There is no predicting what may come from the relationships we forge over time. People can often be transient in our lives, here today and gone tomorrow, but some hold a bond that lasts forever. The latter is a bond forged between Juan Montoya and Evan Diprima that has stood against time. A constant in one another’s lives, it seemed almost inevitable that they would eventually form their own band.
Having previously worked together on several other projects over the years, many will recognize Montoya for his work with Torche between 2004 and 2008 and MonstrO, where he teamed with Bevan Davies (who has toured with Jerry Cantrell, Static-X, among others) and Kyle Sanders (who went on to play bass with HELLYEAH). Others will associate Diprima with his work with Royal Thunder. Each has a lot of experience, and it seemed the timing was right for two seasoned musicians to assemble a project they called Moon Destroys.
Debuting in 2020 with the debut EP Maiden Voyage, it featured a robust collection of Grunge-laden Rock songs. Exciting to hear for those lucky enough to discover it, after a brief lull, Moon Destroys first showed signs of life in 2024 with the release of the single “The Nearness of June.” Leaving you wondering if more was to come, the announcement of a proper debut album emerged in February 2025.
Following this up with the release of the single “Echoes (The Empress),” next came “Only,” before the album She Walks By Moonlight arrived on April 4, 2025, through Limited Fanfare Records. Consisting of nine tracks in total, it features Montoya on lead guitar, Diprima on drums/synthesizers, Arnold Nese on bass, and Charlie Suárez (also known as the voice of MonstrO) on vocals/guitars/synthesizers. Another big piece to this puzzle, Suárez’s haunting twang reminiscent of Alice in Chain’s Layne Staley, is a perfect unity of musical friends, standing out amidst everything. Joined by exceptionally dark, melodic Heavy Rock guitars, there is a movement inside the songs of Moon Destroys you cannot ignore.
What some might call a bit psychedelic, whatever you want to label it, there is a longing inherent in the tracks that make up She Walks By Moonlight. Hitting you right in the soul with songs like “The Nearness of June,” “Only,” and “Losing Sleep,” there are also those a little more upbeat, such as “Echoes (The Empress),” that balance out the mood.
Overall, Moon Destroys is a perfect unity of Grunge Rock, Heavy Metal, and Psychedelia, among other seductive and exciting elements. In other words, if you are familiar with the member’s other projects, you will undoubtedly enjoy this. However, if you are entirely foreign to any prior works, if you like Alice in Chains, The Cult, and Mad Season, you will thoroughly enjoy Moon Destroys. A dazzling debut, Cryptic Rock gives She Walks By Moonlight 4 out of 5 stars.
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