“A metal album that doesn’t sound like every other metal album.” – says SEVERAL fans!
Masterpeace takes you to another world with heavy 7 string riffs, with Cameron Fleury’s double bass madness, and an array of metal vocal styles.
Lyrically, every song tells an insightful story. One that will captivate you and make you really think about the world we live in.
Listen While You Read
About Heavy Masterpeace
There’s a LOT of ‘first-times’ with the Masterpeace album.
- My first album with 7 string guitars
- My first album with vocals!!
- Album features one of the top metal drummers, Cameron Fleury
So yeah, this album is extremely exciting!
Initially, you’ll hear hints of bands like Amon Amarth, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, and Arch Enemy. There’s a ‘heavy influence’ (okay, the pun was intended) of this melodic death metal meets metalcore.
But when you really dig in, there are the types of melodies you would expect from bands like Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, and Evergrey. This is the ‘heart and soul’ of the album.
Pull back the curtain even further, and you’ll notice there’s also a prominent influence of thrash metal in the guitar playing and even some of the vocal parts. Think of Metallica, Megadeth, and Testament.
You’ll notice that there are several vocal styles in Masterpeace. There’s sort of a ‘Johan Hegg meets Dave Mustaine and James Hetfield’ kind of thing going on.
Track List
01 – Dragon’s Flame
02 – Peaceful War
03 – Anthem of Brutality
04 – Masterpeace
05 – Passing Through
06 – Never Enough
07 – The Metalizer
08 – Wings of Destruction
09 – Final Reign
Click Here to Listen on More Sources
Behind the Scenes: The Making of Masterpeace
Now for the personal touch, you’ve been longing for. I’m going to take you behind the scenes of the writing and recording experience of the Masterpeace metal album.
Funny thing is almost half of this album was written several years ago, musically anyway. Back in 2013 when I released my first studio album Apocalyptic Dreams I was writing riffs like crazy. And fortunately, I kept most of them (specifically the core riffs for Dragon’s Flame, Passing Through, Never Enough, and Wings of Destruction, which was at one time called ‘The Dark Ages’).
Metal Album with 7 String Guitars
Being my first album recorded with 7 string guitars, I wanted there to be a melodic death metal vibe. So those songs that were written long ago were transposed, for the most part, to cater to my 7 string.
**The guitar I used for the majority of Masterpeace is the ESP E-II Horizon FR-7.
I also wanted more elements of that fast alternate picking yet keeping the melodic feel. There’s a certain growl you get with 7 string guitars, so I wanted to make sure that was captured but without going overboard on just playing the heaviest notes possible.
Since I had originally recorded the early songs with my 6 string, I naturally had to re-record the solo guitar parts since I re-rewrote the rhythms to fit my 7 string.
The extremely new songs that I had written within the year Masterpeace was released were Peaceful War, the song Masterpeace, and Final Reign. These song ideas literally just came out of nowhere at the time I had decided to start recording this album.
My First Album with Vocals
This was super scary, and I’ll admit I was nervous about recording an album with my vocals. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love singing. But I also know my limitations.
Since my music this round was much heavier than anything I had ever released before, I wanted to have some death metal style vocals. I love that style!
However, there were 2 rules, or standards I set for myself:
- I did not want the entire album to consist of death metal vocals
- I want to give you ‘quality’ death metal vocals (not off-key screams or ‘Cookie Monster’ vocals)
Hopefully, I achieved that! And I had a blast singing on this album!
All that said, you’ll notice there are 3-4 different vocal styles throughout the album. And there’s a contrast between these styles in different parts of certain songs.
Why I Hired a Real Drummer
Masterpeace is the first album that I used a real live drummer, and in my own words, I think I hired one of the absolute best metal drummers possible! I’m going to share why I went this route, but first…
Now let me back up and say that I have no regrets with the albums I released prior to Masterpeace. Those were all instrumental metal albums and guitar-driven. And to date, I’ve never heard any complaints about those albums.
But I knew that this album Masterpeace was a different beast. And with it having vocals, it was no longer just all about the guitars. This needed to be well-rounded and have all of the authentic metal components to be respected. And that was a priority to me (to deliver an awesome album to YOU, that YOU can be proud of!).
So I ended up getting connected with Cameron Fleury out of Canada. I met him through another dude in California who I was recording guitar tracks for his album. I saw (and heard) Cameron’s work, and I knew he was perfect for Masterpeace.
And I’m extremely, overly happy with the way Masterpeace turned out. Cameron took what was a great metal album and made it into a superior one (so Cam dude, when you read this, thank you again!).
**You can contact Cameron here on his Facebook (tell him Jason sent you!).
Masterpeace Lyrics
Dragon’s Flame
Fire rules the earth, it only leads to my death
Survival of the strong, crowned by the fear you breed
I’ll find a way to summon you to my world
Where the Dragon’s Flame consumes all that’s wrong
The castles and warriors you see, they all belong to me
Now that I own your soul, tell me, is it hard to breathe?
I find my solace in a place so far away, I’m not of this world
I’ll never fit your mold, and I’ll never try again
Consumed by the Dragon’s Flame
You think you have the right to push everyone around you
It’s just a matter of time, your fall followed by your pride
I’ve found a way to summon you to my world
Where the Dragon’s Flame consumes all that’s wrong
The walls that surround you, they belong to me
Now that you’re trapped inside, you’ll never be free
I find my solace in a place so far away, I’m not of this world
I’ll never fit your mold, and I’ll never try again
Consumed by the Dragon’s Flame
Peaceful War
Rush to the grave, every day’s the same
Trapped between two worlds, broken destiny
The one I always see, the one I can’t escape
Lost to my mind, losing all control
No more time to waste, yesterday is gone
No more running away, too close
Trying to escape mediocre life
Broken by the rules, perceived reality
The voice I always hear, the voice that haunts me
Lost to this war, dying hope inside
No more time to waste, yesterday is gone
No more running away, too close
My peaceful war, raging from within
Choice, always there, can’t see the other side
The one I always see, the one I cannot break
Lost to my mind, losing all control
No more time to waste, yesterday is gone
No more running away, too close the end
Anthem of Brutality
Instrumental
Masterpeace
Time, they sent me back, they created me, to destroy
You, everything you’ve built, sabotage your work, eradicate
Path, mission of deceit, eliminate the threat, that never existed
You, you’re the chosen one, end the wars of time, now I see
You see the light in me, and I see the light in you
And I know we’ll make it
Every step we’ve taken through this realm of time
We’ve created this Masterpeace
Lost, mind has gone astray, never knew the truth, of all you’ve done
Peace, we would never know, never could we see, behind the hate for
Those who do not believe, they cannot control, wretched lies
Fate rests upon our sword, hand in hand we hold, they will die
You see the light in me, and I see the light in you
And I know we’ll make it
Every step we’ve taken through this realm of time
We’ve created this Masterpeace
Now, I will bring you back, present from the past, we will pour our
Wrath, they will suffer wrath, together we attack, surely they will
Fall, they will take the fall, to the sword we hold, stand our ground
Firm, never shall we move, never will we die, eternal Masterpeace
You see the light in me, and I see the light in you
And I know we’ll make it
Every step we’ve taken through this realm of time
We’ve created this Masterpeace
Passing Through
Thoughts of judgement, sympathetic face
Questions arise, never knowing what lies beneath
This underworld, lies among your streets
Within the cracks, shunned away from society
Hand me your dollar bill, but don’t get too close
This disease has no cure, homelessness
I’ll take your change to spare, God bless you all
Failed to belong, hopelessness
Take what you want, and I’ll take what’s mine
The heart has failed, close your eyes and I’ll disappear
Never asked for much, just a little less time
There’s nothing left, a world of wrongs we’ll never make right
Hand me your dollar bill, but don’t get too close
This disease has no cure, homelessness
I’ll take your change to spare, God bless you all
Failed to belong, hopelessness
You see me from inside, but you’ll never know my name
Just waiting for the light, I’ve been waiting for mine
Can you see past all these lies, can you break this wall of shame
Tomorrow I’ll be moving on, I’m just passing through
Time’s a blur, and the years, they fade
Never stood a chance, this life is an unforgiving dream
Sometimes I think of what could have been
My bottle’s dry, take my soul before I wake
Hand me your dollar bill, but don’t get too close
This disease has no cure, homelessness
I’ll take your change to spare, God bless you all
Failed to belong, hopelessness
You see me from inside, but you’ll never know my name
Just waiting for the light, I’m still waiting for mine
Can you see past all these lies, can you break this wall of shame
Tomorrow I’ll be moving on, I’m just passing through
Never Enough
Embrace your unfulfilling gods, it’s never enough
Follow your dreams to the depths of hell, it will never be enough
Shallow heart and darkened soul, behind your eyes
Reveal the serpent you’ve become, death to your endless lies
You think it’s over, you’ve won the game
Your quest for power, rise to the top on the backs of slaves
You think it’s over, it’s just begun
The life you’ve wasted, blinded by darkness, the toll you must pay
Pursuit of a life filled with greed, your time will come
Deceit boils from deep within, the grave awaits you
You think it’s over, you’ve won the game
Your quest for power, rise to the top on the backs of slaves
You think it’s over, it’s just begun
The life you’ve wasted, blinded by darkness, the toll you must pay
In the next life, I’ll find you there
Naked before me, your soul laid bare
And as you reach out, your decrepit soul will fade
Embrace your unfulfilling gods, it’s never enough
Live out the dreams in the hell you’ve made, it will never be enough
You think it’s over, you’ve won the game
Your quest for power, rise to the top on the backs of slaves
You think it’s over, it’s just begun
The life you’ve wasted, blinded by darkness, the toll you must pay
The Metalizer
Instrumental
Wings of Destruction
Under siege, a fallen ancient empire
Invasion, Barbarics take control
Plague, famine, impending death to all
Ravaging, enslaved by their Master
Truths we’ll never know, just look the other way,
In ashes, we’re burning to the ground
They try to take control of our mind and soul,
It’s you that’s falling, falling down
Feeding lies to all, dust thrown in our eyes,
In ashes, we’re burning to the ground
Two opposing sides, deception is their game,
It’s you that’s falling, falling
This dark age, lives among us now
Bound to chains, driven to rebel
Morale falls, declined society
Ripped to shreds, all freedom stripped away
Truths we’ll never know, just look the other way,
In ashes, we’re burning to the ground
They try to take control of our mind and soul,
It’s you that’s falling, falling down
Feeding lies to all, dust thrown in our eyes,
In ashes, we’re burning to the ground
Two opposing sides, deception is their game,
It’s you that’s falling, falling
(Repeat)
It’s you that’s falling, falling down
Final Reign
One more fight, field of bones
One last rite, sacred ground
Loyalty, treachery, all start to fade
I’m the only one left standing, my final reign
It comes over me, at night while I sleep
They tell me to kill
Spirits appear, visions and dreams
They leave me with emptiness
Unspoken vow, cleanse the earth
Can’t control, must kill all
Battle between good and evil, which one prevails?
I’m the only one left standing, my final reign
It comes over me, at night while I sleep
They tell me to kill
Spirits appear, visions and dreams
They leave me with emptiness
Final chance, to make things right
Stake through my soul, I’m no more, no more
Gear used on Masterpeace
- Guitar: ESP E-II Horizon FR-7
- Guitar: ESP LTD M-1000 Deluxe (used on some Final Reign solos and clean intro to Masterpeace)
- Bass: ESP D5
- Acoustic Guitar: Takamine (used on Final Reign intro)
- Amps/Effects: Positive Grid BIAS Amp 2 and BIAS FX
- Bass Amp/Effects: Studio Devil Bass Amp Pro
- Recording Software: Presonus Studio One Pro
- Vocals: Shure SM7B for all vocals, sE Electronics Reflexion
- Core Studio Hardware: Presonus Quantum 2, KRK G5 Rokits, iMac
- Drums: Cameron Fleury recorded drums in his studio in Canada
I’m somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to gear. Part of that is you can find yourself obsessing over different components, taking your focus away from the song, the music, and the overall feel you’re looking for.
I wanted to give you a high-quality metal album, but I didn’t want it to sound ‘overproduced’ and sound like every other metal album out there.
Whereas I did use high-end gear, more focus was put on the structure and performance of the songs.
Click Here to Listen on More Sources
Special Thanks
- MY WIFE – I’m super fortunate to have her by my side! She’s always 100% supportive and balances me out when I tend to go over that edge!
- MY FOLLOWERS AND FANS!! I absolutely could not do this without your support, and I love all of you!!
- I thank God for that ‘thing’ that I can’t quite explain, but it’s always been there deep inside and has helped push me to this point of doing what I know I need to do with my life. And I only hope that I impact others in a positive way!
- Cameron Fleury for recording some kick-ass drums fro this album!
- Mike Olson, writer, and guitarist for Ariel’s Attic for another awesome album that he’s mastered! Hey dude, you ‘mastered’ Masterpeace! Ah, yes, bad pun!
- Elizabeth de Zeus for the authentic, genuine, and beautiful album artwork.
- Ed Aborn, drummer for Siren – thank you dude for the last minute suggestions! Those made a world of difference!
- My parents for realizing early on that this wasn’t just some hobby or phase. Thank you for your support, I love you!
- Eddie Gray and Tom Sherman for the honest feedback and what works and what doesn’t – you guys will always be family to me. *Eddie owns the Pipe Nook for you authentic pipe enthusiasts!
Keep it Metal,
Jason
