Vinnie Moore To The Core
by John Kindred
Staff Writer
Once known as a shredder from Mike Varney’s camp, which is known as Shrapnel Records, Moore now finds himself guitar hero and bandmate of Britain’s UFO. With big shoes to fill, namely Michael Schenker’s, Moore is no slouch himself. As UFO is set to release their latest studio album The Visitor on June 2, Moore’s long-awaited solo release To The Core makes its appearance May 26th.
This is Moore’s 8th studio album and first on Mascot Records. It has been eight years since Moore released a collection of new songs on Defying Gravity. During ’06, Shrapnel released a greatest hits package simply called Collection. Some of us can still remember ‘87s debut release by Moore, Mind’s Eye, which set the guitar community on notice that Moore had arrived.
To The Core is comprises 11 instrumental songs and features Van Romaine (d), John “JD” Deservio (Black Label Socieity) (b) and Tim Lehner (k). The music was recorded at The Core studio in Northern California. Moore’s new custom Dean model Vm-2000 guitar makes its debut on these new songs.
Ultimately, if you are purchasing To The Core, then it is because you are fan of Moore’s guitar style. While being limited within the confines of UFO, Moore reaches deep within his bag of tricks and inner being. He delivers music compositions that reach beyond his role as a guitarist in a hard rock band.
Moore, once purely a neo-classical shredder, has grown from album to album. Nowadays, Moore combines elements from Jazz, Fusion and Rock and combines them with atmospheric textures and adventurous compositional layers of sound. His approach on To The Core is more Satriani-esque than his previous days of shred and sweep picking. Don’t get me wrong; Moore always has had a keen melodic sense. But his phrasing seems to more Jeff Beck-like. Maybe it would be better described as short burst of notes that, at times, end at jagged intersections versus his earlier days of sweeping runs of cluster of notes.
The energy is catchy. Moore gives the instrumental tracks life by being whimsical and again adventurous. It is much easier to express an opinion about the album as a whole. Fans will appreciate Moore, and new listeners will be inspired as well. Moore’s technical skill is brilliant. Combined with his growth into a variety of genres, Moore takes his song-writing skills to the next level.
Label: Mascot Records
Track Listing:
1. Fly (4:51)
2. Panic Attack (6:19)
3. Off The Hook (5:15)
4. Transcendence (3:53)
5. Soul Caravan (5:55)
6. Jigsaw (3:41)
7. Remorse (7:02)
8. Tailspin (5:33)
9. Over My Head (3:57)
10. Into the Open Highway (6:47)
11. Into the Sunset (5:41)
HRH rating: 8.3/10