Masterplan - MK II - Izzy Izbourne

194 days till W:O:A 2023.

Masterplan is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album Masterplan (2003) in Wacken this year. The band was formed in 2002 by former Helloween members Uli Kusch (drums) and Roland Grapow (guitar). Roland Grapow remains the only founding member in the band as of today. Keyboardist Axel Mackenrott has also been with the band since 2003 and has been involved in all releases except the debut album, where Janne Wirmann from Children of Bodom provided some of the keyboard parts (the rest was produced by Kusch and Grapow). Masterplan has released 5 studio albums so far. The latest release was the cover album PumpKings (2017) which featured re-recorded Helloween songs written by Roland Grapow.

It took me some time to get this article done to be honest. Neither Masterplan (2003) nor PumpKings (2017) were albums that managed to hook me in any way. I listened to them and forget about them pretty quickly. As I don't give up that easily, I ventured further and picked Masterplan's third studio album MK II (2007). This album was released after vocalist and metal legend Jørn Lande as well as founding member Uli Kusch had left the band. Jørn Lande was replaced on vocals by Mike DiMeo and Uli Kusch's seat was filled by Mike Terrana. I read that many fans were absolutely devastated by Lande's departure and Mike DiMeo had actually very big shoes to fill. I actually prefer DiMeo's vocals over Lande's as they feel a bit more raw. Still, MK II is a power metal album and we mainly hear very melodic singing.

The third song on the album Lost and Gone was released as a single. What can I say... it is not giving me much. It is very radio friendly and though the music video shows Terrana playing the drums frantically, but you just don't hear it. You see the big drum set and the guys with the loud guitars and yet there is little oomph in it. Same goes for the fifth song on the album I'm Gonna Win, which also showcases very poppy choruses and catchy yet simple keyboard melodies.

The album opener Warrior's Cry is a nice speed metal track with super fast guitars and blasting drums. Yet again, the vocals are very melodic and the chorus is made for sing-along. Keeps Me Burning is one of the most popular songs on the album with nice lead guitar solos and catchy melodies. Take Me Over starts on a more heavy and dissonant note and is one of the songs I enjoy more than the others on this album. With 5:42 minutes it is just a tad too long. Watching the World is another super fast speed metal track with nice keyboard work and extensive guitar soloing. Call The Gypsy is a slower and more heavy song with distored guitar solos and DiMeo singing a bit more raw. I like the clock-ticking intro. The obligatory power ballad is presented here in the form of Trust in You. I like the verse parts, but I am missing the strong chorus here. The one that has you standing up with tears in your eyes, singing along. It is missing here. The tenth track is Masterplan which is again on the more heavy side with super fast riffs and blasting drums. This song is power metal in a nutshell. I cannot say much about Enemy, which is just pretty generic. The album ends with the the rather long Heart of Darkness (6:59 minutes) on a more darker note.

I just re-read my article on Helloween again and I can pretty much end this article the same way I did there. "Nothing that leaves me breathless and has me concentrating on the music." I know that power metal can leave you breathless and pumped (as Battle Beast's Steel did last week), but here it did not happen for me.