MASTERPLAN Guitarist Talks About Proposed Project With MICHAEL KISKE, KAI HANSEN

Baz Anderson of MetalStorm.ee recently conducted an interview with MASTERPLAN/ex-HELLOWEEN guitarist Roland Grapow. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

MetalStorm.ee: So how well do you think the album "MK II" has come across?

Roland: I think pretty good, honestly, because I think people, you know, lost a bit of faith in this band and when we released the album of course many people checked it out to see "how bad we are" — but people were surprised that nothing really changed so much, I mean the music is still the same kind of style and yeah, it's good. We did our best not to change MASTERPLAN's styles so drastically, of course Mike [DiMeo] has a different voice but his kind of endings of the melodies are always kind of bluesy, very similar to Jørn's [Lande] style, you know and I guess I wanted to keep this kind of style.

MetalStorm.ee: So are you happy with how things are going then with the new line-up and touring?

Roland: Yeah, I think the new line-up is still growing together and I still think it takes some time, maybe another album to be on the same kind of level spot, but as far as this CD the sales are quite nice, especially in Sweden and Norway had better sales then before, and Germany I don't know... I suppose we'll keep the same chart levels as before — so it's quite nice but I'm looking forward to... like I said getting stronger with the new album and coming back again first time as a headliner and.. supporting is cool, I mean we reach a lot of SAXON fans I guess — they saw us and people are mainly coming for SAXON... that's the idea, you know, of making support — this is to get to some people that never even read the magazines any more, I mean most of the fans are older like my age and also young people come out, I am surprised but it's good to hear us live or see us and "whoa, I have to buy the album" so we're doing really nice merch. So it's like we were running out of t-shirts now and we have just long sleeves and girly shirts, but the people really like to buy the CDs — that means they don't know us and that's a good sign — I hope we get a lot of English fans tonight. It's good to see the people like to buy a lot of CDs and it's better this time as support then last time as a headliner.

MetalStorm.ee: So did you have when you was selecting a new singer, because Jørn was hard to replace, did you have any other names that you was thinking of?

Roland: You want to know names?

MetalStorm.ee: Yeah, was you thinking of anyone else...

Roland: Yeah of course, Jens, no not Jens, Patrik Johansson, he's from ASTRAL DOORS he's quite a good singer, very Dio-ish... yeah and what's his name — from OUTWORLD? A singer from America, I forget his name but he was great — he was on BEYOND TWILIGHT, the second to last album after Jørn... what's his name... [he was thinking of Kelly Sundown Carpenter] but these really were the main guys — of course, I had some favourite singers but Uli didn't like them, it's always tricky when you have two guys deciding — so finally, Uli was still in the band, we decided Mike DiMeo was the best for both of us — we had the feeling he could go closer to Jørn's style without copying him, you know some other guys were copying Jørn so close it was stupid, it's not good to replace someone that is just a fan of Jørn.

MetalStorm.ee: Like Tim Owens replacing Rob Halford.

Roland: Yeah, its' like people compare it always too much and Mike has his own style, I think he has a little bit more freedom — of course, people might think "oh Jørn's better" or "I'm missing him" or whatever but comparing it still — I think the music, I think maybe people think too much about Jørn so special, but I guess the whole band and music is important, you know the melodies and the arrangements and if people like just Jørn then they should go and buy his solo CDs because it's totally different music.

MetalStorm.ee: I've read that you, Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen are supposed to be getting together to do... to "do" something.

Roland: Yeah we've had a couple of meetings already, and last time Christmas, just after Christmas and we decided now when we have time — writing songs for Michael, so Mike said "I don't want to write songs because it's too far away metal style" so Kai is writing separate first and then me when I am coming back in a couple of months I guess and play the first songs to Mike and see if he likes it.

MetalStorm.ee: So this is going to be a completely separate bands then?

Roland: It's a totally new project it would be first and then if it's successful then we'll see, but then we're planning lots of touring and playing gigs.

MetalStorm.ee: Will this be a predominantly power metal album?

Roland: It will be very tasteful power metal, nothing too drastical or brutal or too stupid fast - I mean many people know about Mickael Kiske's opinions about this but I guess he's a bit more open, definitely, when it's coming from Kai and me — also we will have some double bass, haha, but it will be very melodic from the vocal side because I guess the only strength on his vocals if it's really melodic, like if you have songs like "Eagle Fly Free" from HELLOWEEN, or you know "I Want Out" or "Heroes" from MASTERPLAN, this fits in very nice you know, or the AVANTASIA stuff as well — but his solo stuff is always just one note, he's always holding... [and then impersonates Michael singing and holding just one note] and it's always like a bit boring you know... without criticizing him, he likes this kind of style but I guess his strengths are much more melodic. Like anthems you know, these kinds of melodies you know, like the ballad like the one from HELLOWEEN which was number one in Korea you know [and then sings] "in my heart, in my soul.. da da da-da" — it's not easy to write but you know if you write the stuff with voice and it's quite nice compared to Jørn or Mike DiMeo — I would never write stuff for them like this, it's too pitchy, but with Michael Kiske's voice it sounds really great. I think that is much more important then if it is just a fast double bass track or if it's just aggressive guitar playing, I don't think these are as important any more. The whole concept should be good.

MetalStorm.ee: Do you're going to see how successful this is then and then the possibility of touring...

Roland: Yeah! that's what I said, if we have a good... good... good feelings with this whole thing and we are getting of course a bass player and drummer and then we're recording it and then looking for a record deal — and then if we get a good kind of deal then I guess we will announce already tour dates, and we will also be playing some older HELLOWEEN stuff written from Kai and Kiske and me — and I guess people will have a lot of fun hearing the old HELLOWEEN stuff with the new stuff, and if we make it clever then I think it should fit - but that's the idea we are definitely looking forward. Mike, Mike Kiske has already said of course you could play some shows already, maybe people asking us already if we would just be playing the old stuff of HELLOWEEN but it would be wrong — you should present a new album and then some older stuff, that's it — not like some HELLOWEEN kind of cover band.

MetalStorm.ee: So are there any names kicking around at the moment? Any other band members?

Roland: No, no — the best would be if Markus Großkopf would play bass, and maybe he is doing it — we have to ask him, it's just if he gets into trouble with HELLOWEEN, he had a very unique style which is really great, he is very kind of playing his own melody bass instead of just copying the rhythm guitar, and... but for drummer definitely would maybe be Uli — I mean, Ingo would be perfect but he's not there any more... we will see, the drummer is what we are not sure — I mean a long time ago I asked Uli if he would join this project as well and he says "meeh, probably" — he has really problems with Kai, they're not really talking to each other, and now I don't really like to play with Uli any more. Haha, so we have two reasons. Yeah, then I am planning many many projects like doing another solo album, or something like... something... which I don't want to tour with, something like totally different from the metal like a rock/blues, very basic album and maybe singing with some great singers on it... or I am also planning something very dramatic, you know... not like a metal opera or something, but very more basic, progressive kind of stuff which is dynamic and very tasteful...

Read the entire interview at MetalStorm.ee.