By the late '90s, guitarist
Gary Moore was at a career crossroads. Should he continue on the path that brought him his biggest stateside success (
Still Got the Blues), or try something a bit contemporary? The ex-
Thin Lizzy member decided on the latter, issuing
Dark Days in Paradise, an album that saw
Moore utilize electronic beats and, of course, his trademark soaring guitar work, rather than blues-rockers. And you have to give the guitarist credit -- he does venture outside of what you'd usually expect from a new
Moore album, whether it be the
Beatlesque "One Fine Day" (which contains a bassline quite similar to
the Fab Four's "Rain") or the keyboard-heavy ballad "Like Angels" (which sounds like it's straight from 1987). While fans of
Victims of the Future may be left wondering where the hard rock went,
Dark Days in Paradise will be an interesting listen for fans curious to hear
Moore trying new approaches. [Originally released in 1997,
Dark Days in Paradise was reissued by Virgin in 2003 with three bonus tracks: "Burning in Our Hearts," "There Must Be a Way," and the title track.] ~ Greg Prato