Ever since his amazing performance at MR3, I have been REALLY wanting to do something with guitar genius Gary Schutt. So with his latest release “Moving Parts” to be released just a few months later, I figured that would be my golden opportunity. But as it turns out, the CD was sent to another one of our staffers and then with the holidays and other bullshit, it kinda got lost in the shuffle… but never forgotten! So a few weeks ago, I decided to revisit it again and FINALLY got my hands on a copy and after just one listen, despite the fact that the CD has been out for a few months now, I just couldn’t let this one go unnoticed.

Following in the footsteps of legendary “guitar-driven” artists such as VAN HALEN, Steve Vai, George Lynch and Joe Satriani, Gary’s latest release “Moving Parts” rejuvenates the genre which has been all but stagnant over the past few years. But don’t get me wrong, while it is very guitar-intensive, Gary proves himself to be a talented, multifaceted composer, arranger and producer as well in that “Moving Parts” contains all the solid arrangements, powerful hooks and dynamic melodies you could ask for. In addition, while there are some guest musicians on a few tracks, Schutt performs every instrument on the release himself showing off his versatility and capability to master just about anything that is put before him. It’s no wonder the laundry-list of talented artists Schutt has worked with reads almost like a “who’s who” of the melodic-hard rock world.

“A Million Miles an Hour” is a perfect opener as this edgy, mid-tempo rocker slaps you right in the face with its lusty, guitar-driven melody accented by some precise guitar licks and fills leading into a short, impromptu bridge right before the last verse and chorus just about setting the pace for the entire release.

With its more harmonic-guitar sound, “Half A World Away” has all the elements of a mid-to-late 80’s rocker featuring one of Schutt’s best guitar solos on the release. Absolutely LOVE the A-cappella chorus intro to “Gonna Die Trying” which showcases Gary’s vocals brilliantly before launching into a thick-bass driven arrangement highlighted by numerous breaks and solos representing every instrument used on the song… terrific track and one of my favorites from the release.

“The Precipice” is a short, haunting guitar feature leading into “Until I See You Again.”… one of the more progressive tracks where the vocal effects really remind me of Joey Tempest from some of the more recent, aggressive EUROPE releases. “Fuel to The Fire” continues on in the same vein with almost a bit of a DIO feel as the verse build transitions into another ambitious chorus.

Not since BOWLING FOR SOUP’s “1985” have I come across a track which so cleverly magnifies the decade that I grew up in (the 80’s) until the next track, “Commodore 64.” IMMEDIATELY Gary gets bonus points for that and even though anyone born after 1990 won’t “get” the tongue-in-cheek lyrics, this is still a GREAT track with a catchy, toe-tapping melody and sweet, memorable chorus. I must admit, I listened to this one over and over and over again for a while till I just about knew the lyrics frontwards and backwards making this one (for personal reasons) easily my favorite!

“Pornipulation” is “ok.” While I still enjoy the intense and intricate guitar work, solos and fills, the lyrics are a bit uninspired and immature… come on Gary, you can do better than that! “Invisible” redeems the CD in a big way as a high-octane and even maybe a bit of an autobiographical number underscored by a rich, memorable chorus.

As the CD begins to wind down, we come to “Lucky Penny.” This instrumental track again brings Schutt’s mastery of the guitar to the forefront and at some points almost reminds me of an extended version of VAN HALEN’s intro to “little Guitars.” This is followed closely by another instrumental track called “Weapons Down” only this time with the heavier inclusion of bass and percussion parts it has a vibe almost of that of George Lynch going OFF on DOKKEN’s “Mr. Scary.” Then finally we come to the title track “Moving Parts,” a more commercial sounding rocker with Schutt stepping back behind the microphone and delivering a thick, melody-filled verse leading into one final bodacious chorus and the perfect ending to this compilation.

Although Gary Schutt has had his share of success over the years, it still sometimes seems that he remains in the background of some of the more featured artists he has been involved with. It’s about time he is brought more to the forefront with his extraordinary talent and “Moving Parts” is a CD that deserves to do just that. Great job all around and if you’re a Florida native or even just in the area, you gotta check out his website at http://www.garyschutt.com as he plays around there quite a bit and is one performer you certainly don’t want to miss.