Lo - Pan - Salvador

Lo-Pan
Salvador
2011

Album Tracks

EL Dorado
Bleeding Out
Seed
Bird Of Prey
Deciduous
Intro
Chichen Itza
Spartacus
Struck Match
Generations
Solo

Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by: Benny Grotto @ Mad Oak Studios Allston, MA.
Mastered by: Chris Goosman Basline Audio Labs Ann Arbor, MI.
Illustration & album artwork by Alexander von Wieding.
Photos by: JBartz.
All songs written and performed by Lo-Pan

Lo-Pan is:
Skot Thompson: bass
JBartz: drums
Jeff Martin: vox
Brian Fristoe: guitar


Reviews for Salvador...
Ear Candy

Lo-Pan is a Columbus, Ohio based quartet whose latest offering SALVADOR provides a cavalcade of stoner grooves that hit hard and leave marks (“Seed”). This troupe dishes out heaping helpings of thick guitars and rollicking bass and drums, topped off with a soaring lead vocal that combines the grace of Maynard Keenan and the grit of John Garcia. Exhibiting the ability to compose tunes that sting like a smack to the face (“Bleeding Out”) and possess the imminence of hardcore (“Spartacus”) yet can also calmly float overhead (“Bird of Prey”), Lo-Pan commandeers a cross-section of fuzzed-out down-tuned excellence that can confidently stand shoulder to shoulder with the pioneers of the genre.

Rating: 4 out 5

- Mike SOS

May, 2011
www.earcandymag.com/reviews-0511.htm
The Sleeping Shaman

Adapt or die that is very much the key to the continued existence of any musical subset and that is no more true than in the world of stoner rock. The world does not need any more tired rehashes of Fu Manchu/Kyuss/Monster Magnet circa 1996 and Small Stone Records are aware of this, and so are Lo-Pan...and thank fuck for that!!!

Sure, Lo-Pan have many of the familiar traits of stoner rock...the guitars are thick and fuzzy, the bass is fat and the rhythms rock ‘n' groove in a nice warm blanket like Benny Grotto production job. Lo-Pan, however, also have a few tasty tricks up their sleeve. Hot on the heels of the revamped, re-amped, re-mastered, repackaged version of "Sasquanaut", "Salvador" (named for their faithful sack truck that adorns the sleeve), is a bold, assured step forward for the band. Opening track "El Dorado" belies its Latino name with a twisting Middle Eastern style riff and soaring vocal that brings to mind some of Tool's more accessible moments. "Bleeding Out" does betray the band's stoner roots with a tasty, chunky four to the floor rocking riff though the band aren't above fucking with their music and throwing in some off kilter twists and turns. It's on the next track "Seeds" that Lo-Pan throw in every trick they have. The tune rocks out, it grooves, it messes with your head through spiralling, cyclical riffs and rhythmic tangents...this is both an album centrepiece and highlight in one.

After the pummelling of "Seeds" the listener will need to catch breath and Lo-Pan know this and so it is that "Bird of Prey" drifts in almost imperceptibly on an understated guitar figure and relaxed, breathy vocals. The mighty riff is never far away as the tune builds to a crescendo of classic rocking goodness that somehow comes over as equal parts Lynyrd Skynyrd and Soundgarden. In fact, the grunge titan's presence is never a million miles from this release due in no small part to Jeff Martin's clean yet powerful, soaring vocals. He is by no means a copyist but certainly plumbs similar emotional depths that eschews the whiskey addled, 40 a day growl on many of stoner rock's front men in favour of old school soul, grit and power.

"Deciduous" brings the riffs thick and fast with another nod to the stoner rock that put Small Stone on the map. Amped up and amphetamine fuelled the song kicks along but once again the bands aren't above throwing in some curve balls such as the Arabic twist that heralds the majestic pound of the mid section. Lo-pan, floor the pedal once more on "Intro", a cheeky little instrumental that, in less than two minutes, displays so many of the attributes the band have shown so far...off beat rhythms, twisting riffs and some ass kicking rock and roll. "Chichen Itza" keeps the pace up high, tipping its hat to some prime 80's style metal which is maintained through the next track "Spartacus" which has some vague hints of Iron Maiden within its stoner rocking charge. I can't help but feel though that the band have missed a trick by not including the lines "I'm Spartacus...no, I'm Spartacus" in the chorus but hey, it's their choice!!!

As you mop the sweat from your brow we find ourselves entering the home straight. "Struck Match" builds around a towering slow groove and betrays yet more hints of classic 70's style rock. The space in the track allows Martin his finest performance so far as he pushes himself to the limits of his endurance. The guy must surely rank as one of the finest vocalists in this particular field; in fact as I listen I hear a definite similarity to Keith Caputo from Life Of Agony in his impassioned delivery.

"Generations", continues the album in a familiar vein, big on riffs and grooves but doesn't really stand out as much as some of the other tracks here. By no means a weak track in its own right, just not as great as some of its predecessors. Things certainly end on a high note, however on "Solos". Not an ego stroking exercise in musical masturbation as I first feared but a powerful groove fuelled slice of prime riffery that sees Martin delivering his most catchy and insistent vocal line yet. All is not as it seems though, as with "Seeds" Lo-Pan delight in pulling more treats from their goodie bag and swiftly push the riffs aside to pull everything down to a barely there ambient crawl that builds into a monolithic rumble.

"Salvador" is a statement that seems to sit right at the heart of the Small Stone vision for 2011. It's stoner rock Jim but not as we know it. The beast is mutating into something that is threatening to burst out of its own skin as bands such as Lo-Pan keep one eye on their 70's rocking heritage but shoot it through with some 80's metal fire and, dare I say it, some prog rocking tricksiness. Lo-Pan may have entered Small Stone by the back door with "Sasquanaut" but with this release they've taken up residence in the best armchair and assumed dominion over the remote control and are daring all comers to usurp them.

- Ollie Stygall

July 12th, 2011
www.thesleepingshaman.com/reviews/album/Lo-Pan-Salvador.php
Cosmic Lava

With their new record 'Salvador', LO-PAN getting closer to the perfect album; it's a big step up from the band's previous release 'Sasquanaut' and that was already a great album. The songs on 'Salvador' are all significantly less sonorous and more direct than their work on 'Sasquanaut'. Jeff Martin's voice gives me goosebumps. He manages to infuse the music with a lot of emotion, stripped of kitsch and false pathos and ranging from anger to sadness. J. Bartz's percussion lines provide powerful punctuation to Brian Fristoe's amazing guitar riffs and Skot Thompson's flowing bass lines make sure that there's always the right punch.

What I also like very much is that LO-PAN don't try to reanimate the 1970s. I think that 'Salvador' is a perfect example for modern hardrock. In this context, modern does not mean trendy but rather that LO-PAN have more ideas than trying to ape their musical heroes from the past. There is definitely no filler on this album. Great care was taken with respect to the placement of the tracks, so as they could fluctuate the listener's mood as much as possible. If you can't listen to the album all the way through, then you are missing the essence of the album itself. The music is cerebral and spiritual, and concentrates more on mood and emotion rather than just simply pummeling your brains out of your ears.

On the other hand, 'Salvador' works on so many levels it's simply insane. You can play your air guitar but you can also sit down and think about life while listening to the eleven songs of 'Salvador'. Furthermore it's an album that one can listen to for years and still discover new treasures here and there. To be honest, the songs burn in my long term memory and I'm still able to recall them without listening to the record. That's a good sign for me. All this is complemented by Benny Grotto's masterful production which is thick and heavy and doesn't leave any wishes unfulfilled. 'Salvador' is truly a beautiful work and one of my favourite Small Stone releases in 2011. Highly recommended!

- KK

June 29th, 2011
www.cosmiclava.com/reviews-interviews/record-reviews/records-l/lo-pan-salvador-lpcd.html
Columbus Alive!

All too often, the story of the blue-collar rock band ends in a bittersweet resignation and phrases like "We were only in it for the love of the music." Ball-busting Columbus combo Lo-Pan is on course for a happy ending, though.

Lo-Pan's spaced-out sophomore LP "Sasquanaut" was re-released last year on Detroit's reputable Small Stone Recordings. Though they've returned to compact structures for "Salvador," their latest album for Small Stone, everything else about the album is huge, from Brian Fristoe's industrial-strength riffage to Jeff Martin's mountaintop howls. It's workmanlike rock from one of the city's hardest-working combos.

Hometown gigs are getting rarer as Lo-Pan continues to build a devoted following on the road, but they'll celebrate "Salvador" at Ravari Room on Friday with Eye, Fight Amp and Before the Eyewall.

- Chris DeVille

May 12th, 2011
www.columbusalive.com/live/content/features/stories/2011/05/12/local-music-lo-pan.html?sid=10
The Number Of The Blog

I feel that 2011 will be a memorable year for the guys in Lo-Pan, a re-release involving a remastering and and remixing of their 2009 effort Sasquanaut, and this year is their debut record for the label kings Small Stone who seem to be on the top of the world at this moment looking at their roster. It is truly inspiring to see a label reignite the vigour and fill the void Man’s Ruin Records left behind in the early 2000s. It is even more exciting seeing Lo-Pan’s brand of massive stoner rock be a hit with so many stoner rock fans, and why not? I think Lo-Pan are doing something special.

The aforementioned record Sasquanaut, Lo-Pan’s previous excursion, is a formidable record, chunky, robust, powerful, huge riffs and vibrant vocals. It has hints of top tier quality, but on a personal level it lacked an element that left me feeling unsatisfied. What I felt was missing in Sasquanaut was bite, an edginess, a, perhaps, missing maliciousness withheld in the riffs, they provided a massive groove for sure, and is definitely enjoyable, but what I found was that it, to use an allegory, stoked the fire and kept it hot, but there never is a moment where the fire became a fierce blaze. It didn’t catch alight the way I thought it had the potential to do. Step in Salvador, Lo-Pan’s Small Stone debut and their best record to date.

I believe that Salvador is a big milestone for Lo-Pan, this record is where they’ve announced themselves, more exclaimed themselves, that this is what we do, we riff, we kick ass, we are rock and fucking roll. With Salvador comes that bite I’ve been yearning for, a slicker yet more aggressive release that stacks up the desert-stained venomous riffs, that grooves and pummels in equilibrium, that squeals and kicks out with vicious leads, this is the Lo-Pan record that puts them firmly on the map.

However, I’ve found it hard to write to about Salvador. There’s an attribute of the record which dumbfounds me, not to put it unkindly, but the record doesn’t leave me astonished, but it does do something to me that leaves me blank. To use another allegory, it’s kind of like how the tide drags a beach clean, pulling anything out to sea, Salvador does the same effect to me, it leaves me with just the music, I’m not thinking when it’s playing, it has my full and undivided attention. I’ve attempted to write this review twice now, but each time I’ve played the record whilst typing, each time it’s left me staring into space letting the riffs wash over me and drench me in solos, the vocals pierce my thoughts and that all I can hear and think and do, listen to Salvador. It is certainly strange, though it does point to and reinforce the fact that this record is phenomenal.

Another improvement since Sasquanaut, are the shorter track lengths, this I suppose helped develop the record to be much more punchy compared to the 2009 release which I did feel to be longer than it should be, and I often found myself skipping the last song that rounds of Sasquanaut at a bumper 10mins. Salvador‘s concise and precise composition entailing of hit fast and hit hard works well, there’s many memorable hooks and doesn’t rely too heavily on the vocalist to depict which section the song is in.

For Lo-Pan, Salvador is an utter triumph, it is meaner with more aggressive riffing, the vocalist is much more relaxed when I felt he sounded more uptight on Sasquanaut (I don’t know why I think this, I just do), and the record doesn’t outstay it’s welcome, it does exactly what you want it to do, deliver huge and powerful riffs. Which the record executes in abundance.

- Gala

March 17th, 2011
thenumberoftheblog.com/2011/03/17/fucking-metal-album-reviews-lo-pan-salvador/
Lords Of Metal

The Cure with Three Imaginary Boys, that was the first thing that came in mind when I saw Lo-Pan’s newest cd. There is a lot that can be said of the Small Stone record label, but they have good graphic designers working for them. In the case of ‘Salvador’ by Lo-Pan I dare to say that the cover is the best part of this cd. Does that mean the music is not good? No, not at all, but as happens more often with Small Stone releases, this is another case of “almost, but not completely”. The previous cd by Lo-Pan, ‘Sasquanaut’, needed a big renovation in order to make it as both the band and its record company wanted it. When I reviewed it, I wrote that I hoped their next album would be good in one go. It looks as if they succeeded in that.

Lo-Pan’s rock really rocks, no doubt about it and the cd is well produced. Musically Lo-Pan can be categorized as a mix of grunge and early stoner rock (think of Soundgarden and Kyuss), with drummer JBartz’ hard beats and the characteristic lightly swollen vocals of singer Jeff Martin, with the guitar licks and riffs of guitarist Brian Fristoe swirling around them puts you twenty years back in time. Martin’s singing still reminds of Tool, but hey: you could pick your examples a lot worse.
Listen to the fabulous riff-stampede in ‘Intro’ or the wonderful scorching tracks like ‘Deciduous’ or ‘Chichen Itza’ and it should be clear what I mean.

The only thing against ‘Salvador’ is that it gets very much the same after forty five minutes, an objection ‘Sasquanaut’ had as well. Another one, how trivial it may sound, is that ‘Salvador’ may be good, it does not grap your attention. After those forty five minutes you are left staring in front of you thinking “okay, and now what?” A feeling that also came to me when I started work on this review. Strange, because is there something wrong with this album? No, everything adds up – and at the same time it does not.

Rating: 80/100

- Jan-Simon

May 2nd, 2011
www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=18862&lang=en
Prog Sphere

Finding a fresh stoner rock album in the present era is as rare as a hen’s tooth. There are good and bad albums, there are stoner rock albums with good riffage, which is as you might know a core of every good stoner-fied album. But even with good riff-work these albums are lacking for something and you could spend hours bashing your head against the wall to find out what is it that’s missing. Stop bashing for a moment and put your attention right here!