Vinnie Moore
Defying Gravity
Shrapnel
If you have not heard of Vinnie Moore, he is an outstanding guitar player and musician in the ranks of Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, and Yngwie Malmsteen (he is grossly underrated, though). So, naturally, this is an album of exceptional guitar instrumentals, mostly in neo-classical, progressive styles, composed with great taste and tremendous musicianship. Moore’s style of playing is quite distinctive in this album, however: no cunning stunts or experimentations here, but mostly impressive scale runs, arpeggios, and beautiful playing of carefully chosen notes. Starting from track one, the Vinman gets busy with the fretboard, combining technical prowess with song writing and beautiful melodies – until track nine, “In the Blink of an Eye,” a relaxed bluesy tune with meticulously played soothing notes. There seems to be plenty of Spanish influence in this album, too. “Last Road Home” and “Equinox” are played on Flamenco guitar very tastefully.
On this album, Vinnie Moore is assisted by some talented musicians such as Dave LaRue (The Dregs) on bass, Steve Smith (Journey) on drums, and David Rosenthal (Rainbow) on keyboards.
I have been listening to this record for a couple of weeks now, and I am quite pleased with the music and guitar tones. Being a guitar enthusiast and player myself, I want to learn some of the impressive riffs and scale runs from this album. Well recommended.
Shrapnel Records: http://www.shrapnelrecords.com
