Neoclassical shredder Vinnie Moore’s latest features vocals for the first time. Double Exposure is a heavy-rock record saturated with funky overtones and a high degree of guitarmanship. Joined by vocalists Keith Slack, Ed Terry, Mike DiMeo, and Brian Stephenson, the album is divided into half vocal and half instrumental; Moore stays on point for longtime fans while expanding his purview. With a history of exploring the commonalities between classical music and rock-fusion, longtime fans are well aware of Moore’s guitar prowess from solo records and stints with Alice Cooper and UFO.

“Vertical Horizon” and “Rise” offer ’90s-style hard-rock funkiness where catchy riffs mingle with melodicism and tasteful whammy-pedal flourishes. Moore goes full beast mode on “Paid My Dues” and “Rocket,” utilizing massive riff density, diminuendos, and hyper-fluent rock improvisation. The guest vocals are killer.

“Southern Highway,” ‘Hummingbird,” and “River Flow” display Moore’s hankering for Southern rock, while his Seattle influence rears its head on “Still Waters Run Deep” and “Breaking Through.” Moore’s super mutant powers are employed for good as he puts aside his Bach pedal-point licks, speedy harmonic-minor runs, and sweep-picked arpeggios in favor of soulfully executed pentatonic fury.

This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.