 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yngwie Malmsteen’s Rising force
Perpetual Flame
(Rising Force/KOCH Records)
Let’s face it; throughout the often storied and tumultuous histories of the Hard Rock and Heavy Metal genres, there have been countless individuals--both male and female--that have been genuinely deserving of the titles ‘Guitar God’ or ‘Guitar Goddess’. The examples, far too numerous to list within the confines of such a limited forum, invariably surround us all. However, despite this (or perhaps in part because of it), precious few of these individuals have had the lasting influential impact of legendary Swedish mastermind Yngwie Malmsteen (néeLars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck). Following brief, oddly-paired stints with the Ron Keel-led Steeler and the Graham Bonnet-fueled Alcatrazz, the notoriously prolific, technically fluent guitarist embarked on a checkered solo career that has now spanned a quarter of a century (!) and nearly every conceivable genre.
On the stellar Perpetual Flame (2008), an expertly assembled twelve song collection of impossibly thunderous Heavy Metal, each track, beginning with the scalding “Death Dealer”, and the overwhelmingly hook-laden “Live To Fight (Another Day)”, immediately commands the rapt and undivided attention of even the most jaded and unimaginative of listeners. Easily obliterating one’s cautiously optimistic expectations via a seamless, multi-dimensional barrage of soaring vocals, speed-of-light fretwork and imaginatively punishing rhythms, the group, despite being rather firmly entrenched amid the not-so-recent past, once again quite easily prove themselves worthy of the highest of critical and commercial accolades without straying too far from the Platinum-encrusted, chart-topping formula of yore (think 1988’s curiously overlooked masterpiece Trilogy).
Continuing with the stereotypical (albeit highly effective) “Four Horsemen (Of The Apocalypse)”, and the maddeningly infectious “Be Careful What You Wish For”, the steadfast--to say the very least--combination of former Judas Priest/Iced Earth vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens, guitarist/bassist Yngwie Malmsteen, ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Patrick Johansson (ex-G3, Stormwind, W.A.S.P., Without Grief, to name only a few), steamrolls ahead at a frequently feverish pace. Further solidifying an already well-deserved reputation as a ‘…creative force not to be ignored…’, Malmsteen wisely avoids the shameless, payola and chart position-driven tactics so often embraced by his would-be peers, driving home each key focal point with a impassioned vengeance noticeably absent from the Neo-Classical pioneer’s woefully flaccid recent work.
Easily surpassing both 2002’s Attack! and 2005’s Unleash The Fury (both of which featured acclaimed Praying Mantis/Rainbow alumni Doogie White), other standouts, including the delightfully exhaustive “Magic City”, and the equally impressive, acoustic-tinged closer “Heavy Heart”, offer a veritable wealth of compelling further sonic evidence in support of Malmsteen’s already much-celebrated compositional wizardry. With the oft-mercurial axeman’s once seemingly insatiable penchant for all things blatantly commercial (or at least ‘radio ready’) now mercifully in the past, the resulting sonic barrage, while certainly not groundbreaking and quite far from revolutionary, ultimately showcases Malmsteen at his grandiose, over-the-top best, marking a long-overdue ‘…return to form…’ that few, myself most definitely included, thought was either feasible or possible.
So what, exactly, are you waiting for? Even if you somehow find yourself unable--or are simply reluctant--to wholeheartedly embrace the majority (if not all) of the decidedly ear-pleasing wares contained herein, one must, at the very least, sincerely admire Malmsteen and Owen’s undeniably unique ability to effectively harness the arguably true essence of the genre without sounding forced or dated, a much-welcomed and increasingly rare characteristic that instantly makes Perpetual Flame one of 2008’s most genuinely surprising new releases. Thus, if you’ve once again found yourself in search of a refreshingly energetic and imaginative (if not outright thought-provoking) alternative to the ‘…painfully mindless din and clatter…’ that is so often force fed en mass, then this, my friends, might just be the high octane cure for what ails you. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
Select Discography
Perpetual Flame (2008) ***
Concerto Suite For Guitar And Orchestra In E Flat Minor (2005) ***
Unleash The Fury (2005) ***
G3: Rockin’ In The Free World (2004) ****
Attack! (2002) ***
War To End All Wars (2000) ***
Anthology 1994 - 1999 (2000) ***
Alchemy (1999) ***
Live! (1998) ***
Facing The Animal (1997) ***
Inspiration (1996) ***
Magnum Opus (1995) ***
I Can’t Wait (EP) (1994) ***
The Seventh Sign (1994) ***
Fire And Ice (1992) ***
The Yngwie Malmsteen Collection (1991) ***
Eclipse (1990) ***
Trial By Fire/Live In Leningrad (1989) ***
Odyssey (1988) ***
Trilogy (1986) ***
Marching Out (1985) ***
Rising Force (1984) ***
Live Sentence (1984) **
No Parole From Rock ‘n’ Roll (1983) **
Steeler (1983) *
* as a member of Steeler
** as a member of Alcatrazz
*** as a solo artist
**** as a member of G3