Masterplan (Masterplan album)

Masterplan is the German power metal band Masterplan's self-titled debut album, released in 2003 by AFM Records. The album received many good reviews and entered the charts at high positions. The album was voted album of the month in Sweden Rock Magazine, Rock Hard and Heavy, Oder Was?! in Germany and Metal Factory in Switzerland. The band received the "European Border Breakers Award" in 2004 from the European Commission, for the album sales around Europe.

By the time their first full-length and self-titled CD was released in 2003, keyboard player Janne "Warman" Wirman was replaced by Axel Mackenrott. Wirman recorded some session keyboards for the album, but could not stay on as a full-time member due to his commitments to Children of Bodom. The main keyboard lines of the album were arranged and programmed by guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch. Missing a proper bass player, Grapow recorded the bass parts, with some help from session bassist Jürgen Attig (Casanova). Grapow has since revealed that Helloween bassist Markus Grosskopf unwittingly played on the track "Into the Light", since Helloween had tried recording the track for The Dark Ride and the bass track from that session was used. Permanent bassist Jan-Sören Eckert joined shortly after the album's release. Despite not playing on the album, Mackenrott and Eckert both appear in the album sleeve.

Michael Kiske, the former Helloween bandmate of Roland Grapow, duets on the track "Heroes".

Reception
In 2005, Masterplan was ranked number 491 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.

Track listing
All songs were written by Masterplan, except where noted.

Personnel

 * Jørn Lande – vocals
 * Roland Grapow – guitar, bass, keyboards arrangement and program
 * Uli Kusch – drums, keyboards arrangement and program

Guest musicians Production
 * Michael Kiske – vocals on track 6
 * Janne Wirman – keyboards on all tracks
 * Ferdy Doernberg – keyboards on track 8
 * Jürgen Attig – bass on B-sides
 * Produced by Andy Sneap and Masterplan
 * Recorded by Andy Sneap at Crazy Cat Studio, Hamburg (GER)
 * Mixed by Mikko Karmila at Finnvox Studio, Helsinki (FIN)
 * Mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studio, Helsinki (FIN)
 * Bandphotos by Dirk Schelpmeier
 * Artwork and booklet design by Rainer Laws
 * Album cover and band logo by Thomas Ewerhard

Enlighten Me
"Enlighten Me" is the first single by Masterplan, taken from the present album. Despite the band picture on the sleeve, all keyboards are played by Janne Warman, and Jürgen Attig plays bass on tracks 3 and 4, with Grapow playing the bass on the remaining three tracks.

Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" cover was included on The Music Remains the Same: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, a tribute album by Locomotive Music (Spain).