Fortunately the excellent SHM-CD format used in Japan hasn’t been shelved, and now Universal Music Japan is reissuing in 2023 masterpieces from GARY MOORE in a miniLP / cardboard sleeve cover artwork and the latest remastered sound, plus bonus tracks.
Continuing Gary Moore’s path in the hard rock genre started as solo artist a couple years before (after his excellent work with Thin Lizzy) “Victims of the Future” was a collection of straight-out rocking anthems such as “Teenage Idol” and “Hold on to Love”, a mournful love ballad (“Empty Rooms”), a killer cover of The Yardbirds’ “Shapes of Things”, and two darker songs with some social and political commentary: the title track and the heavy “Murder in the Skies”, a protest against the Soviet Union’s shooting down of Korean Air Flight 007.
The bonus tracks included in this remastered reissue are great as well: “Devil In Her Heart” is a heavy number worthy of standing alongside “Murder in the Skies” plenty of fire and full-blooded guitar work, “Blinder” is a great instrumental showcasing emotional inspiration, and “Empty Rooms 1984 Remix” is the AORish version of Gary’s more popular song from the mid-80s.
Helped by excellent guest musicians such as Bob Daisley (Ozzy Osbourne), Neil Murray (Whitesnake), Ian Paice (Deep Purple), ex-UFO keyboardist Neil Carter, and the expert production of Jeff Glixman (Magnum, Saxon), Gary Moore created here a punchy, rocking album that still remains as an ’80s hard rock / metal staple.
His playing here was as incendiary as it would ever get, and many of the songs on “Victims of the Future” are Gary Moore classics. No doubt about it.
Highly Recommended
Tracklist:
01. Victims Of The Future
02. Teenage Idol
03. Shapes Of Things
04. Empty Rooms
05. Murder In The Skies
06. All I Want
07. Hold On To Love
08. The Law Of The Jungle
09. Devil In Her Heart (bonus)
10. Blinder (bonus' Instrumental)
11. Empty Rooms (bonus '84 Remix)
Gary Moore – Victims Of The Future [Japan SHM-CD Edition] (1983) [2023], MP3+FLAC
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