Yngwie Malmsteen
| Videos | |
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| Yngwie Malmsteen Interview | Yngwie Malmsteen "Trilogy Suite OP5" |
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| Yngwie Plays With Orchestra | Yngwie Malmsteen Plays "Evil Eye" |
| Guitarist Quick-Facts |
| Name: Yngwie Malmsteen |
| Born: June 30, 1963 |
| Origin: Stockholm, Sweden |
| Guitar Gear |
| Guitars: Fender |
| Amplifiers: Marshall |
| Bands: Past & Present |
| Steeler, Alcatraz, Solo Artist |
Yngwie Malmsteen was born on June 30, 1963 in Stockholm, Sweden. Yngwie heard of the death of Jimi Hendrix via a television news program at the age of seven, and says it had a profound impact on his life; in his own words, “The day Jimi Hendrix died, the guitar playing Malmsteen was born.” Actually at age seven, Malmsteen was still going by his given name, Lars Johan Yngve Lannerback. At the age of ten, he took his mother's maiden name, Malmsten, and changed it to Malmsteen. He changed his given name, Yngvie to the anglicised version, Yngwie. At the same age, the newly named Yngwie Malmsteen, formed a band with a drummer from school. He named his two man band Track on Earth. His musical directions would change dramatically in his teens when he heard the music of violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini. By emulating Pananini's concertos on guitar, Malmsteen developed his legendary technical fluency.
Malmsteen was brought to the U.S. In 1982, by Shrapnel Records executive Mike Varney. Mike had heard a demo tapes of Yngwie's playing and took an interest in the guitarist. Upon his arrival in the states, Malmsteen had a short stint in Steeler, playing on their eponymous debut album. He also performed on the debut album “No Parole From Rock N' Roll” by the band Alcatrazz, which was also released in 1983. Yngwie's own debut album came out in 1984 with the release of his solo effort, “Rising Force”.
After the release of the album, Malmsteen began calling his band Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force. That first album won the Best Rock Album award from Guitar Player Magazine, and was nonimated for a Best Rock Instrumental Grammy. Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force went through a number of singers as time went on. “Rising Force” vocalist Jeff Scott Soto stayed on for the band's second album, “Marching Out” in 1985. The third album, “Trilogy”, was released in 1986 and featured Mark Boals on lead vocal duty. Former Rainbow singer Joe Lynn Turner joined the band before it's fourth studio release, “Odyssey”.
“Odyssey” was delayed briefly, however, as Malmsteen spent a week in a coma in 1987 after smashing his Jaguar E-Type into a tree. Yngwie suffered some nerve damage to his right hand, but was fortunately able to continue playing the guitar. Not so fortunately for Malmsteen, his mother was taken by cancer while Yngwie was, himself, in the hospital. The fourth album finally arrived in the Summer of 1988, and “Odyssey” went on to become his best selling album. The success of the album was fueled largely by the hit single, “Heaven Tonight.” His fifth album was a live recording from the “Odyssey” supporting tour. It was recorded during shows in Russia and was called “Trial By Fire: Live in Leningrad”.
By the mid 80s Malmsteen's neo-classical style of guitar playing had influenced a number of his contemporaries. Jason Becker, Marty Friedman, Paul Gilbert, Vinnie Moore, and yngwie MacAlpine all listed Malmsteen as an inspiration to their take on the instrument. Malmsteen's huge influence was honored by Fender in 1988 when the company released an Yngwie Malmsteen signature model Fender Stratocaster. He and Eric Clapton were the first artists to receive the honor.
During the 1990s Yngwie didn't have a recording contract in the U.S., due largely to the fact that the flashy and virtuosic guitar playing of 1980s had fallen out of favor stateside, where grunge music was becoming popular. Malmsteen continued to release records on his Japanese label, Pony Canyon, and remained popular in Europe and Japan. Malmsteen returned to the U.S. market in 2000 when he was signed by Spitfire Records. Spitfire promptly brought Malmsteen's entire 1990s body of work to the States. Among those albums was Malmsteen's own favorite, which is calls his masterpiece, “Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra”. The album was recorded with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in 1998.
During the early 2000s, Malmsteen's band once again went through a period of flux with the vocalists. Mark Boals, who was singing on the 2000 release, “War to End All Wars”, left the band after that album. Jorn Lande did vocal duties for for a while, but tensions with the band led to him leaving before the next album. Another former Rainbow vocalist, Doogie White took over the mic for the bands 2002 release, “Attack”. Doogie stayed with the band for one more album, 2005's “Unleash the Fury”, but left before the release of the 2008 album, “Perpetual Flame”, which saw Tim Owens on vocals.
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