Columbus heavy rock crew Lo-Pan is kicking off 2017 in style with this five-song, 22-minute EP. The grizzled tour veterans head out with “Go West,” a slower, sludgy stomp that kinda reminds me of Torche, especially in the vocal department. “Sink or Swim” is slightly shorter and crunchier, a decent, mid-paced, melodic rocker. The slow, heavy, head-nodding grooves of “Long Live the King” ooze like Fu Manchu-brand molasses all over what is probably the best tune on here, complete with wah-heavy chorus.
“Alexis” is slightly smoother, but equally heavy, befitting of the “Alternative Sludge” tag that appears next to this record on iTunes…although I didn’t even know that was a thing. But hey, if you listen closely, you can hear shades of Crowbar on these breakdowns, although Lo-Pan’s frontman occupies a much higher register than Kirk Windstein.
Six-and-a-half minute “Pathfinder” brings the record to a close, a mellow, desert-rock number with plenty of wah and one helluva heavy riff that first hits around the 1:45 mark. Nothing wrong with this one at all!
lo-pan-rock.bandcamp.com/album/in-tensions
