Scars (featuring Gary Moore)

This release by the new power trio Scars marks the first time since the Thin Lizzy days that Gary Moore has been part of a band and not just a solo artist. His career through the last decade or so has seen him return to his first true love in music, the blues. After feeling he had done all he could do in the hard rock scene, and sensing a major change in the musical climate by the early 90's, Gary escaped into the world of blues and did quite well, establishing himself as a very popular and credible blues musician and artist. I really haven't followed his career since his last hard rock album, After The War released in 1988. It's not that I don't enjoy blues music, it's just that I prefer blues-based or blues- influenced rock instead. A few of Gary's solo discs from the 80's mainly, Victims Of the Future, Run For Cover and especially Wild Frontier were classic albums and really set the tone for what was to become melodic hard rock and metal into the 90's and even today.

Gary has a very unique playing style and has been very influential to many guitar players. His often slow and expressive playing style, combined with heavy riffing and blistering fast leads, created a very intense, sometimes wreckless, but nonetheless very effective, hard rock sound. This new band, Scars features Gary on guitar and vocals along with Cass Lewis on bass and backing vocals and Darrin Moore on drums. It seems that Gary wanted to recreate and resurrect the classic power trio style of playing down-and-dirty blues based hard rock. He has certainly succeeded!! This album sounds like it could've been made in the 70's sometime as it has certain elements of the Jimi Hendrix Wah-Wah style especially on World Of Confusion and also borrows a page or two from the Led Zeppelin sound from their first 2 albums on Rectify and Stand Up. I hear lots of similarities to another British blues god by the name of Robin Trower. A few of the tracks remind me of the feel and style of Robin's Bridge Of Sighs album, a classic hard rock album from the early 70's. A few of the guitar licks also sound strikingly similar to a few Stevie Ray Vaughan songs from the past, especially with My Baby (She's So Good To Me) and it's very similar Pride And Joy style riffing (not that it's a bad thing though!!).

This album was produced by Gary Moore and Chris Tsangarides who did the Painkiller album for Judas Priest. The production of this album features the band in a very basic and raw way. I hear very few overdubs and it sounds like most of it was recorded live right off the floor so to speak. The very loose style gives it a very infectious groove. Several tracks are pure, classic blues played in a way only Gary can do. Heart-felt and gut wrenching vocals accompany a classic 12-bar blues sound which is heavy on the drums and bass and feature Gary soloing for what seems like forever!! There's a great mix of Zeppelin style riff heavy tracks, a few more melodic bluesy hard rock tunes, and a nice soulful ballad. A great collection of songs all played with a very loose and refreshing sound. Guitar players and those who love lots of soloing will find here an album that's just bursting with tons and tons of leads. I think Gary must have had a blast doing this album as you can just feel the energy and excitement in his playing. I really like this album a lot and if you're a fan of Gary Moore or just like great blues or blues based hard rock, check this one out for sure. Gary sums it all up in a line from Wasn't Born In Chicago on this album (Chicago being the birthplace of the blues for those who don't know). "I wasn't born in Chicago, but I can still play the blues......I don't belong to no union, but I've still paid my dues"...........Amen to that!!