MASTERPLAN: 'Novum Initium' Digipack Cover Artwork Unveiled

March 27, 2013

"Novum Initium", the new album from multinational melodic metallers MASTERPLAN, will be released on May 17 via AFM Records.

"Novum Initium" track listing:

01. Per Aspera Ad Astra
02. The Game
03. Keep Your Dream Alive
04. Black Night Of Magic
05. Betrayal
06. No Escape
07. Pray On My Soul
08. Earth Is Going Down
09. Return From Avalon
10. Through Your Eyes
11. Novum Initium
12. 1492 (digipack bonus track)
13. Fear The Silence (digipack bonus track)

The "Novum Initium" digipack cover artwork can be seen below.

The band last month filmed a video for the song " Keep Your Dream Alive" in the Luftverteidigungsbunker Erndtebrück, also called "Bunker Erich."

A photo of MASTERPLAN's new lineup can be seen below. Joining drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka (CRADLE OF FILTH) are vocalist Rick Altzi (AT VANCE, SANDALINAS, THUNDERSTONE),who replaces Jorn Lande, and bassist Jari Kainulainen (STRATOVARIUS, SYMFONIA, DEVIL'S TRAIN).

In a recent interview with Metal Shock Finland, MASTERPLAN guitarist/leader Roland Grapow stated about the band's new CD: "We are not leaving the MASTERPLAN path too much, but everything we have — the melodic part and a little bit progressive — I would say we're a little bit more powerful and I'm also mixing the album this time. I want to get a little bit more modern, as the sound we have was created ten years ago. We're still having the typical sound with melodies, but the drummer is amazing and plays a lot of crazy shit!"

MASTERPLAN's new lineup:

Rick Altzi - vocals
Roland Grapow - guitars
Axel Mackenrott - keyboards
Jari Kainulainen - bass
Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - drums

In an August 2011 interview with the Czech web portal Kultura21.cz, Grapow stated about MASTERPLAN's numerous lineup changes: "I think it's always difficult in this band, I guess. If you see, the first album just came out after a big turbulence — leaving HELLOWEEN, Uli [Kusch, drums] and me. I think this band always needs some very bad moments to some great songs. [laughs] And it looks like MASTERPLAN, basically, is my main band, and whoever will sing and whoever will play in the band, I'm happy with. But, basically, at the moment, I'm thinking the main songwriters are Axel now and me. So whatever happens, this band will continue. It's very important for me to show that we still have the power and the ability to write beautiful melodies and some aggression and rock and metal songs. Whatever we do, we want just to make good-quality stuff."

MASTERPLAN's last CD, "Time To Be King", was released on May 21, 2010 through AFM Records. The CD's first single, "Far From The End Of The World", was issued on April 16, 2010.

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