Masterplan - Time to be King

Release Date: May 21st, 2010
Label: AFM Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Fiddle of Time
2.  Blow Your Winds
3.  Far from the End of the World
4.  Time to Be King
5.  Lonely Winds of War
6.  The Dark Road
7.  The Sun Is in Your Hands
8.  The Black One
9.  Blue Europa
10.  Under the Moon

Total playing time:  44:57

July 27, 2010

Reviewer: M.J.

Classy. Regal. Professional. Slick. All are words that can describe the new Masterplan release Time to be King. Just a few months ago I reviewed their CD single for the song “Far From the Edge of the World” and gave it a pretty rousing recommendation. I was anticipating this new full length, with the return of Jorn to the fold, with high hopes. After many spins, I find that it is not quite all that I hoped it would be. Of course it’s not a bad record by any means, just different than I wanted. I think we all go through that at times where our hopes and expectations might be a bit unrealistic.

“Fiddle of Time” is the perfect album opener; a full on melodic power metal blaster that exudes the first four words of this review. The guitars even though unrestrained, allow room for the keyboards to paint a rich and colorful backdrop of aural contrasts to support Jorn’s dramatic vocals. Someone just rolled out the red carpet and invited the world to a magnificent feast. “Blow Your Winds” shifts down a gear into more melodic hard rock fare, competing nicely with “Far From the Edge of the World” as one of the best written songs on this album. Roland Grapow has some amazing solo licks that provide the necessary edge to keep the song from feeling too saccharine. The hits keep coming with “Far From the Edge of the World” and “Lonely Winds of War” bookending the thunderously huge and stately “Time to be King”. Why, I think I even get a weird Rhandy Rhoads vibe from the guitars. I would have never thought!

If the record stopped after “Lonely Winds of War” I would have been almost completely satisfied (despite the brevity) with Time to be King. Be that as it may, the road gets bumpy from here on in with the rather sweet but overwrought power ballad “The Dark Road”. Masquerading as an epic, its extended play (the album’s longest song) is unnecessary as it shows a glaring lack of focus. This could have been rectified with judicious editing to bring it up to the standard set by the first half of the record. “The Sun in Your Hands” is unmemorable mostly because it works better as a transitional piece than as a song in its own right - at least we are entertained with a decent guitar solo. Even “The Black One” is a bland by-the-numbers 80s cock rock rip that is noticeably out of place among the other better gems on this disc. The free fall is momentarily broken with the sweeping WWII storyline and impassioned delivery of “Blue Europa”. It highlights how amazing Masterplan can be when they ignite the imagination with a masterfully executed performance of a great song. “Under the Moon” closes out the album on a wistfully muted note. Not the final explosive kick in the pants this record really needed and deserved.

While, Time to be King isn’t flawless, it most certainly is a welcome return to form the band established on their first two releases. It may not surpass either but easily holds up well alongside them and will satisfy most longtime fans.

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