MASQUED – A Light In The Dark

The Light In The Dark is an auspicious debut album from pick-up band Masqued, whose various musicians have been involved in several Texas-area Metal bands like Helstar over the years and a few better known acts like Testament and Leatherwolf. Joining all this veteran talent is newcomer Steffany Johnston, who handles the majority of the vocals, trading with bassist Shane Dubose on some of the tracks. Her strong delivery coupled with high production values and hard driving Progressive and Power Metal stylings put Masqued on the same sonic continuum as Evanescence and Shadowside, perhaps short of the pathos of the former but with much of the punch of the latter.

Johnston’s confidence is evident in her delivery and layered harmonies, and the band has more than a few moments of brilliance on what is a fine collection of songs. The title cut is a winner, a brawling, riff-heavy rocker that has Johnston and Dubose upping the emotional stakes on each other’s’ passages. “The Call” might be Johnston’s finest moment on an album filled with great moments, the Fates Warning-esque music giving her lots of space to demonstrate her range and control. After misleading the listener with a trilling piano run, “Bullet By Bullet” launches forward in the opening bars with a rhythmic blitz and harmony guitars with a sound reminiscent of early King Diamond (at least until the vocals kick in). The album closes (wisely) with a typically anthemic number, the call to action “Rise Up” stirs the blood. Overall, The Light In The Dark makes Masqued a great late entry rookie of the year candidate.

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