Their first full-length self-titled album Masterplan was released in 2003, produced by Andy Sneap. The band then consisted of Grapow and Kusch with Jørn Lande. The main part of the keyboard lines on the album were arranged and programmed by Roland and Uli. Keyboardist Janne "Warman" Wirman recorded some sessions for the album, but could not stay on as a full-time member due to his commitments to Children of Bodom. Axel Mackenrott replaced him on tour and soon after as a permanent member. Studio bassist Jürgen Attig (Casanova) helped with some bass lines on the recordings, but Grapow was the main bassist for the album. For tour and subsequent recordings, Jan-Sören Eckert was hired as a permanent member. The band received the "European Border Breakers Award" from the European Commission in 2004, for the debut album success around Europe.
In January 2005, Masterplan released their second album, Aeronautics once again produced by Andy Sneap and the band. After two successful albums and their respective tours, during the writing of the third album the band parted ways with vocalist Jørn Lande, citing "musical differences" as the reason for the split. The split was amicable enough that Jørn agreed to perform four previously arranged live appearances before departing although two of these were eventually cancelled by the promoters.
On 4 October 2006, Uli Kusch announced his departure from the band in an interview with Darkside.ru. Although not discussing the details of what had happened, he mentioned the democratic principles of making decisions in the band as one of the reasons of his leaving – according to him, it often made getting a consensus nearly impossible. Three days later, Masterplan announced their new line-up through their official web site: Grapow, Mackenrott, Eckert, with new members Mike DiMeo (Riot, The Lizards) and Mike Terrana (ex-Artension, ex-Rage, Metalium, ex-Axel Rudi Pell). The band toured with Saxon as an opening act for Saxon's Inner Sanctum tour.
The band's third album, suitably titled MK II, was released on 26 February 2007. It was produced this time by the band's actual leader, Roland Grapow himself, at his own studio in Slovakia. It was recorded in September and October 2006.
On 11 January 2009, Mike DiMeo confirmed on his MySpace page that he had parted ways with Masterplan. On 25 July 2009, the band finally revealed that Jørn Lande has made his return to Masterplan. On 16 April 2010, a single titled Far From the End of the World was released to precede the band's new fourth album, Time to Be King, once again produced by Roland Grapow. On 13 July 2011, the band announced on their official website that they were writing songs for a new album. The album was set to be released in March 2013.
In July 2012, it was announced that Martin Marthus Skaroupka (Cradle of Filth drummer) will play on the new Masterplan album. In early November, it was announced that Rick Altzi and Jari Kainulainen would replace Jorn Lande and Jan Eckert on the upcoming album. In November 2012, during an interview with Metal Shock Finland's Chief Editor, Mohsen Fayyazi, when talking about Jorn's departure from the band, Roland stated the following: "Everybody always expects something special from Jorn, but it's a very unstable situation. To keep happy it's not easy and to be honest I've not heard from him for 2 years. Don't get me wrong, we're still friends but we just don't have much contact."
On 21 February 2013, the new album was announced. The title of the album is Novum Initium and it was released on 14 June 2013 through German record label AFM Records.
In an interview made in Italy, on 16 September 2016, Roland Grapow confirmed the addition of At Vance member Kevin Kott as the drummer of the band replacing Martin Marthus Škaroupka whose commitments with his other band Cradle of Filth prevented him for playing shows with Masterplan.
They also announced the release of a new album consisting of re-recordings of Helloween songs written by Roland Grapow from the time he was in the band. The album, PumpKings, was released on 28 July 2017. Grapow stated that the album was not any kind of revenge for being fired from Helloween, or not being invited to their Pumpkins United World Tour in 2017: [fans] all thought it was kind of a revenge or something... now I remember. To me, it's just a relaxing situation [...] I never had this in my mind. It's just a bit coincidental because I delayed this album for two years and it came out at the same time when the reunion tour came.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterplan_(band)
Studio albums
Masterplan (2003)
Aeronautics (2005)
MK II (2007)
Time to Be King (2010)
Novum Initium (2013)
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In the 1970s, a soul combo called Masterplan recorded "Clinton Park" and other tunes on the De-Lite label.
Falling Sparrow
Masterplan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I'm moving towards my grave
I'll be rising from this life into silent darkness
It's just a glimpse of our time
I must act while I'm clear in my mind
Soon I'll be the ghost that lived with fury
And no one's listening in my mind, no
I'm crying colder, the lying's older
Fading are my eyes
Can you catch me I'm a falling sparrow
After all, don't let my soul wings die
We see the world in different stages
Always climbing from our blues
I guess the sour taste of bitterness can breed evil
If we could stop and turn back time here
Would we remove ourselves from crime
Some people say they're doing fine
But there's a struggle in their minds
Feel it coming, no more dawning
Fading are my eyes
Angel catch me, I'm a falling sparrow
After all, don't let my soul wings die
Feel it coming, no more dawning... no more
I'm crying colder, the lying's older
Fading are my eyes
Feel it coming, no more dawning
Fading are my eyes
Angel catch me, I'm a falling sparrow
After all, don't let my soul wings die
The lyrics to Masterplan's "Falling Sparrow" seem to touch on the theme of mortality and reflecting on one's life as they approach death. The opening lines of the song, "I see a new beginning, as I'm moving towards my grave," establish this idea. The singer continues to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and how he or she must act while still in a clear state of mind, or else they will become a "ghost that lived with fury."
The second verse starts with the line "I'm crying colder, the lying's older," which could be interpreted as the emotional struggles that come with aging and approaching death. The overall tone of the song is mournful, with the repeated line "angel catch me, I'm a falling sparrow" alluding to the fragility of life and the fear of losing one's soul.
Overall, "Falling Sparrow" seems to be a reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the importance of living life to the fullest before it's too late. The lyrics are poetic and poignant, as they touch on an experience that is universal to all humans.
Line by Line Meaning
I see a new beginning
I see a chance to start fresh
As I'm moving towards my grave
As I approach the end of my life
I'll be rising from this life into silent darkness
I'll be moving on to the afterlife
It's just a glimpse of our time
Life is short and fleeting
I must act while I'm clear in my mind
I must make the most of my time while I still can
Soon I'll be the ghost that lived with fury
Soon I'll be gone, but I want to leave a lasting impact
And no one's listening in my mind, no
I feel alone with my thoughts
I'm searching for an inner sign
I'm looking for guidance from within
I'm crying colder, the lying's older
I'm becoming more emotional and tired of deceit
Fading are my eyes
I'm losing hope and feeling weary
Can you catch me I'm a falling sparrow
I need help and support, I'm struggling to stay afloat
After all, don't let my soul wings die
After all, don't let me lose my spirit and hope
We see the world in different stages
We all have unique perspectives on life
Always climbing from our blues
We're always striving to overcome our struggles
I guess the sour taste of bitterness can breed evil
Negative experiences can lead to negative actions and attitudes
If we could stop and turn back time here
If we could go back and change things
Would we remove ourselves from crime
Would we prevent ourselves from making bad choices?
Some people say they're doing fine
Some people seem okay on the surface
But there's a struggle in their minds
But they're dealing with inner turmoil and pain
Feel it coming, no more dawning
I sense a change is coming soon
Angel catch me, I'm a falling sparrow
I need someone to help me stay on track
After all, don't let my soul wings die
After all, don't let me lose my spirit and hope
Feel it coming, no more dawning... no more
I can sense that change is imminent
Fading are my eyes
I'm losing hope and feeling weary
Angel catch me, I'm a falling sparrow
I need someone to help me stay on track
After all, don't let my soul wings die
After all, don't let me lose my spirit and hope
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JORN LANDE, ROLAND GRAPOW, ULRICH KUSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind