By Nick Balazs
In an upcoming feature with Yngwie Malmsteen, the Swedish guitarist was asked about his days in Steeler and their lone full-length album celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.
The album features Malmsteen on guitar, Ron Keel on vocals, Rik Fox on bass, and Mark Edwards on drums.
Looking at the Steeler days, Yngwie says, “I mean it was a short lived thing for me because I came to the States and I did a few shows with them. Then I went up to San Francisco and recorded the album in one day. And then I went down and did like ten more shows or something and then I formed other bands. So it was a very short-lived thing. I think it was a cool thing to do because it was a very happening scene at the time, you know? So it was great, but like I said it was only a couple months, the whole thing.”
The album still holds up well all these years later. “Right, well I haven’t heard it for a long time, but that’s what people tell me,” he laughs.
Yngwie Malmsteen returned to the road on August 17 in Falls Church, VA for a tour of the US that will stage 28 performances prior to wrapping the excursion on September 23 at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, FL.
The world-renowned guitarist, composer and performer 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 21 solo studio albums, each of which has much to commend. Moreover, the guitarist played a crucial role in helping to establish Alcatrazz as a significant force in the 1980s. 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.
One aspect of his approach has always shone through, and that is an abidingly deep respect for the music he plays. Malmsteen has constantly done whatever it takes to bring out all of the color, shade and hue embedded in each one of his compositions. Merely doing a very good job isn't an option. He wants to go – and does go - well beyond such limitations, into the rarefied realms inhabited by an elite number of timeless masters.
On the release of his most recent studio album Parabellum in 2021, he shared, “I always try to push myself on every album I do, and attempt things which are more extreme than previously. But what has helped this time is that I wasn't able to go on the road because of the pandemic. “It meant I could take much longer in the studio, both to write and record. Because I am usually always on tour, which is great, I haven't had the luxury of spending a lot of time working on new music for more than 20 years. But I suddenly had no pressure at all on that front. And I feel the album has benefited enormously as a result.”
Parabellum is the best example yet of Malmsteen's creative spark lighting a raging fire that is surely set to burn brightly for many years to come. Yet, despite the care and attention to detail which has gone into every aspect of the album, what truly makes it remarkable is the undoubted joy radiating through each of the songs here. “The bottom line for me is that the passion I feel for the music I make has to be obvious. I am the sort of person who lives in the moment. I wanted this album to have a joyous, spontaneous atmosphere. This must never sound as if it's been rehearsed so much that it becomes routine.”
And in an era when there is a seeming demand for instant gratification, and bands are urged to release individual tracks instead of whole albums, 'Parabellum' is a throwback in the best possible sense to a time when albums were to be treasured and cherished. It has depth, imagination and authority. “I hope people will put on this record at the start and listen right through to the end, from start to finish. I recorded this as a singular piece of art. Not as a collection of 10 tracks you can hear in any order you want. I view this album as having a natural flow from start to finish. It's not to be cut up into little pieces. I want fans to experience the delight I had in making it.”
Confirmed appearances include:
August
18 - Hudson Falls, NY - The Strand Theater
19 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Change Theater
20 - Warrendale, PA - Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
22 - New York, NY - Palladium Times Square
23 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
25 - Columbus, OH - The KING of CLUBS
26 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre
27 - Hobart, IN - Art Theater
30 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
31 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre
September
1 - Houston, TX - House of Blues Houston
2 - San Antonio, TX - Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
4 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
6 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues San Diego
7 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
8 - Beverly Hills, CA - The Canyon @ The Saban Theatre
9 - Oxnard, CA - The Canyon @ The Oxnard Performing Arts
10 - Montclair, CA - The Canyon – Montclair
11 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues Anaheim
13 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
15 - Mt. Clemens, MI - Emerald Theatre
16 - Angola, IN - The Eclectic Room
17 - Holland, MI - Park Theatre
19 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
20 - Reading, PA - Reverb
21 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Lillian S. Wells Hall at The Parker
23 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
* Glenn Hughes co-headlines all appearances 8/18-9/23
International Appearances:
November
3 - Wolverhampton, UK - KK’s Steel Mill
4 - Great Yarmouth, UK - hard rock hell 2023
5 - Camden, UK - Electric Ballroom
Additional performances will be announced in the coming weeks.
