MASTERPLAN – Time To Be King

The reunification with their former singer Jorn Lande was probably the best news there could have been with regards to this new album, as the last output unfortunately could not see eye to eye with the first two releases, especially the phantastic debut album. But then again, Jorn has released so many albums lately that his voice is anything but original these days.

But regardless of that fact, whenever Jorn takes the microphone, one can be sure that the songs will not suffer any shortcomings in that department. Time To Be King is again proof of that, as the style of main songwriter Roland Grapow has not changed, but the songs benefit a lot from the new, old voice in comparison to the interim singer Mike DiMeo. “Fiddle Of Time” is the expected up-tempo opener and a highlight of the album and could easily have been on the 2003 self titled debut. The general musicianship is good and professional, what is to be expected of the veteran musicians that make up Masterplan.

But in the course of the album the intense tracks like “Spirit Never Die” or “Soulburn” do not find their match on the new release, albeit one can probably not expect that to be achieved ever again. Jorn himself saves a few of the more simple tracks, and that is probably the most important criticism that has to be voiced… some of the songs are simply standard material and cannot stick out of from the (softer) Power Metal compositions that are released every month. Jorn’s voice makes all the difference, and while the album itself does grow in the beginning, in the long run even he cannot disguise the fact that only half of the tracks are worthy of Masterplan.

Of course that makes it still a good album, and expectations aside definitely not a bad purchase. But the great first two albums remain on their throne without being threatened by Time To Be King, although it gets closer than Mk II ever was.

Best songs: Fiddle Of Time, Time To Be King, The Black One