Lo-Pan – Columbus Hard Rockers Bring The Heavy to Austin
In 2011, Lo-Pan via Small Stones Records released:
Salvador
Lo-Pan – Salvador
Sasquanaut (remastered)
Lo-Pan-Sasquanaut
On November 15th, 2012, Lo-Pan joined ranks with Goatwhore, and High on Fire at Emo’s for the first night of the tour, playing songs from Salvador and Sasquanat.
Lo-Pan is:
Jeff Martin vocals
J.Bartz drums
Skot Thompson bass
Brian Fristoe guitars
As the opening band, they played to a small but eager crowd.
Setlist included:
Chichen Itza
Kurtz
El Dorado
Collosus
Deciduous
NPD
Eastern Seas
Interesting note about this setlist is some songs like NPD and Eastern Seas are unreleased and only played live.
Lo-Pan is the definition of heavy. Bassist Thompson and Guitarist Fristoe play in a frenzy. They have good timing, rhythm, and the sound quality is always impressive. Jeff Martin actually sings! He sounds like an angel who is high on fire. Drummer J. Bartz brings it all together with hard hitting cymbal action that does not cease to impress. They played seven songs and left us wanting more.
NOLA’s Goatwhore Always Impresses
Ben Falgoust – Vocals
Sammy Duet – Guitars and Vocals
Zack Simmons – Drums
James Harvey – Bass
Supporting the 2012 Metal Blade release “Blood For the Master”, Goatwhore came to town for a second time. They played to a smaller crowd who was not as frenzied as the crowd at The Mohawk, but they were equally inviting. Austin loves Goatwhore.
Highlights included:
Death to the Architects of Heaven
For more videos and news you can subscribe to their youtube channel:
High on Fire
Matt Pike – Guitars, Vocals
Des Kensel – Drums
Jeff Matz – Bass
Supporting the sixth release from the Oakland power trio, ‘De Vermis Mysteriis, ‘ High on Fire came to town for the 11th time this year…ok, yeah, we should say the second time…even though they did play numerous days during SXSW.
Matt Pike was playing his brand new all white Les Paul. The “Tobacco Burst” Les Paul that he has owned and played since 1992 was stolen from a studio space in Oakland. He was also playing sober for the first time….ever. At first the show started out a little bit choppy, not their usual fluid style. By the third song of the set, “10,000 Years”, Pike was rolling out the riffs just like his momma taught him: nice, smooth, sweet, and heavy as fuck.
High on Fire is a collaborative effort of three men: Matt Pike, Des Kenzel, and Jeff Matz. Pike plays not as if he is a god, yet that is exactly how his fans view him. He has a flamboyancy that is true metal. The members of HOF are like “the guys next door”, especially if you live in Oakland. They are not egotistical or maniacal. They will eat red m & m’s. Or was it brown? Either way, not a single fuck is given and it comes across in their music. Raw energetic power that is the essential underground sound. Every time they play here in Austin, whether it is the first time or the 11th, each show is as equally exciting as the last. Next time they come to town, do yourself a favor amd check High on Fire out.
-Kris Moore
