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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Masterplan - Novum Initium + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ 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 ║ │
│║ ║ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ 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 ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ 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] │
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│ Total Length : [58:57 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
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