Gary Moore ‘Victims of the Future’
Album Review by Adam McCann
Virgin Records/1983/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
Following the success of the previous years ‘Corridors of Power’, Gary Moore returned with his band in 1983 with ‘Victims of the Future’, an album that has all the potential to not only equal, but also to surpass the previous album.
Continuing in the hard rock/heavy metal vein of ‘Corridors…’, ‘Victims…’ would use almost exactly the same template. The album would contain straight up rock and rollers such as ‘Teenage Idol’ and side two’s ‘Hold On To Love’, to pseudo heavy metal with a dark undertone with the politically charged title track and ‘Murder In The Skies’, a song regarding the Korean Air Lines Flight 007 being shot down by the Soviet Union. Moreover, just like the previous album, ‘Victims…’ contained the obligatory cover song and this time it would be The Yardbirds staple ‘Shapes of Things’ which would get the Gary Moore treatment. However, it would be the bleeding for love ballad ‘Empty Rooms’ that alongside ‘Murder In The Skies’ which would steal the show and give a tell-tale view of what Moore would spend his later career chasing.
With ‘Victims…’ what you get is Gary Moore at his best on side one, followed by a rather mediocre side two, but even at its most average, it is still pretty good. Unfortunately for ‘Victims…’ it would prove to be the pinnacle of Moore’s career as a hard rock artist and although the Irish legend would commercially beat this album, he would never top its creativity.
Rating : 80/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
