The Masterplan

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Following a British rock tradition initiated by the Beatles and lovingly inherited by the Jam and the Clash, Oasis is the only band of the CD era to offer fans extra tracks on their singles that are often as good as, if not better than, the hits. Rather than saving his new songs for the next full album, Noel Gallagher prefers immediacy. Thus, this compilation of those various "B-Sides"--many available as nonimports for the first time--works just great as a listening experience, offering metallic rushes ("Acquiesce," "The Swamp Song") and absolute melodic beauty ("Talk Tonight," the marvelous "Rockin' Chair"), while conjuring up the ghosts of Mott the Hoople, T. Rex, the Fab Four, and Slade, although Oasis's "Cum On Feel the Noize" is sadly absent. --Bill Holdship --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

The Masterplan
Average customer rating:

A classic in every sense.

A Fantastic collection of Oasis B-sides.

Still mad for it

Yes, this is B-side material

B-sides that are better than most bands a-sides

The Masterplan
Oasis
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000DHR1
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

Acquiesce
Underneath The Sky
Talk Tonight
Going Nowhere
Fade Away
The Swamp Song
I Am The Walrus (Live)
Listen Up
Rockin' Chair
Half The World Away
(It's Good) To Be Free
Stay Young
Headshrinker
The Masterplan

Amazon.com

Following a British rock tradition initiated by the Beatles and lovingly inherited by the Jam and the Clash, Oasis is the only band of the CD era to offer fans extra tracks on their singles that are often as good as, if not better than, the hits. Rather than saving his new songs for the next full album, Noel Gallagher prefers immediacy. Thus, this compilation of those various "B-Sides"--many available as nonimports for the first time--works just great as a listening experience, offering metallic rushes ("Acquiesce," "The Swamp Song") and absolute melodic beauty ("Talk Tonight," the marvelous "Rockin' Chair"), while conjuring up the ghosts of Mott the Hoople, T. Rex, the Fab Four, and Slade, although Oasis's "Cum On Feel the Noize" is sadly absent. --Bill Holdship

Customer Reviews:

A classic in every sense........2006-10-28

Okay, how many bands can release a compilation of B-sides (yes, B-sides, in other words the stuff Oasis deemed wasn't `good enough' to make it as singles!) that's so crammed with blisteringly good rock, it blows away most bands' A-side back catalogue?

This is an incredible album. Top honors go to The Masterplan, It's Good to be Free, Acquiesce, Fade Away... the list goes on... Yes, with their newer work they've failed to live up to the standards they set over a decade ago, but I defy any rock fan to listen to this and not love it.

Liam's trademark sneering vocal, Noel's thumping riffs, a sprinkling of lead guitar feedback... classic Oasis. What more could you ask for?

If you like Oasis, particularly their early work, you have to have this album.

A Fantastic collection of Oasis B-sides........2006-06-28

First, let me point out that Oasis is my favorite band. There isn't an Oasis song I don't like. So I'm going to guide you throughout the entire album and give you my overall opinion of the album.

The Masterplan is a collection of Oasis B-sides from singles covering their first three albums (Definitely Maybe, (What's The Story) Morning Glory, and Be Here Now). The featured tracks and the track listing were decided from an online poll of Oasis fans in 1998.

First up: "Acquiesce" This is probably the most famous Oasis b-side out there and often played live. This song is fantastic, the combined vocal solos of both Liam and Noel Gallagher make this song magnificent. Noel's solo seems to sound better than Liam's, but nevertheless a beautiful song.

Track Two: "Underneath The Sky" Liam Gallagher sings. It sounds good, not as strong as "Acquiesce" but an upbeat and nice tune.

Track Three: "Talk Tonight" Noel with a beautiful guitar based song. This is something you would hear a street performer sing, the lyrics are sad, but the tune is relaxing. Great song.

Track Four: "Going Nowhere" Noel sings once again, and the song is another sad one, but there is a mix of brass and string to lighten it up. A nice soft listen.

Track Five: "Fade Away" After the first few chords you know this is from the Definitely Maybe era. Hard, pure rock from Oasis with a good amount of "Shoegazer" influence. Never fails to slam a good dose of energy into me.

Track Six: "The Swamp Song" If you liked the untitled filler tracks on Morning Glory and wanted the whole song, that's exactly what "The Swamp Song" is. It was originally a warm up song for recording sessions, and you can tell why. Nice hard guitar with even a mix of harmonica in it all. Fantastic little tune.

Track Seven: "Listen Up" My personal favorite song of the album. It plays hard but feels soft. Bittersweet and beautiful. Noel's voice shines and the lyrics flow magnificently. This song should have been a single instead of a b-side. A hidden gem.

Track Eight: "I Am The Walrus (Live)" First of all, this song was not played live. It was recorded during a soundcheck with the audience noises later added in. Nevertheless an entertaining song, and a faster paced and harder rocking song than the original. Seems to get repetitive at the end though, but that might have been why Oasis sometimes played this song last at concerts in their early days.

Track Nine: "Rockin' Chair" Supposedly written by Noel Gallagher back in 1990, this song makes an interesting b-side. Nice acoustic guitar solos and the organ mixes in well. A very well written song for it being one of Noel's firsts.

Track Ten: "Half The World Away" A great song and another bittersweet one. Noel sings very well, while the electic guitar and organ mix in softly and nicely.

Track Eleven: "(It's Good) To Be Free" Another hard rocker that sounds like "Shoegazer" rock as opposed to Britpop. The lyrics could use a bit of support, but I nevertheless enjoy it. There is a bit of nice organ that sounds like an electric guitar.

Track Twelve: "Stay Young" Another famous b-side, featured in the film "The Faculty". The lyrics sound like a teen revolution, "Stay young and invincible", but the melody is upbeat and happy. Nice song.

Track Thirteen: "Headshrinker" My second favorite song of the album. Sounds like rock overcooked to a crisp. This is as hard and pure as Oasis gets. Fantastic song.

Track Fourteen: "The Masterplan" The track that the album was named after makes a nice finish for the album. Strings and brass mixed in well in a bittersweet and smooth song. Don't miss the guitar solo (a reversed recording of a solo). Leaves you with a great aftertaste for the entire album.

Now, the songs that should have been here but didn't make the cut. Sadly, my favorite Oasis b-side (and quite a popular one as well), "Sad Song", is missing. In fact, they should have added all of the Definitely Maybe-era b-sides, because they were by far the best. "Alive", "Take Me Away", "D'yer Wanna Be a Spaceman", and "Cloudburst" are some of the best Oasis b-sides but sadly arent on The Masterplan. Instead there was more focus on Morning Glory-era b-sides. "Angel Child" was another b-side from the Be Here Now-era that I very much enjoy but just wasn't there.

Overall, this is a great album. I highly reccomend it to anybody who just loves music. The album is one of my favorites because it encompasses the sound of Oasis through three different albums and most songs are beautifully bittersweet. I also enjoyed hearing Noel's voice often, which is nice considering Liam sings most of the singles. At time of writing there are supposedly plans for a sequel to "The Masterplan" covering Oasis b-sides from their next three albums, and it will be interesting to see what makes that grade.

This is indeed a fantastic collection of Oasis b-sides.

Still mad for it.......2006-02-27

Few would argue that the most essential Oasis albums are the first two, Definitely Maybe from August 1994 and (What's The Story) Morning Glory from October 1995, when they were young and mad for it, and Noel Gallagher had a pocket book seemingly stuffed to capacity with classic songs. So prolific was he that the singles from that brief period contained a further 20 new songs on the B-sides most of which were the equal of those on the albums, some arguably superior.

With the exception of their debut single, Supersonic, none of these had been released in America, hence the idea of compiling the best of the B-sides onto an album for their benefit. The track listing was apparently chosen by fans on the Internet with some influence from Noel Gallagher, and two of his justly favourite compositions, Underneath The Sky and The Masterplan, make it onto the album alongside obvious musts like Acquiesce and Fade Away. All date from 1994 and 1995 apart from two 1997 recordings that appear on singles extracted from Be Here Now.

The biggest omission is the non-album single Whatever, perhaps excluded on the grounds that it was not a B-side. Step Out (the B-side of Don't Look Back In Anger), removed from Morning Glory for legal reasons due to its similarity to Stevie Wonder's Uptight, misses out again, as does the anthemic Round Are Way, and the Slade cover Cum On Feel The Noize. However, rockers like Headshrinker and the Bacharach-inspired Going Nowhere easily earn their places in the company of the likes of the acoustic ballad Talk Tonight and the more recent (though written in 1990) Going Nowhere.

Completists should note that the live I Am The Walrus, recorded at a soundcheck in Gleneagles, fades at 6.24, whereas on the Cigarettes And Alcohol EP it is complete at 8.14. Listen Up has been shorn of 18 seconds from its guitar solo, and Half A World Away, now known to the nation as the theme of The Royle Family, inexplicably fades out just a couple of seconds short of its natural end as heard on the Whatever EP.

However, on the strength of these supposedly second division songs, perhaps there are actually three essential Oasis albums

Yes, this is B-side material.......2005-09-28

As you probably have read by now, this album is a compilation of material previously released as B-sides - and it probably should have stayed that way. Although this album is better than the absurdly awful "Be Here Now" - it is not as terribly bad and annoying as that album - there are real no standout tracks on this album. "Acquiesce," the first track is decent, but other tracks are average, don't stick out and don't stay in your memory long, or are just bad. I borrowed this CD from the library for 3 weeks and gave it several listens. That is usually enough time for me to judge an album enough for me to know whether it's worth buying, and this one just isn't. [...]

Oasis must have spent all their creative energy on Definitely Maybe and (What's the Story) Morning Glory because they have not made an album that is even half-decent since then. I have wasted a lot of time borrowing CD's released since their two breakthrough albums wondering "hmm... what ever happened to Oasis anyway?" to see if they released any decent material since their glory days. The answer is NO and I do not recommend listening to any albums after their first two. I did the same thing with Collective Soul's later albums, a group that has continued to release good material even after their glory days in the mid-90s, but not Oasis. Must be the coke.

B-sides that are better than most bands a-sides.......2005-08-14

One of the most incredible facets of Oasis as a band, is the quality of their b-sides, from the Definitely Maybe days all the way thru to the present. Noel Gallagher is in his seemingly most creative stage when it's just him and his acoustic guitar. Thus many of these great songs were born, from Half the World Away, to Going Nowhere, which he states was created on a train ride well before Oasis was made big. In this collection you also get a mega-should have been an a-side, Talk Tonight, which was an addition to the U.S. release of Wonderwall. This song, along with Track 9, Rocking Chair were recorded during a recording session in Texas.

Maybe the biggest, and most anthemic song of all, and certainly a crowd favourite at any of their live shows, is track 1, Acquiesce. From the driving guitar riffs that reek of attitude, to the contrast of Liam singing the verses and Noel taking the chorus vocals. It is very easy to see why they still favour singing this song live to this date, and even performed it on Saturday Night Live.

You also have the wanderer ode, Underneath the Sky, and the lively and catchy Fade Away, which was replaced for on DM by Slide Away. Another must have for any fan is their live recording of I Am The Walrus, which they nail right on.. this is a great tribute to the Beatles, and has an Oasis touch of attitude added in.

Closing out this album, is the Title-track of the album, Masterplan. Noel always considered this his masterpiece, and it's easy to see why. From the sweeping vocals, to the melodic and haunting orchestra, and the touching finish, this song could quite possibly be Noel's best, and it's hard to imagine that this could have been left as only a b-side.

..all in all, this is easily as good as your Be Here Now, and SOTSOG albums.. a must have, truly.

Average customer rating:

CERTAINLY NO LET DOWN . . .
Much better then I thought it would be.

MK II
Masterplan
Manufacturer: Candlelight
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000MM0KZG
Release Date: 2007-03-20

Tracks:

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Masterplan
Enemy
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Customer Reviews:

CERTAINLY NO LET DOWN . . . .......2007-04-02

Jorn is a great lead singer, however, Mike DiMeo is certainly no let down. He sounds just as manly as Jorn and is an excellent replacement. The first five songs that follow the Introduction (Phoenix Rising) stand out the most. The songs "Keeps Me Burning" and "I'm Gonna Win" are the types of songs with great timing and memorable choruses. I would not say that MKII is better than the first two albums or worse. They are all excellent (in my opinion) and this one is certainly no let down. "Heart of Darkness" stands out as the most bland song on the album. However, I'm sure many will like it, nonetheless. Perhaps there are about two fillers on the CD and maybe three depending on your taste. I would consider "Heart of Darkness" a filler, if that helps any for those who may have a varying opinion. Great music from a talented and mature sounding band. Cheers!

Much better then I thought it would be........2007-03-25

They lost a drummer and the lead singer. I thought this CD would stink. I was wrong. Much better then their second and almost as good as their first. Not a bad song on the disk. In fact the more I hear it the more I like it. If you like power metal you will like this cd.

Average customer rating:

Masterplan
Masterplan
Manufacturer: Locomotive Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Aeronautics
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ASIN: B000ARG2IC
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Spirit Never Die
Enlighten Me
Kind Hearted Light
Crystal Night
Soulburn
Heroes
Sail On
Into the Light
Crawling from Hell
Bleeding Eyes
When Love Comes Close

Average customer rating:

Disappointing - makes the debut album look like a masterpiece
A few good songs, barter at half price.
to the 3rd power
A step down from their debut, but will still satisfy fans
Significantly below their debut

Aeronautics
Masterplan
Manufacturer: Afm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Battle
Masterplan
Worldchanger
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The Duke

ASIN: B0006PTTJM
Release Date: 2005-01-31

Tracks:

Crimson Rider
Back for My Life
Wounds
I'm Not Afraid
Headbanger's Ballroom
After This War
Into the Arena
Dark from the Dying
Falling Sparrow
Black in the Burn

Album Description

Masterplan is the masterly move of Roland Grapow (guitar) and Uli Kusch (drums) once members of the German band Helloween. Features the songs 'Headbangers Ballroom' & 'Back for my Life' Icarus. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

Disappointing - makes the debut album look like a masterpiece.......2007-06-27

Truly disappointing follow up to a strong debut. While IMO Masterplan's debut album wasn't a masterpiece, it was strong, melodic, hard, varying and contained some truly amazing tracks. 'Aeronautics' is very predictable, less melodic, more metal (mostly due to lot's of double-bass drumming) and uninspired concerning songwriting and lyrics. Even Jorn's vocals which were truly great on the debut album sound weak, bored and kind of buried in the mix. The lyrics also try too hard to be radio friendly and catchy and thus fail. There are of course some noteworthy songs such as 'Crimson Rider', 'Wounds' and 'Back In The Burn' but nothing mind blowing. All in all much weaker compared to it's predecessor on all aspects including production. No wonder why Jorn and Uli left the band after this release...

A few good songs, barter at half price........2007-04-27

I recently discovered Masterplan and enjoyed what I heard, but when I bought the CD I was disappointed to find I only enjoyed half the album...or less. Crimson Rider, Wounds, and Black in the Burn are the best songs on this album. The rest of the album sounds like music I can easily tune in on my American Radio, hardly distinguished Euro-progressive power metal. I guess I expected too much from a band with former members of Helloween. My former view of Masterplan has been altered to an average power metal band. I suggest buying an Edguy or Angra CD.

to the 3rd power.......2006-03-19

Living in the soggy NW, where power metal is almost passe', it took me awhile to hear about, pursue, and find this album. So my review is late and I won't go on and on. Think Coverdale meets Rob Rock on vocals, great riffs, great song structure, and great production. The only weakness may be the love of the double kick, although it mostly fits. Jorne Lande has an awesome voice and I love that he sings in a lower register. This is awesome European power metal. A really good album.

A step down from their debut, but will still satisfy fans.......2006-02-06

Long review short, Masterplan's sophomore album Aeronautics is a step down from their eponymous debut, but it will still please most of their fans, considering the amazing musicianship, vocals, and the incredible production it encompasses.

The album begins with crunch-filled riffs by Roland Grapow thickened with ferocious bass and pounding drums. "Crimson Rider" was inspired by a pilot who lost his life in France during WW1. It's a brief yet hard-hitting opener that flows into the more mid-tempo "Back for My Life" where Axel Mackenrott's excellent keyboards underpin Jorn Lande's dramatic vocals. Speaking of Mackenrott, his keyboard contribution to Aeronautics is tremendous. I will respectfully disagree with other reviewers who say this album has little keyboard utilisation. To me, Aeronautics has more prevalant synth arrangements than the debut and some songs actually seem like they were penned around keyboard-generated ideas. On "I'm Not Afraid", not only do Grapow and Kusch revisit their earlier Helloween days, the song also has an undeniable symphonic power metal backdrop. Mackenrott tightly knits a web of symphonic aura that lets Lande shift smoothly between his crystalline and more aggressive vocals. The song also has some of his best screams on it that get really intense at the end. "Wounds" is the band's take on classic Euro power metal with a lot of double bass drums, poppier harmony guitars, cathcy choruses, and an enjoyable guitar and synth interplay. "Into the Arena", while sonically heavier, also expands on mighty synth work, tastefully placed far back in the mix by Roy Z. Great bass from Jan-S Eckert and a driving guitar melody hold the song together while Jorn Lande gets to convince those who are still unconvcined that he is one of the best vocalists in the universe.

Two songs that immediately caught my attention were "Dark from the Dying" and the last song "Back in the Burn". I feel this kind of songwriting is what the guys are best at, and maybe they should try to steer clear of the more formulaic, semi-hard rock and semi-power metal tracks. The darker the songs, the more effective Masterplan becomes. "Dark from the Dying" even features some Beyond Twilight type of multi-tracked vocal harmonies (again carefully hidden under more melodic undercurrents). It is broken up in the middle by a synth lead to develop added atmosphere and reaches its apex with soaring vocals until the song fades out. "Black in the Burn" almost sees 10 minutes and is the band's most complex and textured number. Open piano notes and a capella vocals become more engaging as guitars, bass, and drums join them respectively. Roland Grapow plays changing rhythms galore (we want more of this!) and the song is comprised of tons of melodic movements. Though I could certainly do without the lyrics in the chorus ("When the news are heard / About the fallen bird / Sing my song so you can remember / I just wanted to be here forever you see / To create my soaring melody"), this is easily Masterplan's most courageous songwriting experiment on Aeronautics. Another song whose lyrics I find terribly cheesy is the ballady "After the War", starting with great acoustic guitars that morph into a bluesy hard rock lead towards the end. However, the lyrics, rather than conveying thought, feel like they were put together based on the fact that they rhymed well with each other. I know the guys in Masterplan can do better than that.

The production of Roy Z is absolutely fantastic. Warm, slick and incredibly powerful. The drum and bass tone is perfect and Grapow's guitars sound heavier than the debut. That said, I still prefer the first album, and have to repeat myself: Masterplan is still the worst band Jorn Lande has been in. You don't believe me? Listen to Ark and Beyond Twilight, and see what this guy is truly capable of. Sadly, considering the music of his current band, he'll never get to demonstrate this side of his talent in Masterplan.

Significantly below their debut.......2005-07-16

I have read several glowing reviews, and I am with the few others on Amazon that regard this sophomore effort as a disappointment. The mix is a bit unusual. The hard rock of the first CD is more power metal on this CD, but I am not bothered by the change. I think that the quality of the songwriting is inferior. Aeronautics starts with a real bang: Crimson Rider, Back For My Life, Wounds, and I'm Not Afraid (the first four songs) give you the impression that this album could contend with the top CDs of the year. The quality dips a tad with Headbanger's Ballroom, then nosedives with the next three songs. Falling Sparrow has a catchy chorus and the last song Black in the Burn feels too long at over 8 minutes.

Average customer rating:

Any SRV album...
disappointing
A Good Time Capsule...
Stevie as compared to Stevie...
Production Bogs Down the Master

Live in Tokyo
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Manufacturer: Masterplan Records
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Binding: Audio CD

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Album Description

This is a live recording of Stevie Ray Vaughan's first concert in Japan in 1985, accompanied by longtime stalwarts Double Trouble. He had by that time risen above his personal demons and was completely concentrated on his music. The audience was swept off their feet with his amazing guitar fireworks. The show included versions of 'Texas Flood', 'Voodoo Chile', 'Love Struck Baby', 'Cold Shot' and others.

Customer Reviews:

Any SRV album..........2007-01-06

Any SRV concert is worth getting. If this is the same show as the video, it is great.
Btw, whoever wrote the Editorial Review for this is incorrect. Stevie
was still having problems with addictions in 1985 but you couldn't tell
it by listening to his music. He was an outstanding guitarist.

disappointing.......2007-01-03

Not as I expected however the intro to "Lenny" was fascinating as it contains mostly the intro to "Riviera Paradise", which was not studio recorded for some time after this performance. Overall, it was just another bootleg cleaned up and while the SRV-nut will want this for their collection, it is not one of his best releases.

A Good Time Capsule..........2006-11-04

A moment in time of a great artist,but the sound is not as good as other SRV live recordings.

Stevie as compared to Stevie..........2006-11-01

One of the main errors(pardon me) for reviewing a new release is to compare it to previous releases or to the artist himself. If some of the new releases were listened to in a vacuum, they would be appreciated for what they are. This is a stellar performance on it's own merits. Only Buddy Guy(when he deems it neccessary) can top this guitar legend. Buddy, can you hear me talkin' to ya! Give us some Sweet Tea live!

Production Bogs Down the Master.......2006-10-04

If you're a die-hard SRV fan of course you have to have this and all existing SRV music, because let's face it, the hunger for more SRV recordings never goes away, but personally I don't find this to be one of his best. To me, the production is very bass-bottom-heavy. The guitar has too much whammy in it. And that Hammond organ in the foreground drives me crazy. These elements combine to make the sound of the tracks too much the same, despite his stellar performance. But live performances are like fine wines, each has its own character and some you like more, some less.

Average customer rating:

Amazing start!
Very good but.....
Great!

Masterplan
Masterplan
Manufacturer: Import [Generic]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008DV9P
Release Date: 2003-12-16

Tracks:

Spirit Never Die
Enlighten Me
Kind Hearted Light
Crystal Night
Soulburn
Heroes
Sail On
Into The Light
Crawling From Hell
Bleeding Eeys
When Love Comes Close

Album Description

2003 debut album for metal act featuring guitarist Roland Grapow & drummer Ulli Kusch (both formerly with Helloween), bassist Jan S. Eckert (Iron Savior), & vocalist Jorn Lande (Ark & Jorn). CD 1 has eleven tracks, CD 2 is a multimedia CD featuring a videoclip for 'Enlighten Me', video interview & screen saver. AFM Records.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing start!.......2003-08-14

This is a great album! I recommend it to anyone who likes a good heavy/power metal. Since I bought it, it has been in my stereo all the time. I really like Jorn Lande's vocals, he puts so much into his songs. The rest of the band are just great also. The former Helloweenists show us that they still have that touch.

Although I like all the songs, my favourite ones are Enlighten Me, Soulburn, and Sail On.

I am waiting anxiously for the next Masterplan album. I hope it's equally great or greater than this one.

Very good but............2003-02-24

I've been following Jorn for a while, ever since he toured (briefly) with Yngwie. And I love some of his stuff, especially Ark (Burn The Sun is one of my favourite CD's this millenium). His second solo CD (Worldchanger) is also very good, as was his CD with Millenium (Hourglass).
For me, Masterplan is a slight backwards step. I miss the diversity and virtuosity of Ark (Jorn was apparently fired for refusing to commit long-term to the project).

The style is straightforward power metal, on the whole, and yes, they do it very well. Hints of Whitesnake crop up, and one could also draw comparisons with Helloween in the rhythm section (not surprisingly, guitarist and drummer both hail from their ranks).
But part of the joy of Ark was the way they changed things around, tried something different, and basically had a blast.

Also, Roland Grapow is a good guitarist, but not quite in the same league as Tore Ostby, who could probably match Yngwie note for note and be original too. His solos are short, bluesy metal, and to the point. Some will no doubt prefer this to seemingly endless shredding, I just happen to use Yngwie and related players as a benchmark.

The bass + keys are solid, but not especially original. The drummer is excellent, no question, perhaps the closest this band gets to the talent in Ark.
Actually Jorn's vocals are probably the best thing on the CD, which says a lot for his ability to write a memorable melody and lyric, and deliver it to a high standard regardless of the setting. In fact, to be fair, the songwriting is pretty good overall, and a couple of songs (Enlighten Me in particular) are superb.

There are certainly some very good songs here, and I know I'll enjoy this album - but Ark (Burn the Sun) will remain my favourite.

Great!.......2003-02-08

Much better than I thought it would be!I am not a huge fan of HELLOWEEN and I was wondering why JORN LANDE left ARK for this project.Masterplan is a very good HEAVY/melodic album far more interesting than any Helloween's album, the music varies from classic heavy tunes to heavy/prog moments.Not as complex as ARK but more in the style of BEYOND TWILIGHT.LANDE proves again is not just a Coverdale's clone but developed his own style.
The production is a must, sharp, clear and powerful.
The two last songs of the album, very different from the rest-one a RAINBOW type song, the other a ballad-are simply amazing and shows that MASTERPLAN has the capacity and the will to produce a music beyond the stereotypes and the Heavy Metal cliches.
Fans of HELLOWEEN and JORN LANDE get your visa card!