| | Masterplan CD Masterplan Discography of CDs
 (1 Customer Review)
Disc 2 is an Enhanced CD, which contains multimedia computer files, a video, and interviews with Masterplan.
Helloween alumni Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch made the best of their quarrelsome ousting from the German power metal pioneers, quickly getting right back into the thick of it with a new band project called Masterplan. Surrounding themselves with fellow veterans of the power metal community like Ark vocalist Jorn Lande and Iron Saviour bassist Jan S. Eckert only helped speed up their trajectory, and a record deal and debut E.P. soon set the stage for 2003's eponymous debut. And to their credit, Masterplan have concocted a remarkably memorable album, one which displays surprising variety and creativity within a severely over-crowded sub-genre with, let's admit, very little experimental wiggle room. Guitarist Grapow obviously relishes the chance to monopolize six-string activities for the first time, unleashing some remarkable pyrotechnic displays on "Crawling from Hell" and "Bleeding Eyes," but it's arguably singer Lande who is the group's ace in the hole. Eschewing the operatic excesses of many competitors, his full-throated, versatile power and impressive range (listen to him flex like Ronnie James Dio on "Crystal Night") render the added personality that allows highlights like "Kind Hearted Light," "Into the Light," and first single "Enlighten Me" stand out (hmm, what's up with the 'light' theme). In fact, we're six tracks in before the first (and thankfully last) unbearably cheesy chorus ("We're the heroes of a new world!" -- ugh!) surfaces by way of "Heroes," but this proves to be the only serious offender on an otherwise excellent effort. Incidentally, keyboards courtesy of Axel Mackenrott also do their part, taking an active part in the proceedings while rarely overwhelming them inconveniently. Delivering on the promised of their E.P., this debut bodes well for the band's future. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
This is part of The End's Endless Metal series.
Recorded at Crazy Cat Studio, Hamburg, Germany.
Masterplan: Jorn Lande (vocals); Roland Grapow (guitar); Axel Mackenrott (keyboards); Jan S. Eckert (bass); Ulli Kusch (drums).
Masterplan: Jorn (vocals); Roland Grapow, Uli Kusch.
Additional personnel: Michael Kiske (vocals); Janne Wirman, Ferdy Doernberg (keyboards); Juergen Attig (bass).
This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files. Purchase Masterplan CD To buy, Click on price to add to cart | Procol Harum Whiter Shade Of Pale CD (1972)
Masterplan album
 $15.19  
Procol Harum's first album was originally released without the inclusion of "A Whiter Shade of Pale," a song that had been a monumental hit just before the LP appeared. In subsequent releases, the running order of the album was slightly changed and "Good Captain Clack" was omitted to make room for the hit that the public expected. What further confused matters was the fact that the debut was available variously as a self-titled release and as A WHITER SHADE OF PALE, both of which featured the new track ordering.
In any event, Procol Harum's debut is a formidable ...
| | Whitesnake Snakebite CD (1978)
Masterplan CD music
$5.29  
Snakebite barely qualifies as a Whitesnake album. Vocalist David Coverdale had just assembled the band, and in fact, half of the songs contained here had been recorded by the singer nearly a year before for an abandoned solo outing. With this in mind, one can understand why most of the cuts either suffer from a lack of creative direction, the players' limited musical interaction, ...
| | Procol Harum Salty Dog CD (1969)
Masterplan music CDs
$16.29
A SALTY DOG...PLUS contains the complete 1969 original release plus 6 rare or previously unreleased bonus tracks.
This German import reissue is packaged in a digipak and contains the bonus track "Long Gone Geek."
Procol Harum, who reached an astounding peak with their 1967 debut, achieved further heights with each successive release up to A SALTY DOG, their third. This album mixes heartfelt singing with orchestral grandeur and an R&B-based rhythm section (B.J. Wilson is one of the great unsung drummers of the '60s and '70s). The band easily and honestly moves from the symphonic mini-epic of the title track to the bluesy "The Milk of Human Kindness." The dual keyboards offer a regal sheen that is nicely punctuated by Robin Trower's guitar. Throughout, Gary Brooker's vocals are richly barbed and the perfect vehicle to deliver ...
| | Kamelot Fourth Legacy CD (2000)
Masterplan songs
$10.45
| | Edguy Rocket Ride CD (2006) Bonus Tracks
Masterplan album
$13.85
It's easy to belittle power metal bands because they often marry portentous musical ambitions with hackneyed Manowar-like posturing that only a 12-year-old could possibly buy into; Germany's Edguy, however, are clever enough to flip those tables by making it evident that they don't take themselves all that seriously. Eight albums into the quintet's career, Edguy have in many ways succeeded where genre daddies Helloween first bit the dust -- injecting ample doses of fun, on-stage glam-metal gymnastics, Scorpions-like face pulling, and unselfconscious humor into what is normally an outwardly austere musical style, and 2006's Rocket Ride is no exception. Possibly validated even further by the recent emergence of Britain's the Darkness, this album's relaxed vibe begins with its silly-aliens-on-crack cover art and culminates in a clutch of amusing ditties about pulling birds ("Catch of the Century"), portly lovers ("Out of Vogue," "Trinidad"), and superheroes (err, "Superheroes"). On their way there, Edguy deliver a surprisingly catchy set of hard rockers ("Wasted Time," "Matrix") and unexaggerated ballads ("The Asylum," "Save Me,"), while rarely relying on power metal's primary and overly abused melodic ...
| | Masterplan MK II CD (2007)
Masterplan CD music
$14.05
After 2005's Aeronautics, Masterplan experienced some major lineup changes. Singer Jorn Lande and drummer Uli Kusch (of Helloween and Gamma Ray fame) both left the band -- and on 2007's MK II, the newcomers include Mike DiMeo (formerly of Riot) on lead vocals and Mike Terrana (who has played with Yngwie Malmsteen) on drums. But keyboardist Axel Mackenrott and guitarist Roland Grapow (formerly of Helloween) are still on board; in fact, Grapow is the band's leader and produced MK II -- which, despite the personnel changes, is not a stylistic departure from Aeronautics. Despite having a new lead singer and a new drummer, Masterplan still sounds like Masterplan -- and that means continuing to provide aggressive but melodic and intricate power metal with a strong progressive rock influence. Before MK II, Masterplan's sound was best described as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Ronnie James Dio with an awareness of Rush, Journey and Emerson, Lake & Palmer; that description is equally appropriate on MK II. Like Aeronautics, MK II is proudly, stubbornly caught in a stylistic timewarp; this album is totally oblivious to post-'80s developments in metal, and Grapow maintains his loyalty to the power metal and prog rock of the '70s and '80s. ...
| | Fifth Angel Time Will Tell CD (1989)
Masterplan music CDs
$11.59
Fifth Angel's entire disappointing career can be summed up in two words: "lowered expectations." Rarely has group of such talented musicians so debased its individual abilities in the pursuit of commercial acceptance. Underneath the mundane arrangements, pedestrian chord voicings, and exaggeratedly glossy finish applied to their albums, particularly 1989's sophomore Time Will Tell, lies a highly accomplished heavy metal band desperate to break free of its record company (and self-imposed) shackles and actually risk something...anything! But they never did, and instead of emulating the highbrow metal approach of their successful Seattle brethren Queensr˙che (clearly their intention), Fifth Angel more often resembles L.A. also-rans Dokken -- and an often less impressive version of Dokken at that. Ouch! Even when they launch off aggressive staccato riffs and made-to-order pop-metal anthems like "Midnight Love," "Wait for Me," and the preposterously corny "We Rule," they infallibly collapse into clichéd moves and intolerably cheesy choruses. Even their faithful cover of UFO's classic "Lights Out" is sanitized beyond redemption, its fierce energy squandered by -- you guessed it -- lowered expectations. A few exceptions worth noting: "Broken Dreams" is given a very beautiful acoustic introduction, "Angel of Mercy" rocks out rather convincingly, and, by the era's standards, "So Long" is a pleasantly well-executed power ballad. Unfortunately, these are hardly capable of salvaging Time Will Tell from its general morass, and few were surprised when Fifth Angel faded into oblivion after its release. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia
On their 1989 sophomore release, Time Will Tell, Fifth Angel emulate the highbrow metal approach of their successful Seattle brethren Queensr˙che (clearly their intention), but more often resemble L.A.'s Dokken when they launch their aggressive staccato riffs and made-to-order pop-metal anthems like "Midnight Love," "Wait for Me," and "We Rule." Nevertheless, a few exceptions are worth noting: "Broken Dreams" is given a very beautiful acoustic ...
| | Fifth Angel CD (1986)
Masterplan songs
$10.39
Fifth Angel was one of the most dynamic live performers of the 1980's - their amazing live sets prompted Epic to sign the group in 1986. This original album stayed on the Billboard charts for thirteen weeks in 1988 and is filled with the powerful - yet melodic - rock that the group is known for, including In The Fallout, Cry Out The Fools, and Fade to Flames. 9 tracks.
This analogy may be a tad obscure for most people ...
| | Hell Rules: Tribute To Black Sabbath, Vol. 2 CD (2000)
Masterplan album
$14.69
| | U F O Force It CD (1975) (Import) Japan; Remastered; Mini LP Sleeve
Masterplan CD music
$40.75
| | Bolt Thrower In Battle There Is No Law CD (1988) Import
Masterplan music CDs
$19.55
| | Michael Schenker Rock Will Never Die CD (1984) (Import) Japan; Mini LP Sleeve
Masterplan songs
$40.75
ROCK WILL NEVER DIE is the 1984 album from the Michael Schenker Group, led by ex-UFO and ex-Scorpions guitarist Michael Schenker.
This Japanese reissue is digitally remastered and has 15 tracks, including six bonus songs.
By the fourth year of MSG's existence, Michael Schenker had hired and fired half of the metal musicians in Europe and North America (or at least it seemed that way), so when the supporting cast had pretty much checked out and Schenker reclined into a three-year hiatus, Chrysalis scrambled to release this, the "band's" second live album in two years. With just nine tracks -- most of which were already featured on the superior One Night at Budokan -- Rock Will Never Die is a questionable affair at best. Of the four songs not featured on their prior live opus, only the splendid shred-fest "Captain Nemo" is of any interest. The first-time-live versions of songs culled from the much-maligned 1983 studio recording Built to Destroy are hardly worth the price of purchase. Considering all this, and the record's generally unremarkable sonics, there is just no sensible reason to recommend Rock Will Never Die to even the most devoted of Schenker enthusiasts. ~ Vincent Jeffries
By the fourth year of MSG's existence, ...
| | Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quart CD (2008) (Import) Japan; Mini LP Sleeve
Masterplan album
$36.55
| | Gemma Ray Leader CD (2008) (Import) Import
Masterplan CD music
$22.35
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