YNGWIE MALMSTEEN |
| The Players: Yngwie Malmsteen: Guitars. Cozy Powell: Drums. Mats Leven: Lead vocals. Mats Olausson: Keyboards. Barry Dunaway: Bass. The Parts: BraveHeart- 5:18 Facing the Animal- 4:37 Enemy- 4:53 Sacrifice- 4:16 Like an Angel- 5:47 My Resurrection- 4:47 Another Time- 5:02 Heathens From the North- 3:38 Alone in Paradise- 4:33 End of My Rope- 4:23 Only the Strong- 6:04 Poison in Your Veins- 4:21 Air on a Theme- 1:44 A solo career that has spanned almost 15 years of musical ecstasy would leave a man drained of other ideas to pump out of a guitar, you would think this at least. Yngwie Malmsteen's latest vocal release with new material entitled Facing the Animal proves though that the man has not lost a step yet. Even though to most Yngwie haters this album is just another representation of how Yngwie can masturbate while playing his instrument, to those who people who have never had a taste of Rising Force or any prior album though, this album is metal at its best in the 90's. With Yngwie's fingers flying up and down his chiseled fret board and Cozy Powell keeping the beat with his phenomenal drumming, this album makes you wonder why anyone would give up Yngwie Malmsteen. Matt's Leven brings to the band something that every other album had lacked in my opinion, A great vocalist. Michael Verseca was a good singer, but Mat's Leven knows his instrument (his voice) better then any of the others. He brings melodic voice with great range and precision to the table and I hope that Mat's will remain with Yngwie for quite some time. This album is, in my opinion, the best offering that Yngwie has produced since Rising Force. Don't get me wrong though, every other album in between has had its high points, but this album takes your breath away. If you're NOT a guitarist, you may enjoy this album a lot more then a guitarist would. The big knock on Yngwie is that he uses the same solo on every song. I personally don't see it on this album, but on his older ones, I have. Another weak point that Yngwie has are his lyrics. Though some are heartfelt and serious, they can be cheesy and predictable. Again, though on a lot of his older albums this happens, I think that he writes maturely and correctly for this album . . . even though I can still see a few faults here and there. Track wise, I personally believe that the title track, Facing the Animal is the best track on the album. It has cutting riff's, great drumming (very similar to that of Jerusalem from Cozy Powell's days with Black Sabbath) and the vocals are incredible. This song gives them a grungey feel which sets the tone for the entire album. I cannot stress how important the vocal work on this album is. I don't think it would be half as good if anyone else BUT Mats Leven were doing them. Songs like Alone in Paradise and Like and Angel are dependent upon the vocals severely. With Alone in Paradise, Yngwie has an a-capella opening that is beautifully done and sets the tone for that entire track. In Like and Angel, Yngwie uses nice piano work by Mats Olausson in the opening and then comes in with the guitar slightly later. The tracks to watch for on this Album are Facing the Animal, Sacrifice, Another Time, and Alone in Paradise. For all you Yngwie Malmsteen fans who are in love with his instrumental's, he's only got the one on here this time and its only 1:44 long, but its no to bad. All in all, a great album that deserves more recognition then it will ever get. Do yourself a favor and go find this album cheap, pick it up and pop it in. Give it a few listens before you make your judgment! Its better then your going to let yourself believe. Review by Ray Released by Mercury Records Home Page: www.pd.net/Yngwie |