Yngwie Malmsteen / Tokyo Live Celebrates 40 Years of Guitar Wizardry

Yngwie Malmsteen will celebrate his 40th Anniversary in the music business with the release of Tokyo Live on 25 April 2025 via Music Theories Recordings. The first song, Top Down, Foot Down, was released this afternoon.

There are a rare handful who have defined their genre for years, if not decades, and blazed a trail for others to follow. Yngwie Malmsteen is just such a guitarist. Released in 2021, Parabellum found Yngwie Malmsteen delivering one of his strongest records in years and, indeed, one of his best full stop.

Parabellum is represented in Tokyo Live, but the first single, Top Down, Foot Down, was originally from the 2016 album World On Fire. It is a great example of how Malmsteen brings his fury and elegance to the fore in under two minutes.

Top Down, Foot Down

“Top Down, Foot Down is one of my favourite live numbers,” Yngwie told us. “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 11 May 2024, as part of his 40th Anniversary World Tour. “Playing live in front of people is really what it’s all about,” Yngwie says. “It’s exciting and dangerous because you have to take risks, and there’s no fixing afterwards.”

The Tokyo Live setlist tracks Malmsteen’s illustrious career, from Hiroshima Mon Amour and Evil Eye, through his solo career with Rising Force, Far Beyond The Sun, Arpeggios from Hell and Seventh Sign all the way up to his most recent material taken from 2021’s Parabellum, with Wolves At The Door, Relentless Fury, (Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum, and not to mention rousing renditions of Paganini’s 4th and Smoke On The Water.

Yngwie Malmsteen – Tokyo Live – is out on 25 April 2025 via Music Theories Recordings and is available to pre-order from here.

Yngwie Malmsteen – Tokyo Live – CD1

1. Rising Force (Live)
2. Top Down Foot Down (Live)
3. No Rest For The Wicked (Live)
4. Soldier (Live)
5. Into Valhalla (Live)
6. Baroque & Roll (Live)
7. Like An Angel (Live)
8. Relentless Fury (Live)
9. 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)

Yngwie Malmsteen – Tokyo Live – CD2

1. Seventh Sign (Live)
2. Toccata (Live)
3. Evil Eye (Live)
4. Smoke On The Water (Live)
5. Trilogy-Vengeance (Live)
6. Cadenza 1 (Live)
7. Brothers (Live)
8. Fugue (Live)
9. 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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