by Dr. Matthew Warnock.

To the Core is a hard rockin', deep-grooving instrumental record featuring the masterful guitar work of Vinnie Moore. The album is a veritable instruction book on how to play the guitar in a modern context. There are moments of shear face-melting soloing, melodic slide playing, soulful blues licks, funky wah-wah grooves and gothic metal riffs that would make the boys from Megadeth jealous. Apart from Moore's virtuosic runs and catchy melodic lines, the rhythm section of Van Romaine (drums), Tim Lehner (keys) and John "JD" Deservio (bass) lays down seriously tight grooves on every tune on the album. The tightness of the band comes together to allow Moore to focus on the music and do what he does best, tear up the fretboard.

All of the tunes on the album were written and arranged by Moore and each is a testament to the wide variety of influences the guitarist draws upon in his playing. There are '70s inspired rockers ("Off the Hook"), tasteful funk/jazz ballads ("Soul Caravan"), and blues laced tracks such as "Jigsaw." Most people who know Moore as a metal/rock guitarist may be surprised at the variety of grooves and the depth of each tune on the album. While Moore takes the opportunity to unleash his incredible solo chops on several tracks, it is tunes such as "Remorse" and "Over My Head" that really bring out his maturity as a performer and composer. A sensibility and respect for the melody that can only come with maturity and experience.

While many guitarists release instrumental albums for the sole purpose of showing off their soloing chops, Moore's tunes are carefully arranged and the soloing is an extension of the melody. Of course there are moments where Moore cuts loose and shreds, and rightly he should, but these pyrotechnic displays never sound forced and none of the tunes sounds like it was written for the purpose of Moore's shredding. One of the best examples of his diversity as a soloist, and one of the highlights of the entire album, is "Panic Attack."

During the tune, Moore improvises several short solos, which are bookended by melodic based phrases. During these short solos, Moore teaches a virtual clinic on the art of modern rock fusion improvising. In the first solo section, there are examples of guitaristic lines (1:27-1:29), rhythmic punctuation (1:29-1:35) and shred pyrotechnics (1:38-1:46). The diverse vocabulary of improvisatory tools from which Moore draws is further extended in the second solo on the tune. Here Moore shows off his ability to create "sound effects" on the guitar (2:34-2:38), play in a jazz fusion style (2:38-2:43) and rip through streams of heavily chromatic runs (2:46-2:51). With such a diverse palette of improvisational techniques to draw from it is hard to categorize Moore's soloing as metal, or blues, or rock. Instead, it leads one to consider him a guitarist and musician first, and then as part of a specific genre only after the fact.

Not to be outdone, the rhythm section rises to every challenge that Moore throws at them and responds by raising the level of groove and ensemble interaction throughout the album. Bassist Deservio is no stranger to any of the styles that Moore brings to the table. His slap bass lines on the opener "Fly," ethereal groove on "Tailspin" and prog influenced lines on "Into the Open" are all great examples of why he is one of the best in the business. Though he is not featured at any given length on the recording, Deservio keeps a tight groove on every track and never overplays.

Romaine is also in top form on every tune. Never is there a groove or beat that is not fully in the pocket and, though he is never given an extended feature, his rock-steady drumming is one of the biggest reasons the album is so successful. In the hands of a less experienced drummer, some of the quick switches between grooves might have come off as forced, or even cheesy, but with Romaine leading the rhythm section each transition sounds smooth and natural. The rhythm section really makes Moore's job as soloist easy.

There have been many guitar instrumental albums released over the years that were only vehicles used to showcase the band leader's chops. While Moore takes the opportunity to tear through his solos when needed, To The Core comes across as being about the music first, the groove second and the soloing third. Fans of Moore's lightening-fast runs and incredible technique will definitely find plenty to enjoy on the album, but that is not the focus of the record. It is more about the depth of the tunes, the tightness of the ensemble and the strength of the melodies.

Links:
Vinnie Moore
Vinnie Moore on MySpace
Vinnie Moore Dean Shredhead Humbucker Pickup Black/Black F-Spaced
To The Core at Amazon.com