YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN

Debut full-length solo album (eventually the third in total) by legendary Swedish Neoclassical/Shred/Hard Rock/Power Metal guitarist-virtuoso.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen, a virtuoso guitarist who burst onto the music scene in the early 1980's with the rather stereotypical 80's Metal band Alcatrazz, became renowned for his speedy play and mesmerizing solos. After Yngwie departed from Alcatrazz, he launched a highly successful solo-career. Yngwie's debut album "Rising Force" put Malmsteen on the map as a solo artist when the album drew critical acclaim for it's virtuoso-like guitar work. Yngwie followed "Rising Force" with his second album "Marching Out". Yngwie's sophomore release didn't draw as much praise as his debut did, but it never-the-less was another work of sheer guitar brilliance and helped elevate Yngwie to the ranks of a guitar-god. Malmsteen was hyped, if not over-hyped, when he came into the music scene early in his career. Many called him the "Next Hendrix" and critics began to deem Yngwie as the next great guitarist, and possibly the best to ever live. While Yngwie's rankings as a guitarist are up for debate, in order to live up to his praises Yngwie released "Trilogy" his junior release. The album shows a more mature side of Yngwie, both in his guitar and in his lyrics.
Yngwie Malmsteen's second best album after "Rising Force", "Trilogy", finds him delving wholeheartedly into fantastic, medieval themes and lyrical imagery. Yngwie's compositional skills are at their peak, and of all his albums, the lyrics here contribute the most to the overall feel of the music. The guitar solos, as always, are jaw-droppingly fast and technically demanding, but Malmsteen is still capable of playing them with force and fire behind them.
In the liner notes, Malmsteen dedicates the album to the memory of the late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, who was assassinated on 28 February 1986.
Album reached #44 on that year's Billboard 200 chart and remained charted for thirteen weeks!!
"Trilogy" is an album that shows Malmsteen's amazing guitar work as well as his decent lyrical potential. While many feel it is not as good as "Rising Force" the Swedish Guitar-Maestro's debut, "Trilogy" lives up to the expectations many had for Yngwie as a solo artist. If Yngwie's band did not solely revolve around his guitar and he was more a key component in a band rather than a solo guitar artist, Malmsteen could have risen to the heights of Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, etc. But as a solo guitar artist, Yngwie is held in the highest regards!!
Polydor/PolyGram Records, Inc., USA. (831 073-2). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget     4:29 
2. Liar     4:07 
3. Queen In Love     4:02 
4. Crying     5:01 
5. Fury     3:54 
6. Fire     4:09 
7. Magic Mirror     3:51 
8. Dark Ages     3:54 
9. Trilogy Suite Op: 5     7:17
Total playing time: 40:44

Debut full-length solo album (eventually the third in career) by legendary Swedish Neoclassical/Shred/Hard Rock/Power Metal guitarist-virtuoso.
Yngwie J. Malmsteen, a virtuoso guitarist who burst onto the music scene in the early 1980s with the rather stereotypical 80s Metal band Alcatrazz, became renowned for his speedy play and mesmerizing solos. After Yngwie departed from Alcatrazz, he launched a highly successful solo-career. Yngwie's debut album "Rising Force" put Malmsteen on the map as a solo artist when the album drew critical acclaim for it's virtuoso-like guitar work. Yngwie followed "Rising Force" with his second album, "Marching Out". Yngwie's sophomore release didn't draw as much praise as his debut did, but it nevertheless was another work of sheer guitar brilliance and helped elevate Yngwie to the ranks of a guitar-god.
Malmsteen was hyped, if not over-hyped, when he came into the music scene early in his career. Many called him the "Next Hendrix" and critics began to deem Yngwie as the next great guitarist, and possibly the best to ever live. While Yngwie's rankings as a guitarist are up for debate, in order to live up to his praises, Yngwie released "Trilogy" - his second-best album after "Rising Force".
"Trilogy" shows a more mature side of Yngwie, both in his guitar and in his lyrics, and finds him delving wholeheartedly into fantastic, medieval themes and lyrical imagery. Yngwie's compositional skills are at their peak, and of all his albums, the lyrics here contribute the most to the overall feel of the music. The guitar solos, as always, are jaw-droppingly fast and technically demanding, but Malmsteen is still capable of playing them with force and fire behind them.
In the liner notes, Malmsteen dedicates the album to the memory of the late Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme, who was assassinated on 28 February 1986.
"Trilogy" is an album that shows Malmsteen's amazing guitar work as well as his descent lyrical potential. The album reached #44 on that year's Billboard 200 chart and remained charted for thirteen weeks.
This rare Russian edition has titles and tracks marked in English and Russian.
Polydor/Melodiya, 1986/1988 (C60 27355 005). Made in USSR. Used.


Tracklist:

Side 1
1. You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget 04:27
2. Liar 04:07
3. Queen In Love 04:04
4. Crying 05:00
5. Fury 03:56

Side 2
6. Fire 04:12
7. Magic Mirror 03:49
8. Dark Ages 03:56
9. Trilogy Suite Op:5 07:14

Total playing time: 40:44 min.

The third full-length album (eventually the fourth in total) by the band of the legendary Swedish Neoclassical Power Metal/Hard Rock/Shred musician Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
Odyssey is a more subdued, polished collection seemingly designed for mainstream radio airplay. Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner gives the set a smooth, professional feel, and Yngwie Malmsteen's playing is more mellow, due partly to the fact that he was still recovering from his near-fatal car accident when the album was recorded. However, all of this works to the detriment of the music: the mellowness of Malmsteen's guitar work makes him sound constrained and passionless, and the album shows little difference in approach from his previous output, lending credence to critics' charges that Malmsteen plays with mindless technique at the expense of substance, fire, and emotion.
The "Odyssey" album by YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE is a Must for each fan of Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica etc., because here we have the original (ok, almost, if there were not Rainbow still). The Swedish finder artist could win former Rainbow and Deep Purple singer Joe Lynn Turner for his fourth album. And with the current Stratovarius keyboarder Jens Johansson there was another well known artist in the line-up.
Just compare the two songs "Rising Force" and "Will The Sun Rise?" and you will know, where the Finns took their insane guitar/keyboard duels from. Exactly, from Yngwie! And he had taken them from the Deep Purple dream team Ritchie Blackmore/Jon Lord.
Melodic Metallers, who like the above mentioned bands, have to have the "Odyssey" album, if they do not have it already!!!
The album reached #40 on the Billboard 200 chart (as of 2014 it remains Malmsteen's highest-charting Billboard 200 release) and reached the top 50 in five other countries.
PolyGram Records/Polydor, 1988 (835 451-2). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Rising Force 4:25
2. Hold On 5:11
3. Heaven Tonight 4:06
4. Dreaming (Tell Me) 5:19
5. Bite The Bullet 1:36
6. Riot In The Dungeons 4:22
7. Deja Vu 4:17
8. Crystal Ball 4:55
9. Now Is The Time 4:34
10. Faster Than The Speed Of Light 4:30
11. Krakatau 6:08
12. Memories 1:14
Total playing time: 50:42

The debut full-length album by the band of the legendary Swedish Neoclassical Power Metal/Hard Rock/Shred musician Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
"Rising Force" was a revelation upon its release in 1984; Eddie Van Halen had introduced dazzling speed to the realm of Rock guitar technique, and the compositions of Randy Rhoads had begun to fuse Heavy Metal with Neo-Classical influences, but no one before Yngwie Malmsteen was able to combine those elements with such blinding virtuosity. Malmsteen's innovative guitar style made "Rising Force" a mandatory primer for '80s Metal guitarists, with its classical chord progressions and Malmsteen's use of harmonic minor scales, a wide vibrato imitative of classical violinists, and impossibly fast picking techniques, including the sweep-picked arpeggio (sort of a cross between strumming a chord and picking each note individually). Malmsteen's obsessions with Bach, Beethoven and Paganini are used in the service of a dark, stately, gothic atmosphere and sent guitar students scurrying to learn their works as well as Malmsteen's own.
The true inauguration of the age of the guitar shredder!!
Album reached #14 on the Swedish albums chart, #60 on the Billboard 200, and later received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1986 Grammy Awards. In a 2009 article by Guitar World magazine, "Rising Force" was ranked first in the All-time Top Ten List of Shred Albums.
Polydor K.K. Tokyo, 1984 (825 324-2). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Black Star 4:51
2. Far Beyond The Sun 5:49
3. Now Your Ships Are Burned 4:09
4. Evil Eye 5:12
5. Icarus' Dream Suite Op. 4 8:30
6. As Above, So Below 4:36
7. Little Savage 5:21
8. Farewell 0:48
Total playing time: 39:16

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The debut full-length album by the band of the legendary Swedish Neoclassical Power Metal/Hard Rock/Shred musician Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
"Rising Force" was a revelation upon its release in 1984; Eddie Van Halen had introduced dazzling speed to the realm of Rock guitar technique, and the compositions of Randy Rhoads had begun to fuse Heavy Metal with Neo-Classical influences, but no one before Yngwie Malmsteen was able to combine those elements with such blinding virtuosity. Malmsteen's innovative guitar style made "Rising Force" a mandatory primer for '80s Metal guitarists, with its classical chord progressions and Malmsteen's use of harmonic minor scales, a wide vibrato imitative of classical violinists, and impossibly fast picking techniques, including the sweep-picked arpeggio (sort of a cross between strumming a chord and picking each note individually). Malmsteen's obsessions with Bach, Beethoven and Paganini are used in the service of a dark, stately, gothic atmosphere and sent guitar students scurrying to learn their works as well as Malmsteen's own.
The true inauguration of the age of the guitar shredder!!
Album reached #14 on the Swedish albums chart, #60 on the Billboard 200, and later received a nomination for Best Rock Instrumental Performance at the 1986 Grammy Awards. In a 2009 article by Guitar World magazine, "Rising Force" was ranked first in the All-time Top Ten List of Shred Albums.
PolyGram Records/Polydor K.K. Tokyo, 1984 (825 324-2). Made in USA.


Tracklist:
1. Black Star 4:51
2. Far Beyond The Sun 5:49
3. Now Your Ships Are Burned 4:09
4. Evil Eye 5:12
5. Icarus' Dream Suite Op. 4 8:30
6. As Above, So Below 4:36
7. Little Savage 5:21
8. Farewell 0:48
Total playing time: 39:16

The second full-length album by the band of the legendary Swedish Neoclassical Power Metal/Hard Rock/Shred musician Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
Yngwie took a different route from the amazing yet highly inaccessible debut and opted to write an album with more songs and less instrumentals. The results are completely amazing. We have all the right elements that make a great mid-80s Metal act, drawing lyrically from the dark subjects touched upon in the NWOBHM, though the music is still far more complex.
Jeff Scott Soto gives the vocal performance of a lifetime on here, pushing the limits of how far a natural male voice can soar, and still maintaining the rough edged Rock style that was present on the debut album. "I'll See the Light Tonight" and "Soldier without faith" represent two of probably the most amazing and simultaneously impossible to recreate singing feats ever put forth by a Metal band.
The guitar solos are equally as complex and magical as before, but their time length and overall structure has been balanced out a bit more, making them easier to remember after few listens. Such tracks as "I am a Viking" and "I'll See the Light Tonight" have melodic themes that can be easily recognized, despite being highly complex and fast.
The instrumentals on here consist of "Overture 1383" and "Marching Out", both of which are dramatically shorter than those on the first album. The former has a lot of tempo and textural changes, as well as a very catchy, yet somewhat cliché melody line during the solo section. The latter is pretty steady rocker with a good deal of amazing guitar work, and works well as a closer.
Malmsteen's playing on the follow-up to the epochal Rising Force is slightly more raw and aggressive, but the most notable difference is the addition of lyrics on many of the songs. By his own admission, Malmsteen isn't much of a lyricist, and his frequent use of occult and pagan imagery (demons, Vikings, and so on) isn't as effective at producing a dark, gothic mood as his compositions and guitar playing are. Still, those aspects of the album are vital and stimulating, making Marching Out a worthwhile listen.
There are essentially no bad songs or filler on here, although some songs are so amazing that you find yourself wanting to skip back to listen again, or skip over a couple of the less amazing songs to get to them. The eighth track, "On the Run Again", is a remake of "Victim of the City", a 1983 song by Malmsteen's earlier band Steeler, which was later released on their 2005 compilation album "Metal Generation: The Steeler Anthology".
This album is a bit more accessable than the first one and recommended for fans of traditional Metal and Power Metal a bit more enthusiastically. Fans of Symphony X, Rhapsody, Dark Moor, Helloween, Adagio and Stratovarius can all find something of their own favorite bands in this album!
Polydor, 1985 (825 733-2). Made in Germany.


Tracklist:
1. Prelude     1:00 
2. I'll See The Light, Tonight     4:24 
3. Don't Let It End     4:07 
4. Disciples Of Hell     5:53 
5. I Am A Viking     5:58 
6. Overture 1383     2:59 
7. Anguish And Fear     3:47 
8. On The Run Again     3:22 
9. Soldier Without Faith     6:08 
10. Caught In The Middle     4:17 
11. Marching Out     3:08
Total playing time: 45:03

The second full-length album by the band of the legendary Swedish Neoclassical Power Metal/Hard Rock/Shred musician Yngwie J. Malmsteen.
Yngwie took a different route from the amazing yet highly inaccessible debut and opted to write an album with more songs and less instrumentals. The results are completely amazing. We have all the right elements that make a great mid-80s Metal act, drawing lyrically from the dark subjects touched upon in the NWOBHM, though the music is still far more complex.
Jeff Scott Soto gives the vocal performance of a lifetime on here, pushing the limits of how far a natural male voice can soar, and still maintaining the rough edged Rock style that was present on the debut album. "I'll See the Light Tonight" and "Soldier without faith" represent two of probably the most amazing and simultaneously impossible to recreate singing feats ever put forth by a Metal band.
The guitar solos are equally as complex and magical as before, but their time length and overall structure has been balanced out a bit more, making them easier to remember after few listens. Such tracks as "I am a Viking" and "I'll See the Light Tonight" have melodic themes that can be easily recognized, despite being highly complex and fast.
The instrumentals on here consist of "Overture 1383" and "Marching Out", both of which are dramatically shorter than those on the first album. The former has a lot of tempo and textural changes, as well as a very catchy, yet somewhat cliché melody line during the solo section. The latter is pretty steady rocker with a good deal of amazing guitar work, and works well as a closer.
Malmsteen's playing on the follow-up to the epochal Rising Force is slightly more raw and aggressive, but the most notable difference is the addition of lyrics on many of the songs. By his own admission, Malmsteen isn't much of a lyricist, and his frequent use of occult and pagan imagery (demons, Vikings, and so on) isn't as effective at producing a dark, gothic mood as his compositions and guitar playing are. Still, those aspects of the album are vital and stimulating, making Marching Out a worthwhile listen.
There are essentially no bad songs or filler on here, although some songs are so amazing that you find yourself wanting to skip back to listen again, or skip over a couple of the less amazing songs to get to them. The eighth track, "On the Run Again", is a remake of "Victim of the City", a 1983 song by Malmsteen's earlier band Steeler, which was later released on their 2005 compilation album "Metal Generation: The Steeler Anthology".
This album is a bit more accessable than the first one and recommended for fans of traditional Metal and Power Metal a bit more enthusiastically. Fans of Symphony X, Rhapsody, Dark Moor, Helloween, Adagio and Stratovarius can all find something of their own favorite bands in this album!
PolyGram Records/Polydor, 1985 (825 733-2). Made in USA.


Tracklist:
1. Prelude     1:00 
2. I'll See The Light, Tonight     4:24 
3. Don't Let It End     4:07 
4. Disciples Of Hell     5:53 
5. I Am A Viking     5:58 
6. Overture 1383     2:59 
7. Anguish And Fear     3:47 
8. On The Run Again     3:22 
9. Soldier Without Faith     6:08 
10. Caught In The Middle     4:17 
11. Marching Out     3:08
Total playing time: 45:03