Masterplan
Time To Be King

Apparently, the demand for the return of Lande was so great that the band and Jorn couldn't ignore it. Even greater than the differences raised by the latter regarding a genre far removed from that of his model Ronnie James Dio, which he had approached thanks to his solo career.

Former Helloween member Roland Grapow produced the record, doing a stellar job since "Time To Be King" and is a concentrate of sparkling power metal, melody, symphonic keyboards, driving guitars, rocking rhythms destined to stick in your head, in addition to, of course, Jorn's lungs.
On the other hand, it should be emphasized how the album is not immediately assimilated beyond the aforementioned harmonic arrangements and melodies, especially for those who own both previous works. The creative detachment from these may not be sufficient to be on the same level, while the lack at a lyrical level compared to the previous ones is quite unforgiving: there is no trace of the sense of siege, marginalization, and confinement that flowed copiously from Aeronautics, indicating a change of course towards more tranquil shores, although well emphasized, not only by the production but also by Axel Mackenrott's mastery on keyboards, capable of amplifying the mood conveyed by the lyrics while winking at AOR without ever sounding symphonic. Fortunately, we might say, given the dangerous proximity of the lyrics to the laconic iconography of DragonForce where terms like "flame, power, storm, stars" and "rise" are repeated ad nauseam.

The first tracks, however, are all very catchy, and it's difficult to identify any standout pieces, although that title perhaps belongs to "Lonely Winds Of War" and the subsequent "The Dark Road." The first piece doesn't merit such praise in itself given the dubious resemblance to "Blackberry Way" by The Move; but the improvements made to the latter are so evident that the end justifies the means, while "The Dark Road" rightfully deserves the title, being strategically placed halfway through the album and also being its emblem. Sure, the poetic vein doesn't reach the peaks of Aeronautics here either, but it remains an exploit of great refinement that echoes the love for rock & roll (not metal) magnificently interpreted by Lande; and perhaps it is precisely to this that the concluding lines should be applied: "In my time I gave you thunder, and now I'm going under..."
Alongside the lyrics, there are other sore points: the subsequent tracks stop offering surprises, especially "Blu Europa" which recalls a piece from the debut album and the bonus track "Kisses From You," a full-fledged plagiarism of Queen that Masterplan could surely have done without.

Summing up, the lineage of Masterplan promised a far different crowning compared to the self-proclaimed cover and title; on the other hand, as happened with "The Frozen Tears Of Angels" by Rhapsody, the lack of originality is not enough to overshadow the skill and technique of the individual elements with more than established fame; and above all, Lande genuinely seems to deserve the scepter of the heir of the great Ronnie James Dio.