VINNIE MOORE – Aerial Visions (2015)
I couldn’t resist; instrumental guitar albums are hard to see (and sell) pieces nowadays, but when noticed about VINNIE MOORE‘s new solo CD “Aerial Visions” I gotta listen to it. And glad I did it.
Vinnie Moore belongs to the golden generation of shred guitarists from the ’80s.
It has been the times when Shrapnel Records brought quite some of those sensational guitarists into the spotlight. It has been the days of Tony McAlpine, Racer X, Marty Friedman, and so on.
OK, those days are over which doesn’t mean that releases of those guys aren’t good anymore. Vinnie Moore’s “Aerial Visions” is his 8th output and it’s full of great rockin’ instrumentals.
Much like Steve Morse in Deep Purple, Vinnie Moore is now the longest tenured guitarist in UFO history, something that kind of just snuck up on us but the truth is he is soon to celebrate his 12th year with the British hard rock legends, working on five studio albums with the band and countless tours.
Amid that hectic schedule, he’s managed to record an album with his Red Zone Rider band, as well as put the final touches on “Aerial Visions”.
Containing moments of all out shred as well as the bluesy hard rock he’s perfected in UFO, “Aerial Visions” is further proof of just how far Moore has come over the years since he exploded into the scene in the 80s.
If you are going to release a guitar based instrumental album these days, it’s imperative that you mix up the styles on it, and Moore has indeed done just that here.
“Mustang Shuffle” shows his knack for blistering bluesy hard rock, as does his KILLER rendition of ZZ Top’s “La Grange”, which, quite frankly, is one of the most incredible cover songs I’ve heard in some time. The song is damn cool anyhow, but Vinnie Moore’s version give the iconic track a slightly different touch even though the axeman sticks very much to the original. However, not having Billy Gibbons’ typical vocals included makes this version already to a special one.
UFO fans will probably recognize the riffs & melodies of both “Now’s the Time” and “Faith”, two songs that originally were intended as instrumentals but some of the arrangements were later used as UFO tunes, now included here in their original vision.
“Looking Back” is a tender ballad with tasty picking, while the title track is a rootsy blues / funk gem featuring the stellar bass skills of Dave LaRue firing off alongside Moore, who also shows up on the raucous “Slam”.
“The Dark Dream” hints at majestic prog-metal with its shimmering acoustic guitar, heavy riffs, and dark atmosphere, and “A Million Miles Gone” takes that moody atmosphere even further, allowing Moore to launch into a jaw dropping solo dripping with emotion, taste, and supreme chops.
Originally praised for his acrobatic, shredding style, Vinnie Moore has quietly become an incredibly well rounded player who can tackle any style and amaze every step of the way.
He does it all here on “Aerial Visions”, a great complement to his recent work with UFO and Red Zone Rider, and one of 2015’s most impressive guitar based instrumental albums.
STRONGLY Recommended.
01 – Mustang Shuffle
02 – Now’s The Time
03 – Faith
04 – Slam
05 – La Grange (ZZ Top cover)
06 – Looking Back
07 – Aerial Vision
08 – The Dark Dream
09 – Calling Out
10 – A Million Miles Gone
Vinnie Moore (UFO, ex-Vicious Rumors, Alice Cooper) – guitars
Richie Monica (Tantric) – drums
bassists Dave LaRue (Flying Colors) – bass
Rob DeLuca (Sebastian Bach) – bass
Dorian Heartsong (Jason Bonham Band) – bass
Elliott Dean Rubinson (MSG) – bass
BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/Aerial-Visions-VINNIE-MOORE/dp/B0145HEAKY
.
