Lo - Pan - Lo - Pan

Lo-Pan
Lo-Pan
CD, 2006 - Burnt Herd Records

01 - Hills Are Alive.mp3 10.56 MB
02 - The Ringing.mp3 13.7 MB
03 - To the Bone.mp3 8.6 MB
04 - Break You Open.mp3 7.88 MB
05 - Quick Hell.mp3 8.5 MB
06 - Burnt to the Skin.mp3 7.58 MB
07 - Mission.mp3 9.83 MB
08 - Words.mp3 15.96 MB
09 - Mustmiss.mp3 9.96 MB
10 - Kill to Blame.mp3 10.27 MB

My review:

These ten tracks successfully meld powerful guitar work and a driving rhythm section with clean vocals and a sense of melody. The result is a hard-rocking melting pot of metal, grunge, and stoner/doom calling to mind bands such as Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Kyuss, Solace, Abdullah, and Las Cruces at various points.

Guitar tone is the key for Lo Pan, as Tony Iommi was obviously a huge influence on guitarist Brian Fristoe's chunky riffs and blazing solos from the opener, "Hills Are Alive", until the final track, "Kill To Blame" - both of which are good examples of the rumbling sound of the music contrasted with Dave Ramsey's melodic singing. The highlight of the album is the nearly seven-minute "Words", which begins with a quiet intro before a crushing riff breaks through and lays waste to everything in its path. My personal favorite is "The Ringing" with wailing vocals, wah-wah solo, and a groovy performance from the rhythm section of bassist Walter Skot Thompson V and drummer Jesse Bartz, as it transitions seamlessly into "To The Bone", another riff-fueled pounder. "Break You Open" is reminiscent of Tool, especially the weaving riff and Maynard-sounding vocals in the chorus, while "Quick Hell" almost sounds like a sludgier early Danzig tune.

Definitely a band to watch, Lo Pan show tremendous promise on their self-titled debut here with an impressive array of riffs and melodies.