Megadeth’s lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro spoke to Loudersound and named Yngwie Malmsteen as one of his favorite guitarists of all time.
Before Kiko Loureiro became a part of Megadeth, he was in another heavy metal band, Angra. He had been a part of Angra since 1994, when he got the call to join Megadeth and ultimately left. He has been a part of Megadeth ever since and has been recording, performing, and composing with the band.
‘Dystopia’ is Megadeth’s last studio album, released on January 22, 2016. The band hasn’t dropped any new music in six years. Although the members have stated that they had completed a new studio album in 2020, the outbreak primarily delayed the release. However, the long-awaited new album titled ‘The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!’ will be released this September.
In a recent conversation, one of Kiko Loureiro’s picks for the greatest guitarist of all time was Yngwie Malmsteen. When he first heard Malmsteen, he stated that it was much faster and smoother than anyone he had heard. He added that Malmsteen had it all; the speed, the tone, and even the vibrato. The guitarist also stated that he tried to play ‘Far Beyond The Sun,’ and it was challenging for him to get it right.
Kiko Loureiro’s words about Yngwie Malmsteen’s way of playing the guitar:
“When I heard Yngwie Malmsteen for the first time, he was much faster than everybody else. He was so fluid and clean and perfect! He had that neoclassical thing going on as well. Van Halen wasn’t neoclassical, and Randy Rhoads had it, but Malmsteen took it to a different level. The speed, the tone, the vibrato, he had all the tricks. It was unbelievable. I tried to play ‘Far Beyond The Sun’ forever! I tried to play it over and over, and I wasn’t ready. It was too difficult.”
You can listen to ‘Far Beyond The Sun’ below.
