REVIEW: Yngwie Malmsteen - "Alchemy" (1999)
Marco van Leeuwen
Reviewer: Marco van Leeuwen (over...@caiw.nl).
Review date: Sunday, October 3rd.
Album found at: Mastersound, Maassluis, The Netherlands.
Track Listing:
[1] Blitzkrieg * (4:13)
[2] Leonardo * (7:36)
[3] Playing With Fire * (6:16)
[4] Stand (The) * (5:05)
[5] Wield My Sword * (6:12)
[6] Blue * (4:10)
[7] Legion Of The Damned * (5:51)
[8] Demon Dance (7,405,926) * (5:24)
[9] Hangar 18, Area 51 * (4:42)
[10] Voodoo Nights * (7:30)
[11-13] Asylum:
I - Asylum * (4:07)
II - Sky Euphoria * (3:20)
III - Quantum Leap * (3:54)
Total Time: (68:28)
The (apparently limited) edition of "Alchemy" currently available in
Europe comes in a very nice cardboard sleeve together with a poster of
the cover art. Prior to its release I was looking forward to this
album quite a bit, because judging from the advance reviews it
promised to be a good one. I was not disappointed. IMHO, it's Yngwie's
best album in years, not counting the excellent Millennium Suite.
The first reason for this is the vast improvement to his guitar
sound: the past few albums you had to strain to hear the solos because
the overall production was so muddy. Not so with this new release.
Second reason: *of course* Yngwie rehashes some of his old
material here and there, but that has been true for virtually every
Yngwie album. This time, however, he has managed to make it sound
fresh. He has partly returned to an approach similar to the one he had
on his spectacular debut, "Rising Force" (1984): many instrumental
songs combined with the willingness to stray from the same old
radiorock song pattern (which he has adhered to for far too long). On
this album he has tried something new here and there, as well as
injecting some of the progressive elements that were present on his
early work.
Third reason: his technique. Yngwie calls "Alchemy" his most
self-indulgent work in years, and, considering his music, that says a
lot. I can't imagine there being many guitarists who can match the
amazing speed and accuracy he displays here. I guess you have to like
that kind of masturbatory guitar playing, but when Malmsteen releases
an album where he's even more blatantly shred than he has been for a
long time I guess that is intriguing in itself.
On to the music itself: it seems Yngwie allows new influences into
his music every few albums: "Rising Force" gave us a brilliant blend
of hard rock and neo-classical themes, on the few albums after that we
saw him gradually working his way towards a very commercial style,
almost glam rock, and jumping straight into pop territory with
"Eclipse" and "Fire And Ice". On "Seventh Sign" he rediscovered metal
and his rock roots with a vengeance, and he milked that dry on the two
albums following that. Now he's gone sympho, and he's adopted a more
progressive style that both harkens back to his earliest albums and
explores some new territory - for him, that is. He certainly shreds
like there's no tomorrow...
"Alchemy" contains five instrumentals, including the wonderful
three-track epic "Asylum", which contains some influences of his
concerto and sounds like a companion piece to his "Trilogy Suite Op.
5". "Blue" is an impressively atmospheric and tasteful, but still
powerful blues-based piece. Anyone who doesn't quite trust Yngwie's
ability to write blues-like material after hearing his "Spasebo Blues"
on "Trial By Fire - Live In Leningrad" or his rendition of "Red House"
on "Live!!" need not fear - "Blue" is truly one of his best.
The vocals on this album are by Marc Boals, who also sang on
1986's "Trilogy". He has a fairly typical but powerful metal voice,
with a staggering range, and does a commendable job. Most songs are
heavy rockers, with "Voodoo Nights" being remarkable for the attempt
at creating an eerie atmosphere - it resembles a less demonic,
low-tempo, neoclassical Cradle Of Filth. Or something like that.
Overall this album deserves your attention. It won't shock the
world like Yngwie's debut did, but it's still very good.
Rating: (88/100)
-Marco van Leeuwen.
Karsten Johansson
very bottom?
Try the Reply To Sender button instead. Or retype in Swedish. ;)
Karsten Johansson
kobis wrote:
> Keb een eeuwige zwak voor die zweed. Zal ook alles blijven kopen. maar
> deze plaat had ik dus al!Facing vond ik dus echt te GEK!!!Ik had graag
> Mats Leven als zanger gezien. ach we wachten wel weer een jaartje
kobis
Marco Brondsema
Karsten Johansson wrote:
> Oh brother... you quote a whole English message to answer in dutch at the
> very bottom?
>
> Try the Reply To Sender button instead. Or retype in Swedish. ;)
>
> Karsten Johansson
>
> kobis wrote:
I could do that but than again you could try to learn dutch
Karsten Johansson
they can't read it anyway. I don't care about the language, but it is annoying
when it is buried miles under a previously English thread. In his response, it
is apparent that English is not a problem to him anyway. If it is a personal
message that we all should not read, Reply To Sender is the way to go.
Karsten Johansson
jason carr wrote:
> On Mon, 04 Oct 1999 10:28:15 +0200, Marco Brondsema <ko...@hanm.nl>
> wrote:
>
> >> Oh brother... you quote a whole English message to answer in dutch at the
> >> very bottom?
> >>
> >> Try the Reply To Sender button instead. Or retype in Swedish. ;)
> >>
> >> Karsten Johansson
> >>
> >> kobis wrote:
> >
> >I could do that but than again you could try to learn dutch
>
> The language is incidental; it's the massive overquote that offended.
jason carr
wrote:
>> Oh brother... you quote a whole English message to answer in dutch at the
>> very bottom?
>>
>> Try the Reply To Sender button instead. Or retype in Swedish. ;)
>>
>> Karsten Johansson
>>
>> kobis wrote:
>
>I could do that but than again you could try to learn dutch
The language is incidental; it's the massive overquote that offended.
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