Other two of the members, Juan and Xavier (guitars), were at different times on and off,  in a band with Chemel as well for the past 20 years. 

Finally, Andres, our bass player, was friends with Xavier. He used to play with “Intrépidos” a very popular latin pop band in our country Ecuador. I’m not sure where he got his bass playing chops from, but he is great both playing and composing. 

TheNwothm: What do you guys like to do in your spare time when your not making music? 

Juan has a rather interesting main job/ hobby, he is one of the best Jiujitsu masters in Ecuador, his academy is in Guayaquil. When we go on gigs, he usually gives masterclasses in the same cities where we play. Xavier likes motorcycles, gym and grilling stuff !! Luis and Chemel both work in cables and housing development, so their schedule is usually full. Chemel is involved in several different aspects of music: composition with the band, production and also singing as well, so most of his free time has to do with music anyway. Andres also enjoys the gym and also works with Chemel and Luis.

TheNwothm: Can you tell us about your 2022 album “Civilised to Death?” How did the themes of the album come together, and what messages were you aiming to convey? 

Its was post-pandemic album, just like the Last Man Standing was the pandemic album. We don’t do conceptual albums, but it’s normal that because the songs are created during a time frame, they all have some kind of relation to what was happening in the world at that time. In the case of Civilised, we were experiencing the ending of the pandemic and how it all affected our lives. 

TheNwothm: How has the dynamic within the band evolved since you first started in 2019? What’s kept you all motivated to push forward together? 

It is changing constantly, always for the better ! Each of the members find the element in which the can give more to the band and that makes us more productive in musical terms.

TheNwothm: Your latest album, “Darker Days” (2024), marks another milestone for the band. What can fans expect from your latest release, and how does it compare to your earlier work? 

I know every band in the world probably says exactly the same thing, but in our opinion it is our best album so far! We are still finding and moulding our unique style and we believe.

“Darker Days” will showcase this. We compose the music we’d like to listen on the radio (or spotify!) 

TheNwothm: Have you had the opportunity to tour internationally or in other parts of Ecuador? What has the experience been like, especially interacting with fans from different countries?  

So far outside of Ecuador, only in Bogota, Colombia. It was an amazing public and we had a blast with all the guys. We are looking forward this year to several gigs in Ecuador, and also a tour in Europe and some countries in South America.

TheNwothm: What’s one of the most memorable live performances you’ve had, and why? 

Probably the one in Bogota, it was our first time out of our country and we didn’t know what to expect from the public.

TheNwothm: How do you prepare for a live show? Is there a specific ritual or tradition the band follows before going on stage?

Not really ! Other than Chemel the singer warming up for 30 minutes (quite boring). The rest of the guys just hang out together until it’s time for playing.

TheNwothm: What are your plans for the future of Kill City? Are you working on new material or planning any special projects? 

Yes ! Hopefully our 4th album will be released late 2025 or early 2026. It will mostly depend on the record label. We already released the first single called “Lift the shadows”.

TheNwothm: Will you be touring in 2025? An if so where can fans expect to see you? 

Definitely. Some parts of Europe and some cities in South America. Hopefully we will be announcing the dates and venues soon.

TheNwothm: Are there any big events or collaborations coming up that fans should look forward to? 

Just our new album so far! And our tour in Spain.

TheNwothm: For fans discovering Kill City for the first time, what would you say is the one thing they should know about the band?

You won’t get bored with our music, it varies quite a lot from to song to song and from album to album.

TheNwothm: What message do you want to send to your fans, both new and old, as you continue your journey in the metal world?

Thanks for the support and keep spreading our music !  There’s much more where that came from!

TheNwothm: Do you have any new years resolutions?

Touring a lot.

TheNwothm: Where can fans buy your music and merch?

It’s all in every digital platform and to get merch and physical CDs or Vinyls you can go to our label Doc Gator records store.

TheNwothm: Is there anything else you would like to mention?

Just thank you and your readers for the opportunity.

Bandcamp: https://killcityecuardor.bandcamp.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/KillcityEC

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/killcityecuador/

Label: https://www.docgator.shop/