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Yngwie Johan Malmsteen (/ˈɪŋveɪˈmɑːlmstiːn/; bornLars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck,Swedish:[lâːʂˈjuːhanˈʏŋvɛlânːɛrbɛk] on 30 June 1963) is a Swedish-American guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for hisneoclassical playing style inheavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning over 40 years.
Malmsteen was born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck in Stockholm, Sweden, the third child of a musical family.[1][2] In 1975, his mother reverted to her mother's (Yngwie's maternal grandmother Maud's) maiden name Malmsten, which Yngve promptly also started using as his surname. Later he slightly changed it to Malmsteen and altered his third given name Yngve to "Yngwie".[3] Malmsteen played his first show on May 11, 1976 with his first band, Track on Earth, consisting of himself, his cousin Erik Lannerbäck and a friend from school playing the drums. Later his brother Björn joined on drums.[4]
As a teenager he was heavily influenced by classical music, particularly 19th century Italian virtuoso violinist and composerNiccolò Paganini as well asJohann Sebastian Bach.[5] Yngwie Malmsteen has publicly stated that he is not influenced by the blues or the style ofRitchie Blackmore, the virtuoso claims that his guitar playing is inspired by classical violin, not classical guitar.[6] Malmsteen has stated thatJimi Hendrix had no musical impact on him and did not contribute to his style. However watching the TV news reports on 18 September 1970 of Hendrix's death, which included footage of Hendrix smashing and burning his guitar at the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967, made Malmsteen think, "This is really cool."[7]
In early 1982,Mike Varney ofShrapnel Records first heard Yngwie Malmsteen's music through record store owner Bill Burkard, who played for him a demo tape of Malmsteen's early work (likely the 1978 "Powerhouse" demo) recorded when Yngwie was 15. Later in 1982, Malmsteen sent to Varney an untitled demo recording as a submission for Varney'sGuitar Player magazine column.Guitar Player published this demo for the February 1983 edition of the magazine.[8][9][10][11][12]
In 1983, Varney brought Malmsteen to the United States to play on the recording of Shrapnel recording artistSteeler, also featuring singerRon Keel and bassistRik Fox for its self-titled album.[13] He then appeared withGraham Bonnet in the bandAlcatrazz, playing on its 1983 debutNo Parole from Rock 'n' Roll and the 1984 live albumLive Sentence.[13] In July 1984, Bonnet and Malmsteen clashed about who was the frontman and had a fight during a show.[14] Malmsteen was fired on the spot from Alcatrazz and replaced bySteve Vai. Vai had one day to learn the songs for the ongoing tour.[15]
In 1984, Malmsteen released his first solo albumRising Force, which featuredBarrie Barlow ofJethro Tull on drums and keyboard playerJens Johansson.[13] His album was meant to be an instrumental side-project of Alcatrazz, but it ended up featuring vocals byJeff Scott Soto[4] before the release ofRising Force.[13]
Rising Force wonGuitar Player's award for Best Rock Album and was nominated for aGrammy Award for 'Best Rock Instrumental', reaching no. 60 on theBillboard album chart. Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force (as his band was thereafter known) next releasedMarching Out (1985).[13] Then he recruited Jens Johansson's brotherAnders to play drums and bassistMarcel Jacob to record and tour with the band.[13] Jacob left in the middle of a tour and was replaced byWally Voss. Malmsteen's third album,Trilogy, featuring the vocals ofMark Boals (and Malmsteen on both guitar and bass), was released in 1986.[13] Boals left the band in the middle of the tour and was replaced by the former singer Jeff Scott Soto.[13] The tour was cancelled after Malmsteen was involved in a serious car accident,[13] smashing his V12Jaguar E-Type into a tree, which put him in a coma for a week. Nerve damage to his right hand was reported. During this time, Malmsteen's mother died from cancer. New line-up changes for the next album included formerRainbow vocalistJoe Lynn Turner joining the band,[13] along with session bassistBob Daisley, who was hired to record some bass parts and help with the lyrics. In April 1988, he released his fourth albumOdyssey.[13]Odyssey was his most successful album, in part due to the success of its first single "Heaven Tonight". Shows in theSoviet Union during the Odyssey tour were recorded and released in 1989 as a fifth albumTrial by Fire: Live in Leningrad.[13] The classic Rising Force line-up with Malmsteen and the Johansson brothers was dissolved in 1989 when both Anders and Jens left. That year later, Jens joinedDio replacing keyboardist Claude Schnell.
Around 1993, Malmsteen's future mother-in-law – who opposed his engagement to her daughter – had him arrested for allegedly holding her daughter hostage with a gun. The charges were later dropped.[16] Malmsteen continued to record and release albums under the Japanese record labelPony Canyon and maintained a devoted following with fans in Europe and Japan and to a lesser extent in the US.
In the mid 1990s, Malmsteen released the albumsInspiration (1996) featuring three of his former singers Soto, Boals and Turner,Facing the Animal (1997) featuring Mats Levén on vocals and Cozy Powell on drums, followed by a live recordDouble Live! (1998) and another studio recordingAlchemy (1999) featuring once again Mark Boals on vocals.
In 1996, Malmsteen joined forces with former band membersJeff Scott Soto andMarcel Jacob on the albumHuman Clay where he played lead guitar on the track "Jealousy". In the same year, Malmsteen recorded guitar solos for two different Deep Purple tribute albums,Smoke on the Water andBlack Night – Deep Purple Tribute According to New York, using the alias "Lars Y. Loudamp" on the latter to avoid contractual conflicts. He also guested withSaxon on the song "Denim And Leather" on their live albumThe Eagle Has Landed – Part II (released in 1997). Later that year, Malmsteen recorded the tracks "Enigma suite" and "All opposable thumbs" with his former band membersJens Johansson andAnders Johansson on their albumJohansson/Sonic Winter.
In 2000, he signed a contract with the US record label Spitfire and released his 1990s catalog on the US market for the first time, including what he regards as his masterpiece,Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra, recorded with theCzech Philharmonic in Prague.
After the release ofWar to End All Wars in 2000, singerMark Boals left the band. He was replaced by formerRainbow vocalistDoogie White, whose vocals were well received by fans. In 2003, Malmsteen joinedJoe Satriani andSteve Vai as part of theG3supergroup, a tour showcasing guitar performances. Malmsteen made two guest appearances on keyboardistDerek Sherinian's albumsBlack Utopia (2003) andBlood of the Snake (2006), where Malmsteen plays on the same tracks asAl Di Meola andZakk Wylde. In 2004, Malmsteen made two cameo appearances onHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law. In 2005Unleash the Fury was released through Spitfire Records. As stated in an issue ofGuitar World magazine, he titled this album after an infamous 'airline incident', which occurred on a flight to Japan during a 1988 tour. He was drunk and behaving obnoxiously, until he fell asleep and was roused by a woman pouring a jug of iced water on him. Enraged, he shouted, "You've released the fucking fury!" The audio from this incident was caught on tape by a fellow band member.[17] Malmsteen says that the name of the album refers to both the energy of the album and the incident. The release ofUnleash the Fury was followed by a DVD release ofConcerto Suite For Electric Guitar And Orchestra in E Flat Minor, Op. 1 – With The New Japan Philharmonic Live. The DVD chronicles Malmsteen's first time playing in front of a live audience with an orchestra, an experience that he describes as "fun but also extremely scary".
In 2007, Malmsteen was honored in theXbox 360 version ofGuitar Hero II. Players can receive the "Yngwie Malmsteen" award by hitting 1000 or more notes in succession.[18] February 2008 saw the replacement of singer Doogie White with formerIced Earth andJudas Priest and currentBeyond Fear singerTim "Ripper" Owens, with whom Malmsteen had once recorded a cover ofOzzy Osbourne's song "Mr. Crowley", for the 2000 Osbournetribute albumBat Head Soup: A Tribute to Ozzy. The first Malmsteen album to feature Owens is titledPerpetual Flame and was released on 4 October. On 25 November 2008, Malmsteen had three of his songs ("Caprici Di Diablo", "Damnation Game", and "Red Devil", all from this latter album) released as downloadable content for the video gamesRock Band andRock Band 2, and later forRock Band 3.
In 2008, Malmsteen was a special guest on the VH1 Classic showThat Metal Show. On 10 March 2009, Malmsteen's label Rising Force releasedAngels of Love, an all-instrumental album, which featured acoustic arrangements of some of his best-known ballads. Malmsteen released a compilation album entitledHigh Impact on 8 December 2009.
On 23 November 2010,Relentless was released, the second album to featureTim "Ripper" Owens on vocals. The US version featured a remake of "Arpeggios From Hell" as a bonus track. Yngwie appeared onLate Night with Jimmy Fallon on 3 February 2011 to promote his album. On 6 August 2011, Malmsteen made another appearance in the United States, playing a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a game between theSt. Louis Cardinals andFlorida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium.[19] Although rarely seen in his native country of Sweden, Malmsteen played one gig there in 2012. On 7 July, he ended the Getaway Rock Festival inGävle, which he was headlining withNightwish andManowar. On 5 December 2012, Malmsteen released the albumSpellbound. 2013 saw the release of Yngwie's official autobiographyRelentless.[20]
On 12 June 2014, Malmsteen kicked off his "Guitar Gods 2014 Tour" at theF.M. Kirby Center inWilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania alongside ex-Guns N' Roses guitaristBumblefoot and guitaristGary Hoey.[21] In February 2015, it was announced that Malmsteen was in the studio working on a new album.[22] In April and May 2016, Malmsteen was one of five guitarists featured on theGeneration Axe tour.
In 2018, it was announced that Malmsteen had signed with Mascot Records, with a new studio album expected the following year.[23] In 2019, Malmsteen releasedBlue Lightning, featuringblues rock songs – mainly covers – with Malmsteen's virtuoso playing. As Malmsteen was quoted:
I've been asked to do a blues album for the last 30 years [...] this time I finally said, "Sure, why not? Let's try it!" I just didn't want to be stuck in the standard, pentatonic, play a 12-bar thing. I didn't want to do that.[24]
On 8 May 2021, Yngwie Malmsteen was reported to have launched theParabellum album and video for the "Paganini-referencing" track "Wolves at the Door". SinceCOVID-19 restrictions prevented touring, Malmsteen had more time to record the album, and was "clearly delighted with the results."[25]
On 17 July 2023, Yngwie Malmsteen announced his first-ever interactive video guitar masterclass on TrueFire. Yngwie uses a variety of backing tracks pulled from 10 of his most popular songs as the framework for the masterclass and the way in which he demonstrates his creative process, technical skills, and performance insights. It was released on 31 July 2023.[26]
Malmsteen was married to Swedish singerErika Norberg (1991–1992)[27] and was subsequently married to Amber Dawn Landin (1993–1998).[28] Since 1999, he has been married to April Malmsteen. The year before, the two had their first child, Antonio,[29] named afterAntonio Vivaldi. The family now resides inMiami Shores, Florida.[30] Malmsteen is a naturalizedUS Citizen.[31]
Yngwie's father was a military officer and his mother worked for theSwedish Trade Council.[32] They separated only two months after Yngwie was born.[4] Yngwie's mother died in 1987, aged 48. In 1990, Yngwie's grandmother Maud died, and a few months later his brother Björn died in a train accident onRoslagsbanan.
AFerrari enthusiast, Malmsteen owned a black 1983308 GTS for 24 years before selling it on eBay,[33] and a red 1962250 GTO.[34]
In a 2005 issue ofGuitar Player magazine, Malmsteen discussed his often-ridiculed behaviour, saying that, "I've probably made more mistakes than anybody. But I don't dwell on them. I don't expect people to understand me, because I'm pretty complex, and I think outside the box with everything I do. I've always taken the untraveled path. Obviously, people have their opinions, but I can't get too wrapped up in that, because I know what I can do, and I know what kind of person I am. And I have no control over what anybody says about me. Back in Sweden, I'm 'Mr Personality' in the tabloids, but obviously I can't take that seriously. I know in my heart that if I do the absolute best I can do, maybe ten years from now people may turn around and say, 'he wasn't that bad'."[35]
In August 2009,Time magazine included Malmsteen on its list of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time. Malmsteen's listing, however, appeared to be sardonic, as the article concluded that: "The Swede's superfast 'neoclassical' style – he credits Bach and Paganini as influences – is a blur of scales and technical precision. It almost makes you forget that the great bulk of his music is so fast that it's unlistenable."[36][37]
Maple fretboard YJM StratocastersScalloped maple fretboard on a YJM StratYngwie Malmsteen SignatureStratocaster with rosewood fretboard
Malmsteen has been a longtime user ofFender Stratocasters withDiMarzio HS3single-coil pickups "for playing at blistering volume with no hum or screechiness".[38] His most famous Stratocaster is his 1972 blonde Stratocaster, nicknamed "The Duck" because of its yellow finish and theDonald Duck stickers on the headstock. An alternative nickname for this guitar is "Play Loud" due to a sticker that Anders Johansson put on the upper horn of the guitar in Rockshire studios in 1984. Fender made 100 replica copies of this guitar and marketed it as the "Play Loud Guitar". He also has a Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Signature Stratocaster since 1986.[39] It comes in a Vintage White finish with a maple neck, either a maple or rosewoodscalloped fretboard and, from 2010,Seymour Duncan STK-S10 YJM "Fury" Model pickups. There is also a signature YJM100 Marshall amplifier, based on the "1959" amplifier range.
Besides Stratocasters, Malmsteen has played and appeared in ads for non-Fender guitars (likeAria Pro II andSchecter in the early 1980s) and played non-Strat-shaped guitars (likeGibson Flying Vs), early in his career.
Today, for acoustic and nylon string guitars, Malmsteen uses his signatureOvation YM68s. Malmsteen uses light-gauge strings on his guitars, stringing his 25-1/2" scale instruments with his signature string sets by Fender (gauges: .08, .011, .014, .022w, .032, .046 and .08, .011, .014, .026, .036, .048) and pairing them with Dunlop Delrin 500 series guitar picks.
^abcTengner, Anders (2013).Yngwie J. Malmsteen: såsom i himmelen, så ock på jorden: den inofficiella biografin (Ny utg. ed.). Stockholm: Pocketförlaget.ISBN978-91-87319-66-2.