Masterplan (band)

Masterplan is a German power metal band, founded by guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch upon leaving Helloween in 2001.

Biography

At the end of autumn 2001 during Helloween's "The Dark Ride Tour". Roland Grapow, present in the band since 1989, and Uli Kusch from 1994, decided to form a side project. Shortly after this decision, both were fired from their long-time job in Helloween. Born the name "Masterplan" based on the idea that they would be master musicians with the future in their hands, in the words of the Headbanger - Gerardo Trevino Garza (Creator of the name), starts the newest power metal band of the new millennium. Roland subsequently invited for keyboards Janne Wirman, which at that time played in the band Children Of Bodom. For vocals, Russell Allen was invited but had to decline the invitation since he was firm in his own band Symphony X. A second invitation was made for Michael Kiske, who also rejected the proposal, claiming that he wanted to keep away from the metal scene. After contact with Norwegian band Ark famous album Burn The Sun and subsequently the album Worldchanger, singer Jørn Lande was invited. Jørn accepted the invitation, completing the band after about six months of the beginning of the project.

+/- (band)

+/-, or Plus/Minus, is an American indietronic band formed in 2001. The band makes use of both electronic and traditional instruments, and has sought to use electronics to recreate traditional indie rock song forms and instrumental structures. The group has released two albums on each of the American indie labels Teenbeat Records and Absolutely Kosher, and their track "All I do" was prominently featured in the soundtrack for the major film Wicker Park. The group has developed a devoted following in Japan and Taiwan, and has toured there frequently. Although many artists append bonus tracks onto the end of Japanese album releases to discourage purchasers from buying cheaper US import versions, the overseas versions of +/- albums are usually quite different from the US versions - tracklists can be rearranged, artwork with noticeable changes is used, and tracks from the US version can be replaced as well as augmented by bonus tracks.

History

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See also

Bando (disambiguation)

Masterplan (Stefanie Heinzmann album)

Masterplan is the first studio album by the Swiss singer Stefanie Heinzmann. It was released by Universal Music Domestic on March 7, 2008, (see 2008 in music) in German-speaking Europe, after she won the television talent contest SSDSDSSWEMUGABRTLAD on the television show TV total. The album was mainly produced by Paul NZA and Marek Pompetzki.

On November 14, 2008, a deluxe edition of the album was released, including the previously unreleased single "The Unforgiven", cover versions of songs by Metallica and Stevie Wonder, a B-side and two remix versions.

Chart performance

Masterplan debuted at number-one on the Swiss Singles Chart. It remained seven weeks within the top ten and spent forty weeks on the chart. In Switzerland, the album was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for more than 30,000 copies sold and was ranked 17th on the Swiss year-end chart. In Germany, the album debuted and peaked at number three on the German Albums Chart. It was eventually certified platinum in Germany by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie (BVMI) as well, for shipping 200,000 copies.

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 Grapow and Kusch. Missing a proper bass player, Grapow recorded the bass parts, with some help from session bassist Jürgen Attig (Casanova). 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.