┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │■ ■│ │ .-/ .-. │ │ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │ │ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │ │ / || (:/:| \ │ │ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │ │ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │ │ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │ │ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │ │ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │ │ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │ │ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │ │ \:-~ ~-:/ │ │ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ P R E S E N T S │ │ │ │ │ │ + Masterplan - Novum Initium + │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Information ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Release Date.Jun-30-2013 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │ │║ Genre........Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │ │║ Year.........2013 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........13 ║ │ │║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.masterplan-theband.com ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Notes ║ │ │╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Artist : Masterplan Rating : You Decide! ║ │ │║ Album : Novum Initium Label : AFM ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Description : ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The road to Altzi is paved with good ║ │ │║ intentionsà. When Masterplan announced the new ║ │ │║ lineup in November of last year, Jorn apologists ║ │ │║ flooded the comment strings of various metal ║ │ │║ news outlets with comments like ôanother band is ║ │ │║ spoiled by a vocalist changeö and ôno Jornàno ║ │ │║ Masterplan.ö While I might agree that there was ║ │ │║ reason for outcry when a well-known/respected ║ │ │║ singer leaves a band, itÆs not as if Masterplan ║ │ │║ has never had another vocalist and is not a band ║ │ │║ with more past members than present. The object ║ │ │║ is to listen and make judgments later. The ║ │ │║ announcement of Rick Altzi was particularly ║ │ │║ intriguing and any fan of At Vance and ║ │ │║ Thunderstone can attest û there was much reason ║ │ │║ for hope. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The news that main man/guitarist Roland GrapowÆs ║ │ │║ (Ex-Helloween) revealed that there was going to ║ │ │║ be a return to ôfasterö and ômore metalö ║ │ │║ material made this more appealing. Add further ║ │ │║ stillàthe addition of Ex-Stratovarius bassist ║ │ │║ Jari Kainulainen and the naysayers should have ║ │ │║ stood back and waited to react. Why? As it ║ │ │║ turned out, Rick Altzi proves a more than ║ │ │║ compatible replacement for Jornàand *GASP* dare ║ │ │║ I say û a wee bit better in spots? Blasphemy? ║ │ │║ Try itàprove me wrong. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Musically, the album ranks as one of the bandÆs ║ │ │║ finest, recalling the best heard from the self- ║ │ │║ titled debut, 2005Æs ôAeronautics,ö and the ║ │ │║ appropriately titled 2010 ôTime to Be King,ö but ║ │ │║ with a heavier edge. Altzi is so compatible that ║ │ │║ only the most attentive Jorn fans can see the ║ │ │║ difference, most notably that low power that ║ │ │║ shifts with a slab of grit while on the way up ║ │ │║ to the high range. This is not besmirching Altzi ║ │ │║ at all, as his range is proven and perfect. His ║ │ │║ first appearance is at 0:47 on the albumÆs ║ │ │║ second track ôThe Game,ö an admirable driving ║ │ │║ melodic metal song with noticeably well-crafted ║ │ │║ double bass from new drummer Marthus Skaroupka ║ │ │║ (Cradle of Filth) and copious amounts of ║ │ │║ heaviness intertwined with trademark melody. ║ │ │║ Grapow proves again what amazing solos he can ║ │ │║ play. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ The albumÆs first music video was for ôKeep Your ║ │ │║ Dream Aliveö û a mid-paced winner expertly ║ │ │║ chosen, as itÆs the song where Altzi shines ║ │ │║ brightest, showing the breadth of his range û ║ │ │║ and for many moments I said ôJorn who?ö The ║ │ │║ finest track on the album is ôBetrayal,ö which ║ │ │║ will prove to be one of the best of the year ║ │ │║ when all is said and done, if not for its Middle ║ │ │║ Eastern charm that falls into the heaviest riff ║ │ │║ on the album drawn out like slamming shudders by ║ │ │║ Axel MackenrottÆs keyboards. Other notables are ║ │ │║ the appealing riff in ôEarth Going Downö (which ║ │ │║ is a tad swallowed by the keyboards as the song ║ │ │║ progresses), the Strato-feel of ôBlack Night of ║ │ │║ Magic,ö the speedier ôReturn to Avalonö and the ║ │ │║ never dull 11 minute title track (especially ║ │ │║ 6:13 to 7:15) and vocal duet of Altzi and ║ │ │║ Grapow. Highly recommended is the digipak ║ │ │║ version with bonus tracks ô1492ö and ôFear the ║ │ │║ Silence.ö ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ My only complaint is not necessarily with the ║ │ │║ bandÆs play or its flawless execution, its more ║ │ │║ the melodic metal style in general. At the same ║ │ │║ time it represents a favorite style û in ║ │ │║ MasterplanÆs case best defined as ôwhat ║ │ │║ Whitesnake would sound like if they tipped a bit ║ │ │║ into power metalö û listening to entire album ║ │ │║ presents a challenge, if only for that mid-paced ║ │ │║ repetition. I find the album plays a bit better ║ │ │║ when I listen to a few songs at a time, mixing ║ │ │║ it in with other bands and styles. ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ This may be ôa new beginningö for Masterplan in ║ │ │║ member changes, however the creation of high ║ │ │║ quality melodic metal perseveres. Grapow ║ │ │║ assembled a new team of musicians that prove ║ │ │║ just as compatible, especially AltziÆs ║ │ │║ performance. With the proof in the product, fans ║ │ │║ of the band should have little to complain about ║ │ │║ with ôNovum Initium,ö though I suspect some Jorn ║ │ │║ lamenters will never take the road less ║ │ │║ traveledà.the one where its ôtime forö Rick ôto ║ │ │║ be king.ö ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ Rick Altzi - Vocals ║ │ │║ Roland Grapow - Guitars, Vocals ║ │ │║ Axel Mackenrott - Keyboards ║ │ │║ Jari Kainulainen - Bass ║ │ │║ Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka - Drums ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │║ ║ │ │╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │╔═════════════════════╗ │ │║ Release Tracklist ║ │ │╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │ │ │ │ 01 - Per Aspera Ad Astra [01:02] │ │ 02 - The Game [05:29] │ │ 03 - Keep Your Dream Alive [03:50] │ │ 04 - Black Night Of Magic [03:44] │ │ 05 - Betrayal [04:42] │ │ 06 - No Escape [04:24] │ │ 07 - Pray On My Soul [04:37] │ │ 08 - Earth Is Going Down [03:43] │ │ 09 - return From Avalon [04:28] │ │ 10 - Through Your Eyes [05:00] │ │ 11 - Novum Initium [10:21] │ │ 12 - 1492 (Bonus Track) [03:49] │ │ 13 - Fear The Silence (Bonus Track) [03:48] │ │ │ │ Total Length : [58:57 minn │ │ │ │ │ │ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ╔═════════════════════╗ │ │ ║ Greetings To: ║ │ │ ╚═════════════════════╝ │ │ │ │ Too all people who contributes to make this │ │ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │■ ■│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘