Masterplan
Novum Initium
AFM Records
2013
I would be a friggin liar if I tried to hide that I’m a Masterplan fan. Anyone who has kept pace with Grande Rock for over a decade knows that thing very well. Even by a small search one can read the reviews and the interviews I did back then. Thus, any new Masterplan album is a special event for me and I try to spend as much time as I can, listening to it thoroughly.
So, what’s new on the band’s camp this time? Well, Jorn left for one more time! Swell! I didn’t see that coming! Hehe! How has Roland believed the opposite even for a sec?! I didn’t have the chance to review “Time to Be King”, since the site was offline at that time, but briefly I can say that it was Masterplan’s most average moment and the much advertised Jorn return proved them wrong in due course. Sales-wise, the album was a major letdown and Jorn hit the road in order to deal with his own personal music business. He broke a curse though! He managed to release three albums with the same band but not in a row… probably that’s another curse that’s waiting to be broken! I do not know how tragic it has been for Roland to see Jorn going for one more time. It’s like getting back with your beloved girlfriend but after a small time period she leaves you alone again! It’s very painful indeed.
Roland has seen this happening again so it wasn’t that hard in the end to make a choice. The first time he chose right, by getting a totally different singer (Mike DiMeo) to replace Jorn. This time, I think he kinda mixed things up. I remember that before getting over with Mike DiMeo, he also recorded a few demo songs with Kelly Sundown Carpenter back in the day. Kelly was a great mach for the band, imho, as I had the chance to listen to those demos. Unluckily, he decided to follow another way this time. I do hope he will release those demos with Kelly one day though. Anyhow, Rick Altzi (At Vance, Sandalinas), the band’s new singer, has a good voice. He may be a reminiscent of Jorn at times but the wrong thing is that he sometimes does that on purpose. I do not believe that Masterplan or Roland need a Jorn clone on the band so why have they made such a mistake? When Rick is more himself things are better. The other new member is the drummer Martin Karoupka.
Even though I do not fancy that Rick & Jorn comparison at all, I think that the album’s major problem is the songwriting. “Time to Be King” was the band’s most unfortunate moment for it didn’t have many strong songs. “Novum Initium” is better on that part but then again it can’t be compared to “MK II”. Do not even think of going backwards, huh! The finest tracks here are: “Keep Your Dream Alive”, “No Escape”, “Earth is Going Down” & “Through Your Eyes”. You see, there are some great songs to revel in but overall the album ain’t that strong. The last homonymous 10-minute tune is too long for no reason. Alternatively, the production is superb. Roland has turned out to be a great producer over the years as well.
Hence, “Novum Initium” is a good album & undoubtedly better than “Time to Be King”. Yet, something’s missing from Masterplan so as to reach their first two albums and I think that element is Uli Kusch as he used to make a very strong duo with Roland. At any rate, Masterplan have already established themselves as a very good melodic metal act so it’s in their hand to keep that legacy over the years and fix any minor or major drawbacks…
So, what’s new on the band’s camp this time? Well, Jorn left for one more time! Swell! I didn’t see that coming! Hehe! How has Roland believed the opposite even for a sec?! I didn’t have the chance to review “Time to Be King”, since the site was offline at that time, but briefly I can say that it was Masterplan’s most average moment and the much advertised Jorn return proved them wrong in due course. Sales-wise, the album was a major letdown and Jorn hit the road in order to deal with his own personal music business. He broke a curse though! He managed to release three albums with the same band but not in a row… probably that’s another curse that’s waiting to be broken! I do not know how tragic it has been for Roland to see Jorn going for one more time. It’s like getting back with your beloved girlfriend but after a small time period she leaves you alone again! It’s very painful indeed.
Roland has seen this happening again so it wasn’t that hard in the end to make a choice. The first time he chose right, by getting a totally different singer (Mike DiMeo) to replace Jorn. This time, I think he kinda mixed things up. I remember that before getting over with Mike DiMeo, he also recorded a few demo songs with Kelly Sundown Carpenter back in the day. Kelly was a great mach for the band, imho, as I had the chance to listen to those demos. Unluckily, he decided to follow another way this time. I do hope he will release those demos with Kelly one day though. Anyhow, Rick Altzi (At Vance, Sandalinas), the band’s new singer, has a good voice. He may be a reminiscent of Jorn at times but the wrong thing is that he sometimes does that on purpose. I do not believe that Masterplan or Roland need a Jorn clone on the band so why have they made such a mistake? When Rick is more himself things are better. The other new member is the drummer Martin Karoupka.
Even though I do not fancy that Rick & Jorn comparison at all, I think that the album’s major problem is the songwriting. “Time to Be King” was the band’s most unfortunate moment for it didn’t have many strong songs. “Novum Initium” is better on that part but then again it can’t be compared to “MK II”. Do not even think of going backwards, huh! The finest tracks here are: “Keep Your Dream Alive”, “No Escape”, “Earth is Going Down” & “Through Your Eyes”. You see, there are some great songs to revel in but overall the album ain’t that strong. The last homonymous 10-minute tune is too long for no reason. Alternatively, the production is superb. Roland has turned out to be a great producer over the years as well.
Hence, “Novum Initium” is a good album & undoubtedly better than “Time to Be King”. Yet, something’s missing from Masterplan so as to reach their first two albums and I think that element is Uli Kusch as he used to make a very strong duo with Roland. At any rate, Masterplan have already established themselves as a very good melodic metal act so it’s in their hand to keep that legacy over the years and fix any minor or major drawbacks…