The Master Plan - Colossus of Destiny (2004 Garage Rock)

Not to be confused with the German death metal supergroup Masterplan, the Master Plan is a garage rock powerhouse headed by two of the leading lights of the old-school, New York garage scene, Andy Shernoff of the Dictators and Keith Streng of the Fleshtones. Fans of those two bands already have an excellent idea of what Colossus of Destiny sounds like: stripped-down, no-frills rock & roll is the order of the day, but without the Dictators' occasional feints toward heavy metal and the soul fixation of the Fleshtones. (The Original Sins and early-'70s Flamin' Groovies are good touchstones, as well, for true aficionados of the style.) The rockabilly-tinged "Kickin' It Old School" is the most aptly titled tune, especially considering that '50s R&B classics like the Cadets' "I Got Loaded" and Hank Ballard's "Annie Had a Baby" are among the pop-rocking originals, sounding like they might have if a British Invasion-era quartet had added them to their set lists. This album is nothing but fun, with no pretensions toward anything more.

AMG Review by Stewart Mason