Band:	Masterplan
Album:	MK II
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	February 23, 2007
A review by:	Baz Anderson

01. Phoenix Rising
02. Warrior's Cry
03. Lost And Gone
04. Keeps Me Burning
05. Take Me Over
06. I'm Gonna Win
07. Watching The World
08. Call The Gypsy
09. Trust In You
10. Masterplan
11. Enemy
12. Heart Of Darkness
13. The Master's Voice [Russian bonus]
14. Dying Just To Live [Japanese / Russian bonus]
+ Lost And Gone [video][Limited Edition bonus]

After the successful release of 2005's "Aeronautics", cracks already started to show within the ranks of the super group. Singer Jørn Lande decided to leave the band last year because of "musical differences" and as if that wasn't bad enough for the band, drummer Uli Kusch also decided to take his leave, commenting "we haven't inspired each other anymore".
The group were soon to recruit their replacements in the form of ex-Riot singer Mike DiMeo and Axel Rudi Pell and ex-Rage drummer Mike Terrana.

The album is fittingly titled "MK II" to mark the beginning of the new Masterplan and also fitting is the name of the grand introduction track "Phoenix Rising".
The album opens in blazing form with "Warrior's Cry" which is very much in the same superb vein as "Crimson Rider" from the previous album. Mike Terrana constantly blasting his drum kit and Mike DiMeo showing off his voice well through the song and its extremely catchy chorus.

Unfortunately the album finds its way gradually drooping downhill from here. The single "Lost And Gone" loses all momentum the opening song creates, it sounds like Masterplan but something seems to be missing. The song does not flow as perhaps "Enlighten Me" and "Back For My Life" did on previous albums.
"Keeps Me Burning" does pick the album up again to some degree but just the same as all of the other songs on the album they never quite manage to pick the momentum back up.

The two new members of the band do change the sound of the band a bit, but not as much as you might expect. The drums are good but seem to diverse less then before and are more straight forward, and Mike DiMeo had some big boots to fill when he decided he would join Masterplan but he does himself well on the album. I couldn't help drawing the comparison between him and his fellow New Yorker and Axel Rudi Pell singer Johnny Gioeli, but he also doesn't sound totally dissimilar to former singer Jørn Lande.

The rest of the album as a whole is, lets say 'pleasant' even though one or two tracks do stick out. "Call The Gypsy" sounds different to anything Masterplan have done before and also "Masterplan" does show the band still has fire left in them. This song will be great played live with the fans punching the air and chanting "Ma-ster-plan!" along with the song.

All in all this album left me in a state of ambivalence, as it definitely has its moments ("Warrior's Cry", "Keeps Me Burning" and "Masterplan") but also sports some unimpressive and 'under the radar' tracks.
When the previous members left I think peoples main worry about the future of the band was the talent and ability of the new guys to take over, but I think the main asset Masterplan has lost is Uli's fine song writing abilities.