Mason – Edge Of Destruction

Mason
Edge Of Destruction
Label: Eönian Records
Out: 25^th September 2026
Playing time: 57:18

Marcus Mason was born in Hamilton (Ontario, Canada) in 1988. Whilst Rap, Hip-Hop, Punk and Post-Grunge dominated much of the late 1990s and early 2000s, he was more drawn to melodic hard rock.

Some artists spend years chasing the sound of their youth. Marcus Mason has spent a lifetime figuring out how to push it forward

And he had a good nose for it. AOR, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal made a comeback. He was involved in various albums with different bands. But it was to be some time yet before he founded the AOR Rock project Mason, named after him. In 2024, he released his debut album ‘I Can’t Wait’, for which he received favourable reviews. He then signed a record deal with Eönian Records and released his second album, ‘Seconds To Impact’ (2025). And a year later, ‘Edge Of Destruction’ hit the record shelves.

‘Here I Am’ opens the album with a blend of calm and rock-infused Melodic Rock. Guitars and keyboards define the sound. Beautiful melodies, a subtle rhythm and Marcus Mason’s vocals make ‘Hanging By A Thread’ highly catchy. Soft tones are favoured, including in the guitar solo. On ‘This Thing Called Love’, British singer Steve Overland (M, Overland, Shadowman, amongst others) can be heard as the featured vocalist. This emotionally charged song is a gem of AOR. At first, the bass can be heard subtly in the background, then the keyboards kick in. But it’s only with the rhythmic drums that ‘Living By A Heartbeat’ becomes a truly powerful Melodic Rock song. ‘Heart In Vane’ is a little quieter; the riffs really stand out here. The vocal harmonies in the chorus are particularly impressive. ’What You Need From Me’ is more rock-oriented again, thanks above all to the strong bass line and the powerful drumming. ‘Friends’ is a short instrumental interlude with a beautiful guitar melody, which leads into ‘Stranger In Bloom’. Here, superb saxophone sections (played by Aki Bouzid) are incorporated. These lend the song a very special atmosphere. The slightly rockier ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’ is also deeply rooted in 1980s AOR. The melodic ‘Time Slipping Away’ is given a very special flair by backing vocalist Tina (who can also be heard on ‘Living By A Heartbeat’). The dreamy sounding ‘More Than I Could Say’ is both rhythmic and melodic, and has a light, laid-back feel. The closing power ballad ‘Eye 4 An Eye’ is listed as a bonus track in the press release. In my view, however, it should be an integral part of the album.

‘…a medley of timelessly beautiful Rock songs’ – that’s what I wrote one year ago about ‘Seconds To Impact’. And, of course, the same applies to ‘Edge Of Destruction’. Melodic Hard Rock and AOR have been impressively brought into the present day. And Marcus Mason has put an immense amount of effort into the production. As well as the guest and session musicians already mentioned, many more musicians have contributed. Back in the eighties, Mason could have filled large arenas with their music. These days, however, many bands are scaling things down. But with their third album, the band has certainly earned its place in medium-sized and larger clubs.

Mason – This Thing Called Love (featuring Steve Overland): https://youtu.be/_BU6nRUWlOI?si=D_tPUIVzhzcJuyB4

Lineup:

Marcus Mason – Lead Vocals, Bass, Rhythm Guitar
Jimmy Katone – Drums
Peter Penhallow – Keyboards
Josef “Peppi” Gebhard – Lead Guitar

Track list:

• Here I Am
• Hanging By A Thread
• This Thing Called Love (Featuring Steve Overland)
• Living By A Heartbeat
• Heart In Vane       
• What You Need From Me
• Friends (Instrumental Track)
• Stranger In Bloom
• Tomorrow    Never Comes
• Time Slipping Away
• More Than I Could Say
• Eye 4 An Eye (Bonus Track)