YNGWIE MALMSTEEN has a hundred ideas for next solo album
28-02-2025
In a new interview with Dawn Osborne of TotalRock, legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was asked if he is working on material for the follow-up to his latest album, “Parabellum”, which was released in July 2021 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. He responded: “I am. I’m in the studio now, and I’ve been writing a lot of stuff. But I’m doing so much traveling and there’s so much things going on. So I’m not really a hundred percent in there, but, yeah, I’ve been starting somewhat. I’ve got maybe a hundred ideas.”
Malmsteen also reflected on his fall 2024 U.S. tour which was billed as a celebration of his 40th anniversary as a solo artist. He said: “Well, it depends on how you count it, really. Last year was my 40th anniversary as a solo artist, but I was a solo artist before then, actually. So, depends on how you count these things.
“I came to America in 1982 — late ’82 — and recorded with STEELER and ALCATRAZZ, and then was in Japan in January 1984 and I signed a solo deal,” he explained. “And from the point of 1984 forward, I’ve been a solo artist. However, it seems that a lot of people that didn’t really quite get that memo. I won’t mention names, but that’s irrelevant here. So, before I came to America, I was a solo artist too, but I couldn’t call it Yngwie Malmsteen, because you’d go, ‘Wait, why would you call it that?’ So I called it RISING FORCE or POWERHOUSE and stuff like this. It was just me and a bass player and a drummer that would change every week. (Laughs) And I would write all the songs and sing. So I’ve always been that kind of person that tends to make everything from my mind, straight up.”
Yngwie Malmsteen is set to release his new album, “Tokyo Live”, on April 25 via Music Theories Recordings. In clebration of the announcement the first taster on the video for “Top Down, Foot Down” was released earlier this month.
Watch “Top Down, Foot Down” below.
“Top Down, Foot Down” is taken from the 2016 album “World On Fire” and showcases the wide range and dynamic flavor which demonstrates Malmsteen‘s fury and elegance, all encapsulated in a just-under-two-minute version of the song.
Malmsteen says: “‘Top Down, Foot Down’ is one of my favorite live numbers, C#m arpeggios into E arpeggios and a fluid C#m melody with flat 5th diminished and suspended resolution. The title also depicts my love of convertible cruising.”
The concert was recorded at the Zepp DiverCity, Tokyo on May 11, 2024 as part of Yngwie‘s 40th-anniversary world tour. Calling upon an enormous catalogue of material, Malmsteen shredded his way through a furious set, backed by a mountainous Marshall stack wall.
Talking about the live experience, Malmsteen adds: “Playing live in front of people is really what it’s all about. It’s exciting and dangerous because you have to take risks and there’s no fixing afterwards.”
The name of Yngwie Malmsteen has always stood for uncompromising excellence. In a career that now spans more than 40 years he has proven himself to be a unique artist. You can try to categorize him in any way you wish. But the manner in which this supreme Swedish craftsman has continually developed his music makes Malmsteen sublimely transcend any definition you attempt to impose.
He now has a catalogue of 22 solo studio albums, each of which has much to commend. Malmsteen‘s artistry has always clearly incorporated a healthy virtuosity, but his talent goes well beyond a comprehensive control of the guitar. The man is a fine composer and, on recent releases, has also showcased a strong vocal presence and now, with only this fifth live release, it captures four decades of relentless fury and blissful artistry of one of the true greats.
“Tokyo Live” track listing:
CD1
01. Rising Force (Live)
02. Top Down Foot Down (Live)
03. No Rest For The Wicked (Live)
04. Soldier (Live)
05. Into Valhalla (Live)
06. Baroque & Roll (Live)
07. Like An Angel (Live)
08. Relentless Fury (Live)
09. Now Your Ships Are Burned (Live)
10. Wolves At The Door (Live)
11. Hiroshima Mon Amour (Live)
12. (Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum (Live)
13. Badinere (Live)
14. Paganini’s 4th (Live)
15. Adagio (Live)
16. Far Beyond The Sun (Live)
17. Arpeggios From Hell (Live)
CD2
01. Seventh Sign (Live)
02. Toccata (Live)
03. Evil Eye (Live)
04. Smoke On The Water (Live)
05. Trilogy-Vengeance (Live)
06. Cadenza 1 (Live)
07. Brothers (Live)
08. Fugue (Live)
09. Cadenza 2 – Grand Finale (Live)
10. You Don’t Remember I’ll Never Forget (Live)
11. Acoustic Cadenza (Live)
12. Black Star (Live)
13. I’ll See The Light Tonight (Live)
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