Vinnie Moore, Double Exposure Review

by Rudy Palma

Vinnie Moore has been awing guitar fans since his Shrapnel Records debut in the 80s. His guitar skills have allowed him to open for Rush and tour with Alice Cooper, and he is the longest-serving guitarist with UFO. In addition, Moore has ten solo albums as a leader, all of which have been instrumental music. That is until now, Moore has enlisted vocalist Ed Terry, Keith Slack, Mike DiMeo, and Brian Stephenson to sing on half the tracks on his latest album, Double Exposure. Joining Moore in the band is Richie Monica (Billy Cox, Papa Chubby, Tantric) on drums, Michael Bean and Pete Griffin (Steve Vai, Dweezil Zappa) on bass, John Cassidy on keyboards, and John Pessoni on drums.

Kicking the album off is “Vertical Horizon” with Ed Terry on vocals. Moore introduces the song with a tasteful guitar solo before digging into the rock feel. Moore’s music always has a groove that ‘swings,’ and this is no exception. Terry’s tone, aggression, and time feel are perfect for Moore’s music. In addition, the vocal harmonies are exciting and well-placed. This is a great opening track and, for me, a solid introduction to the singing talents of Ed Terry.

“Rise” continues the journey of well-written tunes with Moore’s fantastic guitar skills supporting another amazing vocalist. Mike DiMeo is the vocalist on this track and another new one for me. His singing is strong and rich in overtones and energy. Again, this song is excellent, with the singing, writing, and guitar playing all interlocking superbly to create a powerful tune.

“Still Waters Run Deep” is another outstanding selection. Brian Stephenson is on vocals, and Moore sang backup vocals on this track. The significant part of the album is that each song has so much character, and the vocalist match Moore’s vibe and tone beautifully.

Double Exposure is a beautiful collection of new vocalists to add to my list and now that they are on my radar, I will undoubtedly be exploring them further. As for Moore, he is a fantastic guitarist who is as gifted as a songwriter as he is a player. Exploring the instrumental version of the vocal selections are exciting and highly musical. Every rock vocalist should have Double Exposure in their catalog, period.