Mason (CANADA)

[Horex]

Mason - I Can't Wait (2024)













Year : 2024
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : Canada
Audio : 320 kbps + all scans
Size : 102 mb

Bio:

Melodic AOR Rock Project from Canada founded in 2023 by Marcus Mason (Lead Vocals, Bass, Rhythm Guitar) with Jimmy Katone (Drums), Peter Penhallow (Keys) and Josef "Peppi" Gebhard on Lead Guitars.

Album:

Canadian Melodic Rock band MASON injects true enthusiasm with their debut album, ‘I Can’t Wait’, released on Lions Pride Music. Fronted by Marcus Mason – who has written the entire album, and play guitar and bass – the band offers a well-rounded collection of tracks delivered with heartfelt passion.Mason‘s lineup includes a well known group of musicians from the genre, featuring Jimmy Katone (Hit The Ground Runnin’) on drums, Josef “Peppi” Gebhard (4-Sale) on lead guitar, and Peter Penhallow (Eye, Bobby Barth) on keyboards. They’re joined by a host of guest artists like Markus Pfeffer (Atlantis Drive, Barnabas Sky), Jon Willoughby “Neill” (Rio), Paul Piccari and Steve Cocchi (both from Hit The Ground Runnin’), and more."I Can’t Wait’ has been mixed and mastered by the legendary Steve Negus (Saga, GNP Project), whose work adds polish and vitality to Mason‘s sound.Born in 1988 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Marcus Mason has been immersed in the music world for nearly two decades, performing live and recording. His formative years were spent absorbing the sounds of Hard Rock and Pop from previous eras, which set him apart from the prevailing musical trends of his youth.This distinct musical taste is at the heart of “I Can’t Wait,” a collection of well crafted tracks that blend catchy melodies with robust rock instrumentation.You can hear Marcus and his band true enthusiasm bringing back the melodic rock sound from the late ’80s, but also rock&pop in the vein of The Outfield, The Cutting Crew and John Waite solo.Marcus’ voice is clean and pleasant – though not overly varied – he consistently delivers strong performances, showcasing his understanding of the genre’s nuances. Some tracks might lack standout hooks, but they’re all solidly crafted, and any critique here feels more like minor nitpicking than genuine criticism.Far from faint praise, this album is a respectable debut brimming with cool tunes, even if a few could have used a touch more memorability.‘I Can’t Wait’ is a commendable first effort from MASON – fans of Melodic Rock with both a Classic Rock and Pop Rock twist will find plenty to enjoy in this debut.Each track highlights Marcus Mason’s knack for a good melody supported by the energy and expertise of all band members / guests. With a refine in more expansive songwriting and especially the ‘hook factor’, MASON will be a band to keep an eye on in the Melodic Rock scene.

Line Up:

Marcus Mason - Vocals, Bass, Rhythm & Lead Guitars
Jimmy Katone (Hit The Ground Runnin, Katone) - Drums
Peter Penhallow (Eye, Joseph Court, Bobby Barth, Vince Welnick) -Keys
Josef “Peppi” Gebhard (4-Sale) - Lead Guitars

Additional Musicians:

Bella Perron (Plush) – Guitars
Jon Willoughby (Neill)(Bombay, Rio, Starseedz), - Guitars
John McAfee (The Affair, Big Game, Whitehead & Mac) – Guitars
Markus Pfeffer (Barnabas Sky, Lazerus Dream, Mystery Moon) – Guitars
Paul Piccari (Hit The Ground Runnin’) - Bass
Steve Cocchi (Hit The Ground Runnin’) - Keyboards

Tracklist:

01. One Life 04:02
02. I Can’t Wait 04:04
03. It’s Okay to Cry 04:27
04. Turn Me Around 03:44
05. Whatever It Takes 03:26
06. My Desire 04:32
07. Hands Off 03:20
08. All That Remains 04:01
09. We Were Young 03:24
10. Everybody Want Some Love (Bonus Track)
11. Heart 2 Heart (Bonus Track)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Mason - Seconds To Impact (2025)













Year : 2025 (Eonian Records Edition)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : Canada
Audio : 320 kbps + scans
Size : 124 mb

Bio:

Melodic AOR Rock Project from Canada founded in 2023 by Marcus Mason (Lead Vocals, Bass, Rhythm Guitar) with Jimmy Katone (Drums), Peter Penhallow (Keys) and Josef "Peppi" Gebhard on Lead Guitars.

Album:

The band Mason are back with their sophomore release Seconds to Impact.I had heard positive word of mouth regarding their debut, but had not heard any tracks. Prior to this review, I checked out their first single, ‘All I Ever Wanted’. It had a bit of a mellow yet engaging AOR feel to it and I was won over by the vibrato and emoting of lead singer Marcus Mason. It’s a simple but catchy ditty that made me want to check out what this album had to offer. I’m glad that I did. This album is chock full of quality melodic AOR belters.While a bunch of these tracks are mid-tempo and a bit laid back, nearly all of them have a catchiness that sticks with you long after you stop listening. Opener ‘Hard to Tame’ is one of them. A fantastic track that required multiple plays before I moved on to the next song. There’s a passion and feel to the chorus that can be solely attributed to the vocal fluctuations of Mr. Mason. Add a killer solo into the mix and you have everything you need to get jazzed about all the album has to offer.While those first two tracks are more mid-tempo, the album does have tracks with a beefed-up guitar sound and a bit of a harder edge, offering a nice change up. Far from metallic, but a bit of urgency and an increased tempo. Tracks like ‘Waiting for You’, ‘Never Be This Way’, and, a personal favorite, ‘Crime of Love’, all rock a bit harder. That last track borrows a bit of the melody line from Heart’s ‘Barracuda’ in the intro and chorus but takes a unique spin with the vocal performance from Marcus. His approach on this track is reminiscent of a singer in an 80s New Wave band, making for an interesting hybrid of genres.The album hits a bit of a lull with ‘Crescent Moon’. The ballad meanders and never seems to get out of first gear. What you get with the opening chords you get throughout the entire track. One would expect to hear this type of song in a lounge setting.Fortunately, things pick up with the rest of the album. ‘You Don’t Know Me’ goes for that laid back AOR that opened the album and has a great sing-along chorus. The back half of the album finds one of my favorite tracks. ‘Lost and Lonely’ has a great mix of both featured genres. You get that AOR melody feel and a grittier sound with a prominent guitar placed higher in the mix.I find releases from Eonian Records to be of varying degrees of sonic quality. This release, while a little underproduced, does not sound like tape reels that have been sitting in a box for 30 years. There’s some muscle to the guitar and a nice bottom end sound in the bass and drums. I prefer an album that is not glossy. There’s an earthiness to it that feels genuine. These guys are not hiding behind studio tricks, and in a world where AI music is on the rise, I appreciate music that sounds like the whole band recorded the tracks together in the studio.The songs on this album feel like they could be parts of a soundtrack to a Grade B 80s movie, and that’s not an insult. The magic here is found in the vocals of Marcus Mason. The man does not have a tremendous range but what he has is a tone that conveys a passion that resonates. His voice makes these songs stick in your head. This is a fabulous release that should not be missed.

Line Up:

Marcus Mason - Vocals, Bass, Rhythm & Lead Guitars
Josef “Peppi” Gebhard - Lead Guitars - See also: 4-Sale
Jimmy Katone - Drums - See also: Hit The Ground Runnin, Katone
Peter Penhallow - Keyboards - See also: Eye, Joseph Court, Bobby Barth, Vince Welnick

+ guests:

Backing Vocals – Marc LaFrance (tracks: 3), Tim Thompson (tracks: 12), tSooraj (tracks: 6,9)
Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – John McAfee (tracks: 9), Markus Pfeffer (tracks: 5,6), Rick Mead (tracks: 1,8,10,13), Jon Neil (tracks: 4)
Percussion – Steve Rodford (tracks: 7)

Production:

Co-producer - Jimmy Katone
Executive Producer – Ryan Northrop, Stephen Craig
Mastered By – Jeff Northrup
Mixed By, Backing Vocals – Sergey Cohen
Music Consultant – Ken Potocki
Producer – Marcus Mason

Tracklist:

01. Hard To Tame
02. All I Ever Wanted
03. Waiting On You
04. You Don’t Know Me
05. How I (Carry On)
06. Crime Of Love
07. Never Been This Way
08. Crescent Moon
09. Long Way To Go
10. It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
11. Lost And Lonely
12. Picking Up The Pieces (Bonus Track)
13. Baptized By Fire (Bonus Track)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/

[Horex]

Mason - Edge Of Destruction (2026)











Year : 2026 (Eonian Records Edition)
Style : Melodic Hard Rock , AOR
Country : Canada
Audio : 320 kbps + front
Size : 127 mb

Bio:

Melodic AOR Rock Project from Canada founded in 2023 by Marcus Mason (Lead Vocals, Bass, Rhythm Guitar) with Jimmy Katone (Drums), Peter Penhallow (Keys) and Josef "Peppi" Gebhard on Lead Guitars.

Album:

When MASON joined Eonian Records for 2025’s Seconds To Impact, something clicked. The songs sharpened, the performances grew bigger, and the production hit harder. Led by “All I Ever Wanted,” “Hard To Tame,” and “Waiting For You,” the album introduced a wider audience to MASON’s blend of classic AOR and modern melodic rock.Now comes Edge of Destruction, and everything feels amplified. Across eleven songs and an instrumental, MASON moves from hard-driving rock to sweeping ballads with muscular guitars, shimmering keyboards, polished arrangements, and choruses engineered to linger.But the real evolution is in the songwriting. The hooks are stronger, the performances more confident, and the sound unmistakably his own. Edge of Destruction doesn’t abandon what worked before - it builds on it. Mason no longer sounds like an artist searching for his identity. He sounds like one who’s found it.

Line Up:

Marcus Mason - Vocals, Bass, Rhythm & Lead Guitars

+ guests:

Josef “Peppi” Gebhard - Guitar (Tracks 2,4,8 & 12) & Bass (Track 5)
Bryan Hughes - Guitar (Track 9) and Keyboards (Track 5)
Jon McAfee - Guitar (Tracks 3 & 5),Keyboards (Track 3)
Gino Braun - Guitars (Tracks 6,7 & 10)
Rick Mead - Guitars (Tracks 1 &12)
Jeff Pilson - Bass (Track 1)
Mike Bozzo - Bass (Track 12)
Peter Panhallow - Keyboards (Tracks 1,5 & 6)
Bryan Hughes & Dylan Haines - Keyboards (Track 5)
Nilver Perez - Keyboards (Track 4)
Jimmy Katone - Drums (Tracks 1-6 & 8-12)
Aki Bouzid - Saxophone (Track 8 )

Tracklist:

01. Here I Am  
02. Hanging By A Thread
03. This Thing Called Love
04. Living By A Heartbeat
05. Heart In Vain
06. What You Need From Me
07. Friends (instrumental)
08. Stranger In Bloom
09. Tomorrow Never Comes
10. Time Slipping Away
11. More Than I Could Say
12. Eye For An Eye (Bonus Track)




Download links for all albums only on our blog here: http://goodmetalandhar.do.am/