Masterplan

Originally conceived in 2001 as a side-project of the two Helloween Roland Grapow (guitar) and Uli Kusch (battery) in the company of singer Russell Allen (Syphony X), Masterplan became their main project following their eviction from the band. They have to find a full-time singer, and they recruit Norwegian Jørn Lande (Jorn , ex-Beyond Twilight ). Keyboard player Janne Warman ( Children Of Bodom ) contributed to the first recordings, while Grapow himself managed the bass until the arrival of Axel Mackenrott and Jan-Sören Eckert ( Iron Savior ) at these respective positions. After the EP Enlighten Me in 2002, it was in 2003 that the first eponymous album was released, which had some success, as did its successor Aeronautics in 2005. Things spoiled during the writing of the third opus when Lande left the band for musical differences. His replacement was found in the person of Mike DiMeo (ex-Riot V), but a few months later it was the turn of drummer Uli Kusch to leave the ship, replaced by former Rage Mike Terrana. It is with this line-up that Mk II comes out in 2007. In early 2009, DiMeo announced his departure; It takes six months to learn the return of Jørn Lande for the recording of Time To Be King, which is born in 2010. Soon, Lande moved away again, and the break was formalized in 2012 with the integration of the new singer Rick Altzi (At Vance, ex- Thunderstone). Other changes take place in the same year with the departures of Terrana and Eckert; drummer Martin "Marthus" Skaroupka ( Cradle Of Filth ) and bassist Jari Kainulainen (ex- Stratovarius , ex- Evergrey ) were recruited. Novum Initium came out in 2013, received rather warmly. Keep Your Dream aLive , Masterplan's first live recording , appeared in 2015. The following year marked a new drummer shift: the arrival of Kevin Kott ( At Vance ) was accompanied by the announcement of a new album, which would be equipped with a bonus disc containing re-records of Helloween titles composed by Grapow. In 2017, however, only these re-records were released under the title Pumpkings , while the new album seems to be out.
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