Masterplan Time To Be King

by John Kindred
Staff Writer

Masterplan is back in 2010 with their forth studio release to date, Time to Be King. Following up ’07’s MK II led to a period of time that saw original vocalist Jorn Lande step down and Mike DiMeo (Riot) join the band as his replacement. Whatever fallout between Lande and Masterplan soon reared its head with DiMeo, as he departed the group early in ’09. To the delight of Masterplan fans everywhere, Lande was announced to be returning to the band during the summer of the same year. Now, after plenty of Masterplan’s fans anxiously awaited, the new studio album Time to Be King finally has finally.

From the beginning, Roland Grapow held the vision for Masterplan within his mind as he and Uli Kusch (former drummer) created a style of music that developed from their involvement with Helloween. Forging Power Metal with the Norwegian vocal prowess of Jorn Lande baptized Masterplan in fire, creating their vision of Melodic Power Metal.

Time to Be King comprises 10 songs. The music still has that metallic fire of Masterplan’s debut release as well the melodic tones of Aeronautics. It was produced and recorded by Grapow at studio Slavakia. Mixing duties fell upon Grapow as well as Mikko Karmilla at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki. Overall, the production is of the highest caliber.

The music on Time to Be King continues to have the epic feel of past studio albums. The audio experience is entrenched in lavish musical arrangements and produces a wall of sonic bliss. The band’s Power Metal edginess builds the accompaniment for Jorn’s powerful voice and lyrical prose. Lande’s voice dances from hard-edged tonalities to melodic vocal melodies.

Time to Be King scores big by delivering catchy and memorable music that focuses on the band’s strengths. There are no filler songs for listeners to skip over. The band drives its point home with songs like “Far From the End of the World,” “Blow Your Wind,” The Dark Road” and “Under the Moon.” Constantly producing driving rhythmic beasts with no let up of intensity, Masterplan takes Power Metal to another dimension, giving all the songs life with the infusion of melodic overtones. Within the context of the band, all the instrumentation; guitars, bass, vocals and keys, support each other to produce balanced and focused arrangements.

Time to Be King is a fitting return for Masterplan. Not that they went vary far, but the brief loss of Lande was an unexpected distraction. We can thank whatever god you pray to that he is back. Through this process of change, the music never lost its fire, but it certainly was hard to hear any other singer married to Grapow’s guitar work after Lande.

Genre: Melodic Power Metal

Band Lineup:
Jørn Lande: Vocals
Roland Grapow: Guitars
Jan-Sören Eckert: Bass
Mike Terrana: Drums
Axel Mackenrott: Keyboards

Track Listing:
1. Fiddle Of Time (4:20)
2. Blow Your Winds (3:19)
3. Far From The End Of The World (3:35)
4. Time To Be King (4:44)
5. Lonely Winds Of War (4:35)
6. The Dark Road (6:19)
7. The Sun Is In Your Hands (4:32)
8. The Black One (4:13)
9. Blue Europa (5:07)
10. Under The Moon (4:14)

Bonus track on ltd. Edition:
11. Kisses From You

Label: AFM Records

Web: http://www.afm-records.de

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10

Jon Oliva’s Pain Festival

by Franco Wissa
Staff Writer

It was fellow Hardrock Haven staff writer, Jordan Rex, who, in his bio, talks about a “gut reaction” when hearing a particular track. He goes on to say, “… if the music itself doesn’t elicit an emotional response of some sort, what’s the point.” Truer words have never been spoken. Music is the most sincere form of expression on the planet. The writing of a track, a CD or lyrics has to come from down deep in your “gut.” Then from there, the feeling has to show through in your musicianship, and how the music plays out to us, the listeners. We need to feel the same anger, love, hate and fervor that the songwriter is trying to convey into his music. And if we don’t, as Jordan says, “…what’s the point.” Some bands have that capability and talent to convey their feelings in droves (At Vance, Firewind, Royal Hunt, Gotthard,) and others, well not so much.

Born in New York City in 1960, Jon Olivia, since 1976, has been heavily involved in music, as a member of his early bands, Metropolis and Alien, which soon after the addition of his brother Criss, morphed into Avatar. But after learning that a German band with the same name was threatening a lawsuit if they continued to use the name, a “S” was put in the name, which from Savatar, and at the suggestion of Criss’s wife became Savatage, who would go on to release a solid body of work. However, on October 17, 1993 a tragedy occurred when Criss was killed in a devastating vehicle accident. Over the years, Jon Oliva, in addition to his membership in Savatage, would come to be part of a myriad of projects with both Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva’s Pain and Trans Siberia Orchestra.

Coming into view is Jon Olivia’s Pain latest Festival. The follow up to 2008’s Global Warning, and the band’s fifth studio release overall. First off, it must be pointed out, the emotional response comes through- and comes through in massive droves. The opening track, “Lies,” is ripe with sounds of angst, disgust, emotional turmoil and a man at his wit’s end. Jon Olivia pulls this one off superbly with solid drumming, guitar riffs and razor edge sharp solos. It is dramatic as hell and a highlight of the CD.

Things get exceptionally brooding with the following track, the dark, keyboard heavy, “Death Rides a Black Horse.” The focal point of this track, the growling vocals notwithstanding is the superb backdrop of the keyboards. Intertwining their way around thick, solid guitar chords the keyboards lay an intricate weave which only adds to the ominous vibe. As a completed track, it all comes together wonderfully, and holding it all together are the delicious keyboards. The sounds of thunder open the title track, “Festival.” Sadly the full sound heard up to this point is dropped a notch as the sound becomes subdued and the expressive musicianship gets lost in vocal screams.

The gorgeous piano of “Afterglow,” with its striking vocals and attention must be given to the lyrics. Give a listen to the lyrics of “Afterglow,” as they tell of “what we try to hide…in the dark of night.” The hard rocking “I Fear You,” the gentle “Looking For Nothing,” the monster sized “The Evil Within,” the tender acoustic guitars of the 7-minute “Winterhaven,” are superb. Again this track is accentuated by a delicately played piano.

Closing out Festival is “Now.” A stunning ballad that tells of a man alone, missing the women he loves. “Now,” is as poignant as any track. The vocals tug at you, and as the listener closes their eyes, and allow the keyboards, cymbal rolls and harmonies to swirl around, time is forgotten and slowly the listener’s head begins to nod in time with the tempo to its fading end. Absolutely perfectly played.

On the whole, Festival is imposing, striking, loud and larger-than-life. Each instrument comes in and out of earshot at perfect times. The tracks come together in their individual complete form wonderfully. The sound is excellent and the mixing, as always, ideal. Festival leaves you wanting to hear more and that is what makes a CD worth hearing. It elicits that emotional response like few CDs heard have. For along with the “gut reaction” spoke of by that Hardrock Haven reviewer, all the torment, personal chaos, hatred and affection sung crawls its way to the listener’s core and from the “gut” one can feel of all these emotions. From opening track to closing, this is truly a collection that needs to be heard.

Label: AFM

Track Listing:
Lies
Death Rides a Black Horse
Festival
Afterglow
Living on the Edge
Looking For Nothing
The Evil Within
Winterhaven
I Fear You
Now

Hardrock Haven Rating: 9/10

Nostradameus Illusion’s Parade

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

From the birthplace of melodic death metal, Gothenburg’s own Nostradameus has recently released their latest power metal CD entitled Illusion’s Parade. This is the band’s sixth studio release, and they come across as true veterans of the melodic metal genre with music that is heavy and intense.

With a history dating back to 1998, this Swedish quintet has built a loyal fan base by blending many elements of European power metal with some American-influenced guitar riffs. Illusion’s Parade has some catchy grooves and solid guitar work, plus all of the elements one would expect from a power metal band. There are numerous tempo changes, keyboard riffs and ample instances of double bass, all handled with polish and technical skill.

Lead vocalist and founding member Freddy Persson has a decent metal voice – a bit gruff and raspy – but he does not have the dynamic range of some of the other power metal singers in action today. He sings cleanly and crisply, and is easily understandable throughout. Guitarists Jake Fredén (the other founding member) and Lennart Specht make a good guitar duo, playing some interesting choppy riffs and sweeping leads, and working well together as a team. Thomas Antonsson (bass) and Esko Salow (drums) make up the bottom end. Both are extremely competent musicians and handle their jobs well, no matter how technical the task – and are cohesive parts of the band.

The production and engineering are power metal standard – very crisp, very clear and almost sterile sounding. The instruments are well balanced, although a bit more volume on the lead vocals would help bring Persson’s well-written lyrics to the fore. While well thought out and beautifully worded, most of the lyrics deal with Eurometal / power metal standards of death, sadness, war and deceit. And therein lies the problem…

Everything about this album is “standard”. Persson has a good voice, but without the huge dynamic range or distinct vocal quirk he is just an ordinary singer. Fredén and Specht are a solid guitar team, very talented and technical – but almost all good power metal bands have such a duo. Same goes for Antonsson’s fine bass and Salow’s massive and energetic drums. While they are a talented group, there is nothing that sets Nostradameus apart from the crowd.

The above criticisms aside, Illusion’s Parade is a decent power metal album if you are into the genre, but it is not groundbreaking in any way nor will it bring the uninitiated into the fold. Too many tracks sound alike due to the static audio arrangement and similar tempos of the music, but what is there IS good.

There are a few gems in here, and those are the handful of tracks that have a slightly “different” feel. “The Mariner” is very good, featuring fine lyrics and a driving rhythm line that doesn’t quit (or try to beat the listener into submission). “Nothing” also features good lyrics and a catchy chorus, and “Time For Madness” is simply a good song. The musical highlight of the album is undoubtedly “Broken Soul (Virgin Mary)”. This is a moody, relatively low-key song with amazing technical musicianship and fine lyrics delivered with passion. It stands out because the tone and tempo are radically different from the rest of the album, and shows Nostradameus at their best. If only the rest of the album was done with this level of care, creativity and enthusiasm …

Grab this album if you are a hardcore power metal fan, but otherwise avoid it. The few superior tracks are not enough to pull the entire disc out of mediocrity, but they do demonstrate that Nostradameus has talent and potential. All this band needs is to find something, anything, which will make them stand out from the crowd. Ultimately Illusion’s Parade disappoints, as there is way too much raw talent here – they can do so much more than produce run-of-the-mill power metal.

Label: AFM Records

Web: http://www.myspace.com/nostradameusofficial , http://www.afm-records.de/en/bands/bands-Nostradameus.html

Track Listing:

01. Walk Of Pain
02. The Art Of Deception
03. The Mariner
04. Nothing
05. Eclipse Of The Sun-cult
06. Broken Soul (Virgin Mary)
07. Illusion’s Parade
08. Armageddon Forever
09. Time For Madness

Hardrock Haven Rating: 6/10

Brainstorm Memorial Roots

by Joe Mis
Staff Writer

Memorial Roots is the latest release from German power metal veterans Brainstorm. This album is a set of 11 uncompromising pure melodic power metal tracks, each displaying Brainstorm’s traditional big booming sound and fine musicianship.

Brainstorm was founded way back in 1989 by the guitar duo of Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric along with drummer Dieter Bernert. After a few years of the typical band-startup tooling around, they recruited Andy B. Franck as lead vocalist in 1999, and this truly created and solidified the Brainstorm sound. Antonio Ieva joined the band and is their current bassist.

Andy Frank has a superb voice – deep and resonant, and he knows how to use it. His almost silky smooth vocals are the lynchpin of the Brainstorm’s music, and somehow he seems to be giving every word maximum effort yet never seems to be straining. Always clear and understandable, he is definitely one of the best front men in metal. Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric make an outstanding guitar duo and display wonderful teamwork across the entire album. Equally comfortable laying down high-speed power riffs or soft acoustic style passages, they are masters at setting a mood for each song and work very well with the other musicians in the group. Antonio Ieva is a fine bass player and handles his job with great enthusiasm, while Dieter Bernert lays down some incredible drum lines without abusing the double bass. These two provide a very good foundation for the music, and the band is truly a cohesive unit. They handle all of their tempo changes and variations in tone and style without any difficulty.

The CD opening is one of the only down spots on the album. Before “Forsake What I Believed” really gets rolling there is an intro piece with a bit of an orchestral sound that drags on for a minute and fifteen seconds and for the most part is so faint it is almost inaudible. Once you get through that oddity the rest of the album truly rocks. “Shiver” is a great upbeat rock track that allows the guitarists to really shine, while “Would You” is a vocalist’s showpiece with layer after layer of harmonies and great lyrics. They pay tribute to some of their influences with a very Iron Maiden-ish opening to the epic “The Conjunction Of 7 Planets”, an old Fates Warning tone to the pounding “Cross The Line”, and a Metallica style riff in “Victim”.

No matter what the style or influence, all the tracks on Memorial Roots are well structured, well performed and always melodic – no screaming, screeching, grunting or gurgling here. There is plenty of music, lots of melody, great catchy hooks, riffs and grooves – everything that makes an album a success. The production and engineering are excellent as well, and the songwriting and musicianship are solid all around – just what one would expect from a truly veteran band.

Memorial Roots is a winner, no doubt. If you were going to expose someone to power metal for the first time, this would be the album to use. Musically and lyrically outstanding, Brainstorm continues improve with each new release, and seems to want to amaze the European metal scene once again. Even if you are not into power metal this album will be a treat, as underneath all the power metal trappings there is lots of melody, great performances, varied styles and good songwriting. Very Highly recommended!

Label: AFM Records

Web: http://brainstorm-web.nicowobben.com/posts/ , http://www.myspace.com/officialbrainstorm

Track Listing:

01 – Forsake What I Believed
02 – Shiver
03 – The Conjunction Of 7 Planets
04 – Cross The Line
05 – Nailed Down Dreams
06 – Blood Still Stains
07 – Ahimsa
08 – The Final Stages Of Decay
09 – Victim
10 – When No One Cares
11 – Would You

Hardrock Haven Rating: 9.5/10

U.D.O. Dominator

by Jay Villain
Staff Writer

For those that don’t already know, as lead vocalist for Accept in the early ‘80s, Udo Dirkschneider set the high standard of heavy metal that others have to follow. Udo Dirkschneider continues to maintain that high standard today. The latest release by U.D.O. called Dominator is a prime example of that. His vocal quality is like he’s never aged. Still using his signature sound, Udo’s voice sounds as good today as it did when he first started.

Dominator’s full production adds to the skillful performances found within. There are harmony guitar solos and melodic hooks by guitar players Stefan Kaufmann and Igor Gianola. Fitty Wienhold and Francesco Jovino hold down the rhythm section, and together give Udo Dirkschneider a strong metal foundation. The first song on Dominator called “The Bogeyman” is a rhythmic song with a chorus so catchy that you’re likely to be singing it to yourself later. Next is the title track on Dominator. This is a quick up-tempo song that both the song and the guitar solo strongly reflect the title. In fact, there’s no shortage of great guitar solos throughout Dominator.

Thousands of metal fans will be chanting “Black And White” quite loudly during this anthem-type song. The pace picks up with “Infected.” With a thunderous and punchy double bass chorus, “Infected” is very energetic. Pounding forward is the stomping “Heavy Metal Heaven.” An attractive tribal drum beat along with a very memorable sing-along chorus is going to make this another favorite during live performances. While the bass rumbles away during a flanged guitar bridge, “Doom Ride” sustains the metal continuity along with a flashy yet melodic guitar solo.

“Stillness Of Time” is a bit different. A piano and keyboard start this song, and it maintains keys throughout along with a melodic guitar solo that wraps up using a tapping technique. Part of what makes this power ballad a unique addition to Dominator is the imaginative and classy use of the acoustic guitar during the midsection. Combining rock and roll with metal is the fun and upbeat “Devil’s Rendezvous” complete with a ‘50s-style finger snap during the bridge.

The tempo increases when “Speed Demon” takes off running with unstoppable force. This song is Dominator at top speed. Wrapping up Dominator is “Whispers In The Dark,” a power ballad that’s more ballad than power. This one also contains piano, keys and some acoustic guitar. If this were a movie, “Whispers In The Dark” would be the song playing as the credits role. It’s a melodic song that’s quite a contrast, especially following such a dominant song like “Speed Demon.” Dominator is a very strong release from U.D.O., and it delivers a full dose of metal and a bit more.

Label: AFM Records

www.udo-online.de
www.myspace.com/udoonline

Lineup:
Udo Dirkschneider – vocals
Stefan Kaufmann – guitars
Igor Gianola – guitars
Fitty Wienhold – bass
Francesco Jovino – drums

Track Listing:
01. The Bogeyman
02. Dominator
03. Black And White
04. Infected
05. Heavy Metal Heaven
06. Doom Ride
07 Stillness Of Time
08. Devil´s Rendezvous
09. Speed Demon
10. Whispers In The Dark

Hardrock Haven rating: 9/10