Gary Moore – Corridors Of Power Album Review
By Adam McCann
Virgin Records/1982/Hard Rock
Following a few ventures with Thin Lizzy, Greg Lake and G-Force, Gary Moore returned to his solo band releasing ‘Corridors of Power’ in 1982. Unlike his first solo album which was more blues orientated, ‘Corridors…’ was more in-line with the heavy metal of the time and is still considered to be some of Moore’s best work.
Moore had always been a force to be reckoned with and his guitar playing could equal, if not surpass his peers. However, with ‘Corridors…’ Moore finally stepped out from behind the shadows of dominating figures such as Phil Lynott and proved that he was more than capable of fronting a band in his own right. Assembling a stellar cast such as Ian Paice and Neil Murray to accompany him alongside guest spots from Don Airey and Jack Bruce, ‘Corridors…’ showcased exactly what Moore was capable of. Tracks such as ‘Don’t Take Me For A Loser’ ‘Cold Hearted’ and ‘Always Gonna Love You’ could give bands like Rainbow and Foreigner a run for their money, whilst the guitar work in ‘Gonna Break My Heart Again’ and ‘End of the World’ are jaw-dropping, the latter in particular is a prime example of just how overlooked that Moore has become in the world of metal.
‘Corridors…’ is not just an essential album from Gary Moore, but it is an essential album of this era providing a springboard for many of shredders and guitar virtuosos of the 80’s to gain their own spotlight.
Rating : 84/100
MHF Magazine/Adam McCann
