01 Fuel

02 Not me

03 Sunday

04 1 Day

05 Reach

06 Walk away

07 Thread

08 Oblivion

09 Ignition

10 Never

11 Fake

12 Bombz

Pete Murray (vocals) Neil Godfrey (guitar) Pete Ricci (guitar) John "Tumor" Fahnestock (bass) Tommy Stewart (drums)

Lo Pro is the new band of former vocalist/programmer of Ultraspank Pete Murray and features also former members of Ultraspank (guitarist/programmer Neil Godfrey), Snot (John “Tumor” Fahnestock) and Godsmack (Tommy Stewart), besides guitarist Pete Ricci. Ultraspank were one of the most original and, at the meantime, less commercial band that came out at the end of the last decade, in the middle of the Nu Metal explosion; with their aggressive industrial music were tought as the heirs of Fear Factory, but after the release of their second great album “Progress” (2000) and a lot of gigs all over the USA, they had to split up cause of the shortsight of their label.

Now then the frontman resurfeces with this new band, but if you think to find in Lo Pro the Ultraspank Part II, well you’re definitely wrong. In fact Lo Pro sound is completely different from the Ultraspank one, and the only thing in Lo Pro that reminds of Ultraspank is Pete’s voice, even if his way of singing is changed from then.

Lo Pro proposes a rock much more melodic than Ultraspank, more oriented to bands such as Staind or Cold, while the electronic aspect is quite completely forgotten and there isn’t anymore the alternation between growl and melodic vocals; even if all the songs have catchy refrains that stuck in your head after few listenings, they’re all but expected and you can listen to the entire album lot of times without getting bored. There aren’t weak songs, but, if i had to choose, i’d tell that my fav ones are the single “Sunday”, “1day”, “Oblivion” and “Fake”. I have to say that Pete’s performance is really great, both for what concerns the singing and for what concerns the lyrics: his voice and way of singing are great, try for instance the “Walk Away” refrain, and the lyrics are amazing cause he speaks openly about him and his personal matters, “I fade away, into oblivion, every second i’m alive without you”  sings in the “Oblivion” refrain.

One last note: “Lo Pro” is the the first act of 413/Geffen, the new Aaron Lewis’s (Staind vocalist) label.

So, if you are searchin for a very good and well done album to listen to for a very long time, i definetly recommend you the first release of Lo Pro: even if they are not the Ultraspank continuation (i prefer to underline again this point), they won’t leave you disappointed.

 

Rating: 7,8/10  

 

Alberto Scremin