Most of the songs here were written by the band as a whole, but three of them were written by Grapow and outside writers. Grapow also produced, mixed, and mastered the album - showcasing his position as bandleader - whilst he also contributed some lead vocal moments alongside Altzi. Kicking off with Chase the Light, with dancing gothic strings setting a dark tone - as percussion slowly builds up, creating a film score feel as the album gets underway. Grapow's guitar soon fades into view, adding some crunching rhythms, before the band kick in proper - behind a chugging riff, groovy double bass drumming, and plenty of keyboards. Despite the double bass drumming and the energetic guitars, the song never feels all that fast. It is a bit more upbeat than a typical mid-paced track, but it does not exactly speed into the distance - and this crunchy, energetic feel largely represents the album's core sound. Altzi is not really a singer that I was all that familiar with before hearing this album, but his deeper, raspy voice certainly follows on from Lande in terms of a similar overall approach - although Altzi is perhaps more power metal coded with a slightly smoother delivery. He really shines during the hooky chorus, which slows the pace a little, whilst Mackenrott shifts his attentions to some more organ-like textures to create a more metallic base. Grapow adds some pre-chorus vocals occasionally, his heavily German-accented vocals adding a surprising edge to the track. A little goes a long way with his voice, but he shows off properly later with a fluid and shredded guitar solo - and later chorus renditions feature more of a lead guitar presence. Electric Nights feels a little more up-tempo and bouncy - with a hooky guitar lead setting a more overtly melodic tone, whilst shimmering keyboard tones deliver a strong power metal feel. Despite the energy of the opening guitar lead, the song is similar pace-wise to the opening number. There is a pleasing, kinetic feel to the track even though the pace is not all that fast - with the verses feeling a bit more stripped back at times, with just a punchy drum beat and Kainulainen's bass playing backing Altzi. These moments still feel energetic - but when the band kick in the power returns, and the later chorus is another hooky moment with smooth vocals, subtle guitar leads, and a somewhat majestic feel. Mackenrott's keyboard playing is not as in-your-face as such often is in power metal, but he is constantly there to add a depth to the sound that makes Masterplan feel big and powerful. Shadow Man, after a brief piano intro, slows the pace down compared to the previous couple of numbers - with a muscular riff driving everything, although at a pace that gives doomy vibes. There are certainly shades of epic doom bands like Candlemass on show here - especially thank to Altzi's theatrical and powerful vocal performance. He definitely sounds a little like Lande on this song, but I think his approach to melody is a bit different - as exemplified by the later chorus which is a bit on the smoother side compared to the heaviness of the song overall. As such, the song is a really good mix of the heavier end of Grapow's songwriting alongside a strong melodic approach - with doom and power metal sitting side by side to create something powerful.
Bound to Fall, opening with a bit more of an overt keyboard presence over some simpler guitar riffing, is more of a mid-paced rocker. The guitar riffing is generally less interesting throughout this song - with the song's intro seeing the shimmering keyboards taking on a more prominent role. Despite this, though, the keyboards are not really doing anything too interesting. They are mostly just playing an atmospheric role albeit much more prominently - and I would have rather had something more of a proper riff or melody instead to create some interest. Overall, too, this song just feels a bit less interesting compared to what has come up to this point. The chorus is pretty good, as most on this album are, but nothing else really jumps out at me. There is much less interest from a musician perspective, with no real guitar or keyboard riffs, with the song instead being something of a chug - which only really comes alive during the chorus. Pain of Yesterday immediately feels much more interesting, with an Eastern-tinged keyboard melody sitting above a groovy guitar pattern backed by some occasional double bass drum rolls. There is a real epic feel throughout the song, and it feels like it ups the band's cinematic side compared to everything else heard on the album so far. Mackenrott's playing shifts back and forth between the aforementioned lead playing and a dense atmospheric backing - whilst the darkness of the guitar riffing showcases the heavier side of Masterplan. This is one of those songs that sounds a bit like a heavy metal version of Led Zeppelin's Kashmir. The keyboard melodies have a similarly Eastern tone - and Grapow's later guitar solo follows similar melodic cues, whilst feeling a bit more overtly melodic and less pace-orientated than some of the other solos here. Despite all of this, though, the chorus is one of the weaker efforts here. It feels a bit drawn out and less hooky than it could be, despite some strange gang vocals mixed into the background, so the song does lose a point or so for this. With a better chorus, the song would have likely been one of the best songs here. The album's title track follows, with a spacey synth melody opening things up - before another groovy, juddering riff takes over, with the synths providing melodies in the background. Picking up the pace again somewhat, driving double bass drumming and darker guitar chugs provide a tough verse backing for Altzi's vocals. There is a pleasing pace to the verses, although Altzi's smoother vocal delivery is surprisingly downbeat - but the contrast between the two approaches works pretty well. The band are back on their chorus game here, though, with a slower-burning, more anthemic chorus seeing the pace slow down for a period - whilst Altzi delivers some rumbling, powerful vocals. The song is slightly on the longer side compared to the others here, too, so the chorus and solo section really feel like they have space to breathe. Through the Storm, like the opening number, opens with some dramatic strings - but it is not long before one of Grapow's most venomous riffs takes over. There is a heaviness to this riff, but it is a pacy one - meaning that this song is one of the fasted cuts here. Masterplan are generally more of a crunchy power metal band as described, but this track is much more up-tempo - giving a more typical European power metal vibe. Mackenrott's keyboard textures are a little brighter, too, so as to really lean into such a sound - although they are fairly low in the mix, to allow a heaviness to remain present. Hooky vocal harmonies during what is another strong chorus allow for more melodies to establish themselves - whilst Grapow's fast-paced solo is a busy one.
Ghostlight returns to the album's more typical feel - with something of a crunching, mid-paced vibe thanks to some juddering, crunchy guitars and subtle synth undertones. Given the toughness of the guitar riffing, though, Altzi utilises the gruffer side of his voice. He is certainly a singer that can do quite a lot of different things. His smoother chorus delivery elsewhere on this album contrasts nicely with the grittier approach taken here - whilst his chorus vocals on this song are more powerful, allowing for something of a more epic approach. The chorus is the best part of the song, as it is another that perhaps lacks some big musical hooks. This is mostly a rhythmic and more mid-paced effort - but it does really allow Altzi to shine, and his vocal performance here is likely one of his best on the album as a result of the amount of space that he has to play with. The Call is the album's longest cut, at just over eight minutes. Most of the songs here are around the four-to-five minute work, so this song hints at a more progressive metal feel overall. As such, and given the presence of another really strong chorus, the song is one of the overall highlights here for me. It actually starts out quite humbly, with little to write home about early on, but the song morphs into a pretty powerful effort - with a chorus that really reaches for the sky. The overall arrangement is much more dynamic than anything else heard on the album, too. There is little on this album that is not pretty heavy. There are no ballads here, nor are there many moments that just slow the pace or strip the heaviness away, but this song does that - with a mid-section that sees clean guitars and Grapow's vocals creating a more atmospheric bridge moment, before the band crash back in again and Grapow launches into a big solo. As such, it is nice to have some variety here. I would not call Masterplan a progressive metal band, but this is certainly a song that includes plenty of progressive influences. The arrangement has a lot more room to breathe, and the length of Grapow's solo also brings many progressive metal bands to mind. Throw in the aforementioned big chorus, too, and the song is a winner. It may well be my favourite cut here, despite the lack of any real big riffs early on, and Grapow's vocal section resurfacing later on, this time heavier, also works really well. I wish there was a bit more on the album in this vein. The album then comes to a close with Rise Again, a much more typical Masterplan song - returning to the four minute approach of most of the rest of the album. Despite that, though, the song is another strong one. The opening instrumental section is instantly memorable, with screaming guitar leads, some synth interjections, and a strong groove from the off. Like many of the songs here, this is a pretty energetic number which feels a little faster than mid-paced without ever feeling fast. There are just strong headbanging grooves here, whilst some of Altzi's vocal melodies are a bit more on the urgent side at times. He slows down for another pretty strong chorus, which has a powerful keyboard halo to make it sound big, whilst the song climaxes with a strong, marching rhythm and some more big vocals from Altzi. The album ends on a high, then, with two of its stronger tracks, but overall Metalmorphosis is an album that I have been enjoying. There are some weaker moments here, and it has not blown me away, but for a slab of crunchy, melodic power metal there is a lot to like here. Altzi really shines as a vocalist, and the songwriting from all involved is largely pretty tight. I would certainly like to check out some more from this band - so I seem to have a few albums to catch up on.
The album was released on 26th June 2026 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Chase the Light.
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