7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
CERTAINLY NO LET DOWN . . ., April 1, 2007
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!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Different than MK I, January 9, 2009
While the first Master Plan CD sounds like an 80s metal band (that is why I bought it) MK II has a more 90s metal giving it a very different sound. At first, I was turned off by my initial expectations but then one of the songs got stuck in my head. Before I knew it I was appreciating this album for what it is. It is different then the first album, and just as good.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow, this may be the best Masterplan album yet, April 16, 2009
MK II is the third album overall from power metal band Masterplan, and as the title suggests it's the first album from a new Masterplan lineup. The band went through some pretty dramatic lineup shifts between 2005's
Aeronautics and MK II. Founding drummer Uli Kusch left, as did vocal titan Jorn Lande. Kusch was replaced by former Rage drummer Mike Terrana and the vocalist spot was given to former Riot singer Mike DiMeo.
I was skeptical going in to this album. How does a band get over losing a singer of Jorn Lande's caliber? I'm glad I gave the album a try though. Mike DiMeo is no Jorn Lande, but he seems to fit this band in a way that Jorn really never did. Aeronautics had its moments, but MK II is just a more cohesive, all-around impressive album. The band seems incredibly energized, and the result is 11 of their best songs ever (I can't quite count the throwaway introductory track "Phoenix Rising". The album is heavy enough that you can't question its "metalness", but is also very melodic. Roland Grapow is absolutely on fire here, and DiMeo's powerful vocal performance recalls his best Riot work. You can tell he paid close attention to Jorn's previous Masterplan work, but I'm reminded of Axel Rudi Pell vocalist Johnny Gioeli more often than not, which is never a bad thing.
I can totally understand how people would be disappointed with Jorn's departure, but - and I say this as a huge Jorn fan - you really should give MK II a chance. It's a better album overall than Aeronautics, and is at least as good as the
Masterplan debut. MK II is a first rate melodic/power metal album from start to finish, and should please just about any fan of this kind of music. Give it a chance. You won't regret it.
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