Italian metallers MASTERCASTLE have released a lyric video for the track “Platinum” which can be seen below. The track comes off the band’s fourth album, On Fire, which was released on April 19 via Lion Music.
MASTERCASTLE have been honing its trademark sound since The Phoenix, their 2009 debut and refined it through releases, Last Desire (2010) and Dangerous Diamonds (2011). Led by the powerful vocals of Giorgia Gueglio, the virtuoso guitar of Pier Gonella and the driven bass lines of Steve Vawamas, On Fire contains nine tracks of melodic heavy metal with neo-classical influences and marks MASTERCASTLE’s first release with one of the metal world’s most respected drummers behind the kit, John Macaluso (ARK, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, JAMES LABRIE). Macaluso’s addition has given the band a kick up the proverbial backside, taking their unique brand of metal to an even higher plateau.
The writing process for On Fire began three months after the release of Dangerous Diamonds in February 2012, shortly after John Macaluso joined the band’s ranks. Many demos were recorded with John of the new material before recording for the album began, with drums first being recorded from July 2012 to September 2012. Gonella recorded the album along with Macaluso, aiming for a strong metal sound without the reliance on triggered samples and sounds. Guitar and bass recording came next before vocals were laid down. The mix was also done by Gonnela and Macaluso, before the album was mastered by Pier with Simone Mularoni at Domination Studio from late 2012 to early 2013.
On the band’s new member, Gonella comments: “John gives us great energy because from the first time he heard our music he was really impressed. He participated in the composing process and his vast experience was a great help for the album’s production.”
Vocalist/lyricist Gueglio states: “I started the lyrics with the intention of writing a concept album with the title ‘Metals’, concerning metals in metallurgy, chemistry, alchemy and magic. But during their creation, I found my lyrics full of sentiments, suffering and emotions. So ‘Metals’ became too cold. Many tracks have a title with a metal within, but these are ‘warmed’ by blood, my/our human warmth, the passion of making music in a difficult world. So the album title was changed to ‘On Fire’. ‘On Fire’ is a hot work, very human. On the front cover (also created by Giorgia) you can see a metal hearth. It represents our body that became real and can be hot or burn thanks to our emotions.”
On Fire track listing:
1. Silver Eyes
2. Chains
3. Platinum
4. Quicksilver
5. Gold Violet
6. The Final Battle (instrumental)
7. Leaden Roads
8. Titanium Wings
9. Almost a Fantasy (instrumental)
