Rock Mania<\/a>, former HELLOWEEN<\/b> and current MASTERPLAN<\/b> guitarist Roland Grapow<\/b> weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence (A.I.) algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. Roland<\/b> said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET<\/b>): “I’m very late with this kind of stuff. I heard many things from other people, and my bandmembers talked about it, that other bands are using it. And I tried one day, for free, because you have to pay if you make it professional, I think\u2026. I’m not really good in this; I try to make it old school. But on the other side, of course, I use ChatGPT<\/b> or whatever for writing my kind of text to make better German writing when I write to professional people. It’s helping in a way.<\/p>\n“There’s a music program \u2014 not a program; it’s called a plugin in the business music business. And I use it for making \u2014 you sing in your own voice and you can change your voice with a different singer, person, sound,” he explained. “And I think this was interesting for make my own demo tapes, and I’m adding some other guy that is quite interesting. But I’m not doing this for the album. I want that my voice is there or the singers I will work with, or Rick<\/b> [Altzi<\/b>, MASTERPLAN<\/b> singer].<\/p>\n
“But I’m very late with all this stuff,” Roland<\/b> repeated. “I’m not the first guy checking everything. When I have time, I will try, but I don’t think it’s so important. What I don’t like is some people are really using it and putting their name on [it] say, ‘We wrote the song.’ And it’s not even allowed. [Germany\u2019s performance rights organization] GEMA<\/b>, the German [company responsible for] kind of collecting all the royalties and stuff, they’re asking you, ‘Is this song written it by [A.I.] or something?’ It’s not allowed. Because these [A.I.] programs are using ideas worldwide from famous people, melding it together \u2014 that’s what I think \u2014 and something was used already. There’s nothing fresh, there’s nothing new. But sometime people are sending me songs and say, ‘I wrote a song,’ and it’s [A.I.].’ I hear it, and I see it. They even [aren’t] shy to show me the video, which is on an [A.I.] program. And I said, ‘Why are you sending it? You didn’t write the song.’ That means even non-musicians can write songs now. It’s funny. They just say something like, ‘Write a song in a genre or in the style of this band’ or whatever, my hero, and then it sounds very close, pretty good. That’s what I heard. But I’m not doing this. I hate this. For me it’s like a bad kind of art, because I want to say something with my feelings. And when I write it \u2014 I play now every day guitar again, and I have so much fun. And I’m even better than I think I was 20 years ago. And I found different techniques and I’m very motivated. And I want to show it. I don’t want to use some computer to tell me what to learn.”<\/p>\n
MASTERPLAN<\/b> will release its new studio album, “Metalmorphosis”<\/b>, on June 26, 2026 via Frontiers Music Srl<\/b>.<\/p>\n
MASTERPLAN<\/b> stands among the most enduring and influential names in German power metal. Founded in 2001 by Grapow<\/b> and drummer Uli Kusch<\/b> following their exit from HELLOWEEN<\/b>, the band quickly established a distinctive identity built on strong melodies, technical precision and an epic-yet-modern metal approach.<\/p>\n
MASTERPLAN<\/b>‘s self-titled debut album, released in 2003, was met with widespread critical acclaim and immediate chart success, setting the standard for a career defined by consistency and evolution.<\/p>\n
Over the years, MASTERPLAN<\/b> has released several highly regarded albums \u2014 including “Aeronautics”<\/b>, “MK II”<\/b>, “Time To Be King”<\/b> and “Novum Initium”<\/b> \u2014 each showcasing refined songwriting and a powerful balance between classic power metal energy and progressive elements. Their work earned them international recognition, extensive touring across Europe and beyond, and industry accolades that confirmed their status as a leading force in the genre.<\/p>\n
In 2017, MASTERPLAN<\/b> released an album titled “PumpKings”<\/b>, containing reworked versions of HELLOWEEN<\/b> songs from albums that Grapow<\/b> played on during his time in the legendary German power metal band. Included are three songs from HELLOWEEN<\/b>‘s “Pink Bupples Go Ape”<\/b> (1991) LP, two from “Chameleon”<\/b> (1993),three from “Master Of The Rings”<\/b> (1994),one from “The Time Of The Oath”<\/b> and two from “The Dark Ride”<\/b> (2000).<\/p>\n
MASTERPLAN<\/b>‘s first-ever concert release came out in October 2015. “Keep Your Dream aLive”<\/b> was made available as DVD\/CD and Blu-ray\/CD sets, both including the entire show from Masters Of Rock<\/b> festival, recordings from Wacken Open Air<\/b>, footage from the band’s Asian tour and ProgPower USA<\/b>, as well as all five official MASTERPLAN<\/b> video clips. The Masters Of Rock<\/b> show is featured on the CD.<\/p>\n
MASTERPLAN<\/b>‘s latest studio album of all original material, “Novum Initium”<\/b>, was released in June 2013 via AFM<\/b>.<\/p>\n
A new MASTERPLAN<\/b> single, “Rise Again”<\/b> was made available in early 2024 via AFM Records<\/b>. A reworked version of “Rise Again”<\/b> will be made available on “Metalmorphosis”<\/b>.<\/p>\n
MASTERPLAN<\/b> is gearing up for a European tour, starting on April 12.<\/p>\n
Photo credit: Patric Ullaeus<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n