Grey Maiden is the follow-up release from Canada's Gatekeeper after their East of Sun debut from 2018. I found the debut a little generic with the original material overshadowed by the cover tracks. Grey Maiden has stronger songwriting with the rip-roaring title track and epic "Tale of Twins" starting the EP off in style. The singing is better as well with a few screams that brought to mind John Arch from the early Fates Warning releases. "Moss" is an acoustic track with a vibe like you'd get on a Blind Guardian or Rhapsody of Fire album in one of the linking pieces. It is a bit long, but the melody is beautiful. Grey Maiden ends with a cover of obscure NWOBHM band Tredegar's "Richard III". Having never heard the original, I can't speak for how faithful Gatekeeper are, but they make it fit right in on Grey Maiden.
This is a step up, if a small one, from Gatekeeper's debut, so if you liked East of Sun, you'll definitely want to get your hands on Grey Maiden.
