ARTIST – MASTERPLAN

ALBUM – METALMORPHOSIS

REVIEWER – GRAEME WRIGHT

It’s been thirteen long years since Masterplan released their last studio album ‘Novum Initum’, to the extent that some of us were wondering if we would ever hear anything new from this band again. Well, imagine my surprise when the rumblings began of a new release on the Frontiers label, a brand new studio album with the apt title ‘Metalmorphosis’. When guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch left Helloween circa 2001, they quickly formed Masterplan and released five excellent albums over the next thirteen years. It’s been radio silence for a long time, but the new album has finally landed on my music player, so the big question is, was it worth the wait?

Thankfully the answer to that question is a big fat yes. What we have here is power metal at its finest, full of big songs, huge choruses, massive guitar solos and, above all, a sense of immediacy that is essential in this overcrowded market. Rick Altzi has a gruffer voice than most in the genre, but for me he is a leading light amongst power metal vocalists, even though he could just as easily sing a heavyweight blues song as a hard-edged metal tune. He’s in fine form here, with backing vocals that perfectly complement his efforts on this record.

Opening track ‘Chase The Light’ is a dark and brooding song which isn’t typical of the band’s previous output, and it’s none the worse for that, with a heavy bass line, crunching guitar work and an ultimately positive message imploring people to break out of the current darkness that envelopes the world we live in today. ‘Electric Nights’ is an upbeat galloper and is probably the most immediate track on the album, getting its hooks into you on first listen. ‘Shadow Man’ is excellent and sounds almost like a horror film theme tune from back in the day, with a thunderous main break with big riffs to boot. ‘Bound To Fall’ is another absolute banger, with an insistent vocal drive combined with a monstrous chorus, which somewhat reminded me of a heavied-up Rainbow song.

‘Pain Of Yesterday’ has an exotic feel to it, with powerful drum and bass support always lurking in the background. The title track ‘Metalmorphosis’ is a hugely ambitious number that gallops along like a runaway stallion before it is reined in with a tremendous backing vocal. ‘Through The Storm’ is kick-ass pure thoroughbred heavy metal, while ‘Ghostlight’ slows things down a touch, a supremely confident mid-paced metal anthem. ‘The Call’ is an eight-minute epic battle cry that absolutely soars from the rooftops and is the finest record on the album (indeed, it’s one of the best songs this band has ever recorded.) Album closer ‘Rise Again’ keeps the quality ratings high, and it’s an old-school power metal song that displays everything people love about this genre of music.

I’m a big fan of the band, so asking me to review this record is akin to shooting fish in a barrel, but it’s a rock-solid album full of big songs and is everything you could possibly want from a power metal record, while simultaneously providing tunes that should appeal to those who are only just dipping their toes in the water of this type of music. Highly recommended.

ALBUM TRACK LIST

1. Chase The Light
2. Electric Nights
3. Shadow Man
4. Bound To Fall
5. Pain Of Yesterday
6. Metalmorphosis
7. Through The Storm
8. Ghostlight
9. The Call
10. Rise Again

BAND

Rick Altzi – Lead Vocals

Roland Grapow – Guitar

Jari Kainulainen – Bass

Kevin Kott – Drums

Axel Mackenrott – Keyboards