Band:	Masterplan
Album:	Aeronautics
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	January 2005

01. Crimson Rider
02. Back For My Life
03. Wounds
04. I'm Not Afraid
05. Headbanger's Ballroom
06. Love Is A Rock [Japanese bonus]
07. After This War
08. Into The Arena
09. Dark From The Dying
10. Falling Sparrow
11. Black In The Burn
12. Treasure World [Digipack bonus]
13. Hopes And Dreams [Japanese bonus]

Damn, I was waiting it, and finally yes the new album of Masterplan the excellent Heavy/Progressive combo of Mr Grapow, Kusch, Eckert, Mackenrott and Lande, is out for our great pleasure. Really I think that Masterplan is on the top of the list of the Heavy Metal bands in reason of their first great release "Masterplan" but also because of the quality of the musicians who plays in this Metal "dream team", especially Jorn Lande who is one of my favourite singer and one of the best Metal singer ever. If like me, you are in love with this band since the release of the first album, no doubt that you were waiting it too? But no need to wait, "Aeronautics" the 2nd album is in the place !!!

The guys of Masterplan know how it works with music, of course they aren't newcomers you know like me that these guys already did some great careers with Helloween or Ark for example, but well your precedent career is not always a success token. We had the proof of their musical talent on "Masterplan", and that's always very difficult when you do a first good release to do something equal or even better, but they did it!!! "Aeronautics" is, for me, better than the first album of the band more mature, with a better production and with some killers songs that you couldn't forget like "Crimson Rider", "I'm Not Afraid" or "Back for My Life". The music of this album is classy, I mean that it's really easy to see if a band did some original and catchy compositions or just some commercial songs. On this "Aeronautics" you have Hits after Hits that's really impressive to see the quality of this album and the great thing is that album is better and better with time, more than you listen to it, more that you like it, that's great Heavy, not something made only to sell CD?
I cant' talk about Masterplan and forget Jorn who is one of the best singer of the Metal scene. I saw and met him in an acoustic showcase for the release of his solo album last year, and in addition to be a very nice and simple person he is before all an amazing singer with a voice which give shivers to all your body. I was talking about him with my Metalstorm mate Marcel [Ozman] the other day and I fully agree with him when he says that Jorn is a bit like a young Ronnie James Dio, I'm sure of it, this guy will certainly have the same career than the "voice of Heavy Metal"? he deserves it anyway? But don't worry I don't forget the others great guys of the band, there nothing to say against their performance on this album, Masterplan is a "Dream Team" no more?
The only problem for me maybe with this "Aeronautics" is the fact that we have a lot of ballads [very nice evidently] but it lacks a bit of powerful "Rock n Roll" songs like "Crimson Riders". I don't say that the album is week, not at all, but I think that the best songs and the more catchy ones of the album are the songs with the fast tempo. But I must be clear all the songs of the album are really nice, the ballads are touching but yeah more it sounds "Heavy" better it is?

If some of you had some doubts with this band "Aeronautics", confirms the quality of the combo. Really believe me or not, but if you like Heavy Metal, this is a MUST nothing else. One more time, the German combo Masterplan give a big kick in the ass of all the Heavy Metal scene which was sleeping lately. If these kinds of album don't help you to fall in love with this music, then I don't understand, but I know at least why all the critics are unanimous .
One last thing by the way, for all the one who download songs on the internet like real junkies and believe that the songs of the album are faded, NO they aren't, but maybe you just found the promo copy where the songs are all shortened [I don't like it because it's us the reviewers who pay the price but that's the method of their label against the piracy?], then maybe it could be better to only buy the album which deserves it anyway?