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.
Killing Time
Masterplan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
holy ghost you're no savior
'cause the earth is left to fate
Full of anger and of hate
and I never saw you change
our behaviour no no
the end will be soon dying
heavenly force
show us the way to follow
It's never too late
to try we could be
closer here you and I
Come down from your mountain
drink from the fountain of life
Help us remember
who we are we must have
come here from afar
Enlighten our minds
we can't see the signs
killing in time oh oh
Precious woman she is calling
I see her bloom
from the love that I'm sending
But there's no harmony
in the faces that I see
talking in riddles
playing the fiddle of life
Thousands of tears
have run out
from the core of my eyes
I've got nothing to loose
I'm a rebel
denying my fright oh yeah
Balancing high
on the wire unsteady
I move towards the firestorm
Born here to die carried away
and more than a few
shall remember the days
I was roaming the world
with my power and pain
for a moment in time
my music will stay yeah
We can't remember what we are
we always seek
that distant star
Give us a sign
we'll live with a crime
killing in time
Enlighten our minds
we can't see the signs
killing in time yeah yeah
And I'm losing my mind oh oh
I'm losing my mind ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
The song "Killing in Time" by Masterplan is a melancholic song that speaks about the state of the world, and the need for enlightenment and redemption. The lyrics seem to be directed towards father figures, hoping they can help lead us towards a better future, but acknowledging that they may not be able to do so. The song begins by stating that neither man nor God can save us from the fate of the Earth and its inhabitants. There is a feeling of frustration and disappointment in the lyrics towards these figures, as they have not been able to change mankind's destructive behavior.
As the song progresses, the lyrics shift towards the idea of redemption and enlightenment. The singer asks for guidance and a sign from a higher power to help us remember who we are and why we are here. The idea of killing in time is prevalent throughout the song, suggesting that time is running out for humanity, and we must act fast to save ourselves. The final lines of the song indicate a sense of hopelessness, as the singer is losing their mind and resigning themselves to the fate of the world.
Overall, "Killing in Time" is a powerful song that touches on many universal themes, such as the impending doom of our planet, the need for guidance and redemption, and the sense of hopelessness that can come from recognizing the problems we face.
Line by Line Meaning
Father you are no teacher
I do not consider you as a wise,knowledgeable guru anymore.
holy ghost you're no savior
You cannot save humanity from its dark fate with just faith and religion.
'cause the earth is left to fate
We are leaving the destiny of the world to chance, fate and luck.
Full of anger and of hate
People are brimming with rage, fury and animosity.
and I never saw you change
I haven't seen any change in your behavior or attitude.
our behaviour no no
We are not amending the way we behave and act, unfortunately.
Under the moon striving
Struggling and striving in the moonlit environment.
the end will be soon dying
The end of the world might be approaching sooner than we expect.
heavenly force
A divine, godly power.
show us the way to follow
Lead us to the path of righteousness and glory.
It's never too late
It is never too late to begin our efforts.
to try we could be
We can try our best and give our all to make a change.
closer here you and I
We can become much closer and united in our endeavors.
Come down from your mountain
Come down from your high pedestal of authority and power.
drink from the fountain of life
Let us gain life-giving knowledge and wisdom.
Help us remember
Assist us in reminiscing and recollecting.
who we are we must have
We surely have descended from and relate to someone or something.
come here from afar
We might have traveled from distant lands or territories.
Enlighten our minds
Illuminate and brighten our thought processes.
we can't see the signs
We are failing to notice the indications and cues.
killing in time oh oh
Murdering and killing in continuous and unchanging time.
Precious woman she is calling
A valuable lady is calling out for help.
I see her bloom
I am observing her blossom and grow.
from the love that I'm sending
Her growth is the result of the love and care I am providing.
But there's no harmony
However, there is a lack of agreement, consistency and accord.
in the faces that I see
I can't see conjointment in the expressions of those around me.
talking in riddles
Speaking in obscure, enigmatic and perplexing words.
playing the fiddle of life
Joking, making fun of or taking part in the vagaries and capriciousness of life.
Thousands of tears
Many tears have been shed.
have run out
They have flowed relentlessly and endlessly.
from the core of my eyes
From the very depths and source of my eyes and being.
I've got nothing to loose
I have nothing to forfeit, give up or surrender.
I'm a rebel
I am a nonconformist, rebellious and unconventional.
denying my fright oh yeah
Suppressing, defying, rejecting my fear and panic.
Balancing high
Maintaining equilibrium, balance and control while being high up.
on the wire unsteady
On an unsteady, unstable and precarious wire.
I move towards the firestorm
I am approaching a violent, terrifying and raging firestorm.
Born here to die carried away
I was born here to die and eventually taken away.
and more than a few
And more than a handful of them.
shall remember the days
Shall recollect, reminisce and cherish the days.
I was roaming the world
I was traveling, exploring and wandering the world.
with my power and pain
With my strength, might and anguish.
for a moment in time
For a brief moment in the passage of time.
my music will stay yeah
My music and artistry will remain.
We can't remember what we are
We are unable to recall our origins and ancestry.
we always seek
We are always searching for something.
that distant star
That faraway and elusive star.
Give us a sign
Provide us with a signal, symbol, or emblem.
we'll live with a crime
We will have to live with the guilt and impropriety.
killing in time
Continuously and unchangingly killing, taking lives.
Enlighten our minds
Light up, illuminate and broaden our minds.
we can't see the signs
We are blind to the signs, indications and symbols around us.
And I'm losing my mind oh oh
And I am losing my sanity and composure.
I'm losing my mind ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
I am going completely insane.
Contributed by Aaliyah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.