Rockodilians – Metal’s Newest Rockstars “March” to the Beat of Their Own Drum

Due to the nature of performing in a college town, the music scene in Tallahassee often becomes a revolving door for talent as many of the rising stars move on post-graduation to pursue new projects elsewhere. Outside of the seasoned locals, it’s not often you’re able to follow a band from their conception to when they’ve finally found their sound. However, when artists start as early as high school, it’s truly thrilling to watch their potential unfold as the new talent steps forward to shake things up.

Comprised of Leon High School seniors and Florida State freshmen, the metal band Rockodilians has become the newest group to watch on their journey of discovering their sound and releasing music for fans to enjoy. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Cogan Brown (18), drummer Troy Nhadowski (17), lead guitarist Austin Allen (18), and bassist Andrew Moore (18) have eagerly thrown themselves into performing, playing shows amongst seasoned veterans such as Satin, Gangs of Paris, Our Final Feud, and This Dying Breed nearly every week. Established in early 2022, the band finally achieved its official line-up last June and maximized their momentum, releasing their first single, “March”, back in September. But before they could perform at almost every live venue Tallahassee has to offer, 96 Nation’s “Last Band Standing” first had to establish them within the local music fray.

“We got voted into that at our second gig, which was very surprising…It was also our second gig ever, and it was Cogan’s first show on vocals. We only knew like five or six covers and had a really crappy two-day original that set,” drummer Troy Nhadowski said. “We didn’t win, but it was a fun show to be a part of, and it definitely allowed for a lot of publicity.”

Named after their affinity for rock music and reptiles, drummer Troy Najdowski and his former bandmates found the name “Rockodilians” to be an apt summation of their passions, as well as the ultimate hook to build their fanbase. However, similar to their beloved creatures, the band has since shed its skin and grown into their niche of heavy metal and rock – with sounds resembling the likes of Iron Maiden, Deftones, Slipknot, and Sepultura. With their open minds and room for experimentation, Rockodilians share the spotlight evenly, establishing the perfect environment for their creativity to thrive.

“I’m so happy to be in this band. The past two songs that we’ve made…we’ve had some open spaces, I’ve had so much fun filling those spaces,” bassist Andrew Moore said. “Because as a bass player, you typically are in the back, but I’ve been so blessed in this band to be given so much room to do fun stuff and not just hit root notes.”

Before becoming bandmates, the group attended the same high school, becoming acquainted through classes, mutual friends, and an appearance at the Punk Prom. While each of them had years of experience with their respective instruments, they lacked a lead singer; it wasn’t until vocalist and rhythm guitarist Cogan Brown was overheard by Nhadowski singing along to All Time Low’s “Dear Maria, Count Me In” in the car, that the band could soon play as Rockodilians. As a notorious introvert, Brown was initially surprised to learn of their decision to make him the band’s front man; but after ample practice with vocal frys and getting used to the spotlight, he was able to quickly come into his own as their new vocalist.

“At first, I was like, ‘First gig: rhythm guitar, that’s fine. I can just go shy back.’ And then they’re like, ‘Yeah, you’re doing vocals now.’ And I was like, ‘I can’t speak louder than this, so you’re doing something wrong,’” Brown said. “And then slowly, but surely, I just came out of my shell – got louder, became more social…So, [performing] really helped expand my social reach and overall presence.”

Often donning black face and body paint, akin to comic-book vigilante The Crow, the four appear almost unrecognizable onstage one day and at work or in class the next. Having to maintain a balance between their other commitments, as well as working on new music and shaping their setlist, can sometimes be overwhelming – but with about one gig a week, the crew always finds a way to maximize their time and play well. Despite the obvious age difference between Rockodilians and other local musicians, it’s their spirited attitudes that often surprise audiences most, as they subvert expectations concerning how metal artists should behave. Lead guitarist Austin Allen even had a laughable encounter with the members of his Freshman Interest Group, when he chose to share what he does in his spare time:

“…We go around the room and say stuff about ourselves. Nobody’s really paying attention, it’s kind of loud in there, and I just said, ‘I’m in a metal band.’ And it was just silent…People are surprised that I’m in a metal band,” Allen said. “I think a lot of people really lean into death and devilishness and that kind of vibe with their songs – and in their stage presence as well. But we try to have fun, we’re smiling, we’re laughing, and we’re making fun of each other on stage and things like that.”

While their classmates may not always share the same passions for metal that they do, Rockodilians have been able to find solace amongst more seasoned bands, such as This Dying Breed and Local Forecast; the two bands have provided ample support for the young artists, with This Dying Breed’s bassist even going as far as gifting Rockodilian’s bassist Andrew Moore an entire bass rig to ensure the crowd could hear his talents properly. And back in April, Rockodilians had the pleasure of sharing the stage with their guitar instructor, Local Forecast’s lead guitarist, at Oyster City – chronicling a full-circle moment for the band.

“[Our single fundraiser] was a really fun gig, not only because of the amount of people that came out, because it was heartwarming, seeing all these people like, ‘We support you,’” Moore said. “That was a very ‘We are the Rockodilians’ type vibe, where we really came together and found our noise.”

In terms of future success, Rockodilians already have several upcoming shows to kick off the new year, including SoLookTally’s New Year’s Flex on January 6th and another performance with Young Fiction and Gangs of Paris on January 13th. With their single “March” having surpassed 1,000 streams, it’s exciting to note that the band has several songs in the works, with plans to release them sometime early next year; at this rate, 2024 will certainly be a year of growth and prosperity for Rockodilians.

“…Getting down enough originals, releasing more music – releasing an album – is one of our biggest goals…The second biggest goal is probably just playing outside of Tallahassee. We’ve kind of gotten our name out there…and we want to experience and bring our sound out to more people,” Najdowski said. “The plan is to do a little tour around Florida and play at some of the cities in Florida that have bigger metal scenes like St. Augustine and Orlando and Jacksonville – bigger venues and stuff like that – that’s the goal.”

Strike Out,

Writer: Isabel Wilder

Editor: Jayna O

Photographer: Matthew Stember

Tallahassee

Rockodilians – Metal’s Newest Rockstars “March” to the Beat of Their Own Drum

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