Lo - Pan - Sasquanaut

Lo-Pan
Sasquanaut
2011

Album Tracks

Dragline
Savage Henry
Kurtz
Callahan
Kramer
Vega
Vego
Wade Garrett

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

Nicholle Dieckman performs backing vocals on "Vego".
Tracks 1-7: Recorded and engineered by: Paul Maccarrone and "Buddy" Akita @ Zombie ProofStudios - Cleveland, OH.
Track 8: Recorded and engineered by: Adam Smith @ CDR - Columbus, OH.

My Review for Sasquanaut

As far as I know, Thin Lizzy and Hawkwind never played together, but if they did and had a late night jam session Lo Pan’s Sasquanaut might have been the result. They can get kind of trippy at times like Mick Bolton era UFO but never to the point of pointless noodling.

Originally released on the small indie, Nice Life Records but quickly sold out, this is Lo-Pan's second album.

Everything we have come to love and respect from the label is in place here. The riffs are bigger than Axl's ego and the grooves will have you dry humping complete strangers in the street!!! Jeff Martin's soaring vocals are clean yet edgy and treated with the merest hint of distortion to give the impression that the recording equipment is being pushed into submission. Song wise, "Dragline" grabs your hair and pulls you into the album with stomping hobnail boots kicking your ass the whole way. "Savage Henry" blends, fat rhythms, sexy grooves and some lysergic touches of psychedelia for good measure. Elsewhere "Kurtz" shows some of same touches that made early Soundgarden such and exciting proposition along with some of Kyuss's rolling grooves. It has to be said that, with Martin's voice, it is difficult to make wholesale comparisons to other bands. Influences to peer over the fence but the vocals have an identity that sets Lo-Pan aside from many of their peers. If pushed though, as I've already stated Soundgarden and Kyuss would be good starting points, particularly as "Callahan" and "Vega" both pull from the same offbeat rhythmic territory as the former band's "Spoonman", albeit with "Vega" introducing an injection of amped up fury to the mix.

Here, we have LO-PAN's second album, which was originally released by Nice Life Records in 2009. Small Stone Records is responsible for this re-issue and I am surprised that they did not sign the band right from the start, because LO-PAN meets the requirements for this excellent label. But anyway, now they have found an eminently suitable home for their emotional heavy sound. LO-PAN's blend of hardened riffs, musical talent and Jeff Martin's sensitive yet powerful vocal style creates a sound that is somber and complex, groove-laden and riff-based. The way that they weave and twist the guitar melodies, drums, expressive vocals, and underlying bass rhythm is beyond me.

Brian Fristoe's virtuous guitar playing is diverse and his crispy tone is crushingly heavy. His playing has a metal feel with some truly creative and beautiful touches. Jeff Martin's voice is at one minute an almighty roar, followed by a near whispered hush, yet all the while retaining a fear, mistrust and vulnerability that only adds to the overall power of the sound. But don't get me wrong, none of the musicians stand out over one another, as all of them move in one seething mass, like a machine pumping out adrenaline rushing tunes. If necessary, a bit of psychedelic is woven into the song structures, but this does not lead to a 1960's/1970's revival orgy. In my opinion, LO-PAN are deeply rooted in the here and now without ignoring the history of heavy rock and rock 'n' roll.

'Sasquanaut' makes a clear and concise musical statement from start to finish and it is seething with tension. There are plenty of different shades and textures here so that this album never becomes repetitive or stale. All in all, 'Sasquanaut' is crisply produced, thoughtful, and loud album. Do not expect to get into this album after one listen. It takes time, but I think it really is worth our time. So go and buy this shimmering beauty!