I’ve never worked out why I like Masterplan more than other Power Metal bands. In many respects they are a template of the genre, and indeed arose as an offshoot of Helloween who I like, while spreading out their wings individually to other similar bands. Right from their self-titled debut in 2003, they have always had a trademark sound, and so it is with “Time to be King”, their fourth album. Anthemic, triple +++ melodic, catchy – once again it’s all here. It’s fun too but has that dark edge. Maybe that’s what I like about them.
Here they gallop off without delay. “Fiddle of Time” is bombastic and features typically flourishing Power Metal guitar solos. Breathtaking and rampant wouldn’t understate the case. The larger than life presentation style is there too. I half expected Jørn Lande, back as the vocalist after a 3 year gap, to proclaim “And the story will be told …” as he does so emphatically and memorably on “Black in the Sky” on “Aeronautics”. The drama continues with “Blow Your Winds”, whose sing-a-long catchy chorus is complemented by the ethereal Power guitar solo. I realised why I like Masterplan so much. Lande’s voice is clear but human and engaging, not the falsetto that sometimes comes with this style. The sweep picking is crunchy and inviting. The sound is big. This is entertainment. The lyrics can deviate in the direction of the cheesy, witness “I am the master of souls, Power is out of Control” on “Lonely Winds of War”. Captivating exaggeration comes with the package but so does fast, exciting riffs and melody. By contrast “The Dark Road” starts with the sound of a calming flute. The orchestral beginning gives way as Lande takes charge to powerful and bombastic Metal backing. The next three tracks have all the ingredients. “The Dark Road” has the drama reminiscent of the band’s first album, then “The Sun is in Your Hands” features the heavy fusion of drums, key and guitar in a rousing song, while “The Black One” is a strong, more Metal-orientated song. They’re fine but there’s no added excitement. Compared to what the band can do, it’s like a cake without the icing, the cappuccino without the chocolate on top.
That all changes with “Blue Europa”. This track captures what makes Masterplan better than the Power Metal rest. The timing, melody and drama are nerve-jangling. The song has a human and historical story. It starts with a boy in war-torn Berlin whose vision and dreams are shattered, along with those of his fellow countrymen. Masterplan know how to generate a shady atmosphere. It’s summarised in the lyric “ (The) darkness of our history shadowed by the light we see”. The chugging rhythm is hypnotic, the pace is right as the track develops mysteriously and it is not just memorable. “Blue Europa” is brilliant. Anything after this was going to be an anti-climax but the final track “Under the Moon” gives it a go. It has the authority and evocative emotion of “The Dark Road” earlier on the album. It is powerful in every way.
Masterplan have the distinction of appealing to three members of my family, spanning 36 years. Their music is not difficult or intellectually-challenging, nor is it bone-headed. It’s appealing, entertaining, technically excellent and impeccably-timed Power Metal. “Time to be King” carries on that tradition.
http://www.master-plan.net
http://www.afm-records.de
