Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Vinnie Moore - Mind's Eye (1986)

One man, one guitar, 3 other guys to back him up with their own instruments... This is Vinnie Moore, known as one of the heroes of metal guitar shredding besides Yngwie Malmsteen! Anyone who keeps comparing the former is a direct rip-off of the latter should stop f***ing around and pay closer attention to his debut.

Mind's Eye has some superb shredding throughout the album. Just because Vinnie Moore came after Malmsteen is no reason for this man to be deemed a clone to that key developer of neoclassical metal. This album is much more than that! Mind's Eye has emotional aggression, and it's more progressive, with the neoclassical side being saved for more of just the soloing technique without being the main genre. The progressiveness is helped out by the spacey keys of Tony MacAlpine.

"In Control" starts the album heavy in the riffing just before the catchy leads enter the picture. After two minutes, MacAlpine performs astonishing synth soloing, having the complex velocity of the leads that return shortly after. "Daydream" comes in as one of Moore's most well-known tracks. It's more mid-paced, while the listener can marvel through his melodic leads. Over 3 minutes on, there's more spacey synth soloing from MacAlpine, sounding so f***ing mesmerizing, you'll be hypnotized within the first few seconds. Heading on into "Saved by a Miracle", acoustic guitar opens the track before some great leads, followed by aggressive drum soloing by Tommy Aldridge!

"Hero Without Honor" is an honorable standout, a 7-minute epic that showcases the best of both the progressive (in the keyboards and complexity) and neo-classical (in the soloing and some melodies) worlds. "Lifeforce" almost reminds me a bit of DragonForce's leads and solos. Same with "N.N.Y.", though with some slight weakness.

The title track really displays Moore's pioneered mix of progressive/neoclassical metal, similar to how Rorschach invented metalcore and Meshuggah invented djent, though obviously in a different genre. "Shadows Of Yesterday" can be considered the album's power ballad. "The Journey" is a recommendable end of this amazing journey. I think I hear some of the song's progressiveness and melody in later bands like Persefone. No wonder that band had the idea to cover a song by neoclassical metal duo Cacophony.

Vinnie Moore's debut is quite solid throughout. Even though it's not really one of the most unique albums I've heard, most of the songs have interesting freshness in every bite. If you're up for a progressive mix of neoclassical solos and spacey synths, this album shall enter your mind!

Favorites: "Daydream", "Hero Without Honor", "Lifeforce", "Mind's Eye", "The Journey"