Gray music to wallow in

Lo Pro

413 Records/ Geffen Records

Recommended if you like Staind,…

Lo Pro

413 Records/ Geffen Records

Recommended if you like Staind, Disturbed, Godsmack

Aaron Lewis of Staind saw something special in the five members of rock band Lo Pro when he decided to sign them to his label, 413 Records. Lo Pro didn’t just drop out of the sky, though. Two of the band members, Pete Murray (vocals) and Neil Godfrey (guitar), played in the band Ultraspank throughout the ’90s and attained a moderate amount of fame. They gave up on Ultraspank because of shady record label politics that they didn’t want to be a part of. Eventually, they found Tommy Stewart (drums), Pete Ricci (guitar) and John Fahnestock (bass) and began Lo Pro.

Lo Pro’s debut album, which is named for the band, is meticulous in that every guitar riff and drum beat fits into the grand scheme of the album precisely. Most of the songs, especially “Sunday” and “Ignition,” are driven by a wailing guitar. Instrumentally, Lo Pro’s songs are inspired with different backbeats and interesting breakdowns.

Unfortunately, as different as the background music is from song to song, lead singer Pete Murray’s vocals strain the ears and are monotonous. One could find a certain solace in the silent spaces between songs where your head has enough time to stop ringing from the screaming emotion in his voice.

On the positive side, Murray does emit strong feelings through his vocals and makes you feel the pain of the lyrics, which are extremely complex and deep. The lyrical highlight on the album is on “Thread.” Murray sings, “I weathered another storm but it’s not the last one/ I know this isn’t over, I know it’s just begun/ I feel it getting stronger, I see clouds behind the sun/ Breath out; take it all in. Patience gone south and the cycle begins.”

There is a theme of depression and despair that runs throughout the album, finding no resolution, even at the end. Overall, the album is mediocre. Listening to Lo Pro makes you feel like you are walking down the streets of Pittsburgh during a rainy day – everything is just gray.