For much of the early 21st century, six-string shred king Vinnie Moore focused primarily on serving as a replacement for Michael Schenker in UFO (issuing several albums). But as a result, his solo career suffered, as only a single solo studio release materialized (2001′s Defying Gravity). That all changed, however, in 2009, with the arrival of his seventh solo album overall, To the Core. Not as over-the-top as his earlier solo outings, Moore now focuses on the importance of creating guitar-driven melodies (and sounding like a not-so-far distant cousin of Joe Satriani). In fact, in quite a few instances, Moore seems more concerned with creative a strong and sturdy groove (“Transcendence”) rather than just soloing the night away. Elsewhere, you’ll find the Saga-esque album opener, “Fly,” the bluesy “Jigsaw,” and the hard-rocking “Into the Open.” As a result, Vinnie Moore can now be referred to as a “restrained shredder.” – Greg Prato