"Powerplay": the title says it all. The ninth album to be released by hard rock band Shakra, picking up where their last chart-breaking album, "Back on Track", left off. This LP catapulted the hard rockers from Emmental to No. 2 on the Swiss album charts. For a band that wants to develop, their goal has to be to improve on that. The new album, "Powerplay", is the most varied Shakra album the hard rock scene has ever seen. Suddenly the fans are being served up opulent songs like "Dream of Mankind" or "The Mask" as well as real belters like "Life is now", "Higher", or "Don't keep me hanging", which are just as much part of Shakra as the holes in a Swiss cheese. The same can be said of the amazing ballads "Wonderful life" or "Too good to be true". It would certainly not be a lie to say that Powerplay is the best Shakra album of all time. In fact, this is the only logical conclusion that you can reach once you have heard the 12 track LP.