Nick Layton is a guitarist and songwriter whose steps are always worth following. Whether with FireWölfe, Reign of Glory or now Moonlit Masquerade, he consistently impresses with his beautiful songwriting and his fantastic guitar solos. Moonlit Masquerade make their debut with the “Wreckage” EP, which contains three tracks—one new composition (“Wreckage”) and two re-recordings (“Deceiver” and “Show Me the Way”). But let’s take them one by one, after noting that the EP features Jeff Plate (Savatage, Metal Church, etc.) on drums and Barry Sparks (MSG, Dokken, etc.) on bass. With “Wreckage”, Nick Layton pays tribute to Savatage, so it’s no surprise that Zak Stevens (Savatage, Circle II Circle) handles vocals on this track. It’s a very beautiful piece that could easily fit on classic Savatage albums like “Gutter Ballet”, “Edge of Thorns”, or “The Wake of Magellan”. It blends technique and emotion, sending chills and even bringing tears. Excellent! Next comes “Deceiver”, an instrumental re-recording of a composition from Layton’s solo album “Storming the Castle”. It’s a melodic metal feast, featuring thrilling riffs, dramatic guitar and keyboard solos, US power metal and neoclassical elements, and a seductive atmosphere—all of which captivate the listener and offer unique moments of joy. And then we reach the final track of the EP, “Show Me the Way”, a new version of Moonlit Masquerade’s “Sands of Egypt”, with Christian Liljegren of Narnia on vocals. This epic and lyrical song could easily be an Yngwie Malmsteen composition, and within its context you’ll love the wonderful guitars, Liljegren’s full, rich voice and the positive energy of the lyrics. Listening to this EP, I realized that Moonlit Masquerade are preparing something special—so let’s stay tuned, because the band’s debut full-length album is not far off!
♦ 8,5/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
