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)
----------
In the 1970s, a soul combo called Masterplan recorded "Clinton Park" and other tunes on the De-Lite label.
Sail On
Masterplan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always without a warning
You need to hold on tighter
Find a brand new start
High on the wire
They taunted you like the Messiah
Time for a change
How could you find a way
From deep within your heart
Reach out and gaze at the star
Let the vision fly
We always have to sail on
Out of shadows to the light beyond
Never shut your waery eyes
But always try to see the line
Can you see it in your mind
Wearing the mask for so long
The clown must believe to hold on
Throw down your fears
and guide the strength which lies within
We always have to sail on
Out of shadows to the light beyond
Never shut your waery eyes
But always try to see the line
Can you see it in your mind
Can you see it in your mind
New rising sun will shine forever
All your power strong as steel
Turn the page and seek no saviour
Break free and see
The line through the wheel
We always have to sail on
Out of shadows to the light beyond
Never shut your waery eyes
But always try to see the line
We always have to sail on
Out of shadows to the light beyond
Never shut your waery eyes
But always try to see the line
Can you see it in your mind
Can you see the line
See the line through the wheel
Can you see the line
The lyrics to Masterplan's song "Sail On" encourage the listener to keep moving forward and not to give up. The song talks about the struggles of life that can hit us without warning and how we need to hold on tighter and find a brand new start. The line "high on the wire, they taunted you like the Messiah" speaks to the way people can judge and criticize others, even when they are trying their best.
The lyrics go on to speak about the need to reach deep within our hearts to find a way out of our struggles. The imagery of sailing on towards the light beyond reminds the listener that there is always hope and a brighter future if we keep moving forward. The final line "can you see the line through the wheel" encourages the listener to focus on their goals and to not let anything stand in their way.
Overall, "Sail On" is an uplifting song that reminds us to keep going when times are tough and to believe in ourselves.
Line by Line Meaning
You cannot see it coming
Change can happen unexpectedly and without warning.
Always without a warning
Change can happen unexpectedly and without warning.
You need to hold on tighter
Change can be difficult, so one needs to be resilient and hold on tightly.
Find a brand new start
To move forward, one needs to start fresh and embrace new beginnings.
High on the wire
Life can sometimes feel like being high up on a tightrope with no safety net.
They taunted you like the Messiah
Critics or enemies may try to bring you down, but staying resilient is key.
Time for a change
It is important to recognize when it is time for a change in life.
Before your life just falls apart
Change may be necessary to prevent things from falling apart completely.
How could you find a way
It can be difficult to know where to start when facing change.
From deep within your heart
Following one's heart can guide the way through difficult times.
Reach out and gaze at the star
Looking towards the future with optimism and hope can bring clarity and direction.
Let the vision fly
Embracing a positive vision for the future can bring motivation and inspiration.
We always have to sail on
Moving forward is a constant in life and necessary for growth.
Out of shadows to the light beyond
From difficult times, there is always a chance to emerge into a brighter future.
Never shut your waery eyes
Staying alert and vigilant is key to navigating through change.
But always try to see the line
Keeping focused on the goal can help overcome obstacles and stay on track.
Wearing the mask for so long
People can sometimes hide their true selves for too long, leading to a need for change.
The clown must believe to hold on
In order to stay resilient, one must have faith in oneself and believe in the journey.
Throw down your fears
Letting go of fear can bring clarity and confidence.
and guide the strength which lies within
Strength and resilience are within, waiting to be tapped into and utilized.
New rising sun will shine forever
There is always the potential for a brighter future and better days ahead.
All your power strong as steel
Harnessing inner strength can overcome challenges and obstacles.
Turn the page and seek no saviour
The power to make positive change is within oneself.
Break free and see
Breaking free from old patterns and ways of thinking can bring new perspectives.
The line through the wheel
Staying focused on the goal and keeping on track is key to achieving success.
Can you see it in your mind
Visualizing success and positive outcomes can help bring them to fruition.
See the line through the wheel
Staying focused on the goal and keeping on track is key to achieving success.
Can you see the line
Visualizing success and positive outcomes can help bring them to fruition.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROLAND GRAPOW, ULRICH KUSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind