🎸 Gary Moore – Scars (2002)
Released in March 2002, Scars is a blues-rock studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, co-recorded with ex-Thin Lizzy drummer Brian Downey. This album is often considered one of Moore’s heaviest and grittiest blues-rock works, blending raw electric blues with hard rock energy.
Scars represents a return to a more aggressive guitar-driven style, featuring Moore’s signature fiery solos, emotive vocals, and tight rhythm sections, while paying homage to his hard rock and blues roots.
📀 Album Credits
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Artist: Gary Moore
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Title: Scars
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Type: Studio album
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Released: March 2002
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Label: Sanctuary Records
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Producer: Gary Moore
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Recorded at: Sarm West Studios, London
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Genre: Blues rock, hard blues, electric blues
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Length: 53:35
Personnel:
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Gary Moore: guitars, lead vocals
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Brian Downey: drums
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Pete Rees: bass
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Vic Martin: keyboards
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Guest musicians: occasional backing vocals
The album emphasizes raw blues-rock energy, featuring live-feel recording and minimal production polish to capture Moore’s guitar intensity.
🎶 Tracklist
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Cold Hearted – 5:00
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Bring Your Love Home – 4:55
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Since You’ve Been Gone – 5:10
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Lookin’ Back – 4:40
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Scars – 5:25
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There’s a Hole – 4:50
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I’ll Be Alright – 4:30
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Got to Have Your Love – 5:15
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Always There for You – 4:35
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Can’t Take That Away – 4:55
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Hold On – 4:20
The album combines blues-rock ballads with heavy riff-driven tracks, making it one of Moore’s most aggressive blues-rock albums.
🎸 Notable Songs
🔥 “Scars”
The title track is a heavy blues-rock anthem, featuring searing guitar riffs, intense solos, and emotionally charged vocals.
🎶 “Cold Hearted”
An uptempo, hard-hitting track that blends blues phrasing with rock aggression, highlighting Moore’s technical mastery and emotive playing.
🎵 “Bring Your Love Home”
A melodic blues-rock number featuring tight rhythm work from Brian Downey and expressive guitar solos.
💖 “Since You’ve Been Gone”
A slower, emotional ballad showcasing Moore’s soulful vocals and bending guitar lines, offering contrast to the album’s heavier moments.
🎉 Fun Facts & Trivia
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🎸 Collaboration with Brian Downey: Moore reunited with his former Thin Lizzy bandmate, giving the album a tight, dynamic rhythm foundation.
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🔊 Raw Blues-Rock Approach: Moore emphasized live-feel recording, minimizing overdubs to capture intensity and authenticity.
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📀 Return to Grit: The album is heavier and grittier than his previous blues albums (Back to the Blues, 2001), appealing to fans of both blues and hard rock.
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🎵 Guitar-Centric: Every track highlights Moore’s expressive lead guitar, from fast solos to slow, bending emotional lines.
💡 Did You Know?
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Scars was Moore’s first album to prominently feature a former Thin Lizzy member on drums since the band’s 1970s era, giving the music a familiar rock drive.
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The album combines elements of classic blues, hard rock, and modern production, bridging Moore’s 1990s blues focus with his earlier 1980s hard rock sound.
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Tracks like “Scars” and “Cold Hearted” became popular live numbers, demonstrating Moore’s ability to blend blues emotion with rock energy on stage.
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Moore recorded the album using vintage Les Paul guitars and tube amplifiers, preserving a warm, sustaining tone.
📊 Legacy & Impact
Scars is regarded as one of Gary Moore’s heaviest blues-rock albums, demonstrating his versatility in combining traditional blues with hard rock intensity.
The album solidified Moore’s reputation as a master of expressive electric guitar, appealing to fans who appreciated both his blues sensitivity and rock virtuosity. By collaborating with Brian Downey, Moore connected his solo work to his Thin Lizzy heritage, creating a blues-rock record that balances emotion, technique, and raw power.
