Masterplan is like money in the bank these days. Every album is a collection of smooth, melodic Heavy/Power Metal with enough crunchy riffing and soulful ballads to appeal to a wide audience. The production and sound are sterling with nary a note out of place. I knocked the band a bit in my review of their last album, Time to Be King, for not being all that different from what the band had done on past releases and that is, if anything, even more glaringly true of album #4, Novum Initium. The only thing I can remember about it, after every spin, is that I was listening to Masterplan. It's so similar I didn't ever realize Rick Altzi had replaced Jorn Lande on vocals. Don't get me wrong, the songs are well played and thoroughly enjoyable while they are on but there is nothing on Novum Initium that is going to inspire even the staunchest Masterplan fan to declare this their best work.

There's nothing wrong with a band sticking to a formula that works (just ask Black Majesty) but the songs need to be outstanding or the performance needs to be over the top. Novum Initium has neither. Don't hesitate to check it out if like Melodic and/or Power Metal, but if you've heard Time to Be King or Masterplan, you won't be hearing anything new.