by Derric Miller
— Managing Editor —
Former Sick Puppies lead singer/guitarist/songwriter Shimon Moore found himself on the outs with the band–as in ousted–back in 2014. Taken by surprise, in his words, Moore received the chance to reinvent himself and write any kind of music he wanted to, no longer under the constraints of the “Sick Puppies” sound, albeit he was largely responsible for their major hits. Instead of pouting or letting it get him down, his renewed creativity resulted in a slightly uneven but highly enjoyable and re-energized solo album, aptly titled SHIM.
One of the oddities of the firing was the remaining two band members (Emma Anzai and Mark Goodwin) stating they wanted to stay with a rote road and not stray from the path they forged after all those years together. Commendable if they were AC/DC, but they are not. Sick Puppies played everything from searing Hard Rock anthems to poppy ballads, and did everything better than most. So, while that was the public reasoning, one may wonder if Moore wasn’t just outgrowing the band and the other members knew it. If you’ve heard their new music without Moore, that would seem to be the case.
The effort begins with “A Brand New War,” which sounds like bandmates yelling at each other until the music kicks in. This is heavier than everything Sick Puppies ever recorded; it’s an awakening knowing Moore could easily be in an ’80s Hair Metal band with his searing range. Hearing lyrics like “I’m taking back what’s mine!” and “Cuz I’ve been living through all the shit you just talk about,” you have to think it’s a big ol’ hidey ho to his past.
“Secrets” is another distorted riff-driven track, but it’s bouncy as hell and you may have to turn the bass down on your amp if they can’t handle some heavy duty bottom end. This is more of what you’d expect from Moore, and it’s a hit song, plain and simple.
If you haven’t heard Moore sing before, he is one of the few males who can easily flow into falsetto and it still sounds smooth. He doesn’t drop an iota of his vocal quality, and it stays earnest and believable. Few Hard Rock singers can pull these kind of vocal gymnastics off without laughable results; Moore makes it sound easy, like on the song “Our Time.” This hearkens back to a hit like “Riptide,” a song about overcoming obstacles and shining your brightest when you need to. This is (probably) the kind of song Moore writes best.
The new video from the album is “Crucified,” and Moore shows off another facet you haven’t heard–his low end. He rarely if ever sings this low as he does on the onset. And then you hear a bluesy riff in his voice. And then an almost Nickelback-like fill-the-stadium-and-rock chorus. While not the standout track, it’s another taste of what Moore can do on his own, and it’s all good.
For you heathens out there, don’t let the title of the song “Hallelujah” throw you. It’s THE BEST song on SHIM, it comes from out of left field and it strays down all the paths … in a good way. It begins like an old timey acoustic song, like vinyl being played on a 1950s record player, and then the song is injected with more steroids than Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds ever stabbed into their bodies. “If you’re lost or found … can I get an amen or a hallelujah!!” feels more like an order than a question the way Moore belts it right at your head. Featuring one of the best guitar solos as well, the song tricks you as it almost fades out and then rockets back heavier than anything vocally on the release. Hearing Moore actually scream like an ’80s Metal god makes the album worth it for that moment alone. It’s crazy how versatile his voice truly is.
There are a few misses, of course. “Kaleidoscopes” just doesn’t come off as heartful but instead manufactured, like a Taylor Swift assembly line hit. “Broken Men” could have been a highlight, it has “hit” slathered all over it, right up until Moore starts rapping. This may be an attempt to broaden his audience, and honestly, he’s starting over so his audience is whomever likes his music sans the Sick Puppies shadow, but it’s fairly clumsy.
Of course, then there’s songs like “Sting Like a Bitch” which makes everything ROCK again. This is political social commentary briefly from Moore and then scorches the society of trolls. Reminiscent of the Sick Puppies’ song, “I Hate You,” the anger is palpable and outright headbanging fun.
As stated, SHIM is a somewhat uneven solo effort, but it’s his first solo album and he’ll keep going wherever the muse takes him. In a way, it’s him saying, “Look what I can do,” in a far more eloquent and musical manner of course. The good songs are great, the “bad” songs are merely good, and he needs to keep doing whatever he is doing that got him here. In the end, Sick Puppies with Moore was always an underrated band, and now it’s Moore’s time to free himself of the former band and earn his rating as one of the more versatile and talented rockers making music today.
Genre: Hard Rock, Mainstream Rock
Band:
Shim Moore-vocals and guitars
Tracklisting:
1. A Brand New War
2. Secrets
3. Our Time
4. Kaleidoscopes
5. Crucified
6. Hallelujah
7. Fearless
8. All of Me
9. Sting Like a Bitch
10. Broken Men
11. Don’t Wake Me Up
Label: BFD
Online:
http://shimmusic.com
Hardrock Haven rating: 
(7.6 / 10)
