MASTERPLAN

A reliable and consistent class act since their formation in 2001, MASTERPLAN represent the sophisticated end of the power metal scene. Over the course of the last 25 years, guitarist Roland Grapow has continued to chip away at his refined take on metal songcraft, resulting in a series of albums that have, at the very least, been self-evident, top-tier examples of 21st century melodic metal. Whether fronted by the talismanic Jørn Lande, as they were for their first decade, or by current incumbent Rick Altzi, MASTERPLAN have always delivered. And so it comes as no surprise that the band's first album in 13 years (the 2017 HELLOWEEN-covering "PumpKings" album notwithstanding) is another immaculate slab of distinctly European metallic bombast. Anything else would be a crushing disappointment.

Newly signed to Frontiers Music and mindful of the need to return with something special, "Metalmorphosis" captures Grapow and his comrades in a celebratory mood. Bulked out with deft progressive moments but still forthright and fiery in its melodic power, "Chase The Light" is a revelatory opener. MASTERPLAN have covered similar territory on numerous occasions, but rarely with this much energy or intensity. Altzi's voice remains a gritty, soulful focal point and a refreshing change from the legions of identikit power metal vocalists. The way he hammers home chorus hooks throughout this record is a testament to his talents. On the gleefully melodramatic "Shadow Man", he explores the lower half of his range, building up to another infectious chorus with slick efficiency and letting rip in spectacular fashion. The song veers off on a thunderous, shred-adjacent tangent before snapping back into a triumphant, theatrical payoff that feels pointedly darker and heavier than MASTERPLAN have ever been. Similarly, "Bound To Fall" is a brooding prog metal indulgence, with artful mood shifts and yet another colossal, central refrain, fueled by an Altzi vocal that is simultaneously effortless and unstoppable. Grapow has retained all of the charm and charisma that his band established early on, but he has also dragged MASTERPLAN into heavier and more adventurous territory. In contrast with the featherweight cheeriness that often undermines power metal as a genre, "Metalmorphosis" is a serious record with brains and balls in plentiful supply. The quietly radical "Pain Of Yesterday" encapsulates the ongoing evolution perfectly, with its bruised, belligerent riffs, doom-laden churn, and sustained blitzkrieg of maximalist melodrama. Again, none of this is unprecedented or knowingly esoteric, but MASTERPLAN hurl every low-key curveball with precision and noble force.

We may be 20 years on from the unequivocal success of their self-titled debut and 2005's "Aeronautics", but the essence of this band has never wavered. The second half of "Metalmorphosis" mirrors the first, with out-and-out melodic ragers like "Through The Storm" nestling up against the startling heaviness and progressive abandon of the title track and, most notably, "The Call", which is a solid contender for the greatest MASTERPLAN song of the Altzi era. An eight-minute epic with a widescreen soul, it strikes a sublime balance between blissful melodies and progged-out detours, even incorporating processed beats and wistful, folksy embellishments into its powerfully muscular sprawl. A new version of recent single "Rise Again" closes the album and seems a little underbaked compared to what has gone before it, but even when their magic doesn't quite spark as intended, MASTERPLAN still sound well-equipped to knock most of the competition off their feet. It's great to have them back and sounding so authoritative. The plan is still working.