Masterplan
Masterplan

THE REVIEW

Premise: I categorically hate Helloween, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Hammerfall, and many other bands that revolve around their style.

The Masterplan is formed by two ex-members of Helloween, one from Iron Savior, and half from Gamma Ray. Yet strangely, I like them, and their self-titled debut album, released in early 2003, is pleasant to listen to. You might ask "why?" regarding this paradox of mine.
I asked myself the same question and after careful reflection, I summed up and came to a conclusion.

First of all, the album possesses a heavier sound compared to many other records of the genre, yet at the same time sunny, recreating the happy sound of German power bands. There are also hints that reflect a somewhat progressive style. The choruses are those with the so-called church choirs reigning in power metal, but even these differ significantly from the usual. The exceptional Scandinavian singer Jorn Lande cannot be compared to any other castrato in the world. His voice is stunning and expresses a sense of radiant strength, managing to captivate the astonished listener (at least as far as I am concerned).
The speeds and melodies are always those of power metal, but as I have already explained, small and fresh changes have been made in the sounds.
Furthermore, although I may despise the original bands, guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch (creators of the band) know what they are talking about when it comes to this genre of music. Jan Eckert's bass parts and Axel Mackenrott's keyboards make a discreet impression, accompanying the remaining band members in rarely syncopated melodies.

This fine line-up could have done more if they had dared to innovate their musical knowledge further through innovation on the power parts, but the haste to show Weikath that the Helloween compositional duo can do just fine without him unfortunately played a part.
The opening track "Spirit Never Dies," fast, symphonic, and with a very beautiful chorus, bursts with energy from all sides and, together with "Crystal Night," "Sail On," and "Heroes," a track made interesting by the duet between Lande and Michael Kiske, stands out as the best song created by the new German combo.

It is not a masterpiece, but just a good album, which I find easy and pleasant to listen to, without having to endure the unbearable melodies of Helloween.