Yngwie Malmsteen has always been the most technically gifted guitarist in the world. Unfortunately, his songwriting has often been of a style that lacked wide-ranging appeal here in the United States, although he is considered a near-god in Japan. Facing the Animal aims to appeal to a more wide-ranging audience, without offending Malmsteen's hard-core fans - a difficult task to pull off. But Yngwie succeeds tremendously with this disc.

The CD starts off with "Braveheart," a fast rocker with crunching bass and rhythm guitar, and Yngwie's always unbelievably fast and clean soloing setting the pace. New vocalist Mats Leven wastes no time in showcasing his awesome talents. The late, great Cozy Powell provides the power on the drums, giving the song a hard-driving, runaway-train kind of feel. "Braveheart" tells you immediately that Facing the Animal is like no other Yngwie Malmsteen CD you've ever heard. It's heavier, ballsier, and damn addictive!

Next comes the title track. Cozy and bassist Barry Dunaway start the tune with an absolutely infectious groove that forms a rock-solid base for the song, and Yngwie fires up a little solo that winds down and gives way to Leven's smooth, steady vocals: "Sinking my teeth into you - sweet obscenity/You're in too deep for your own good." This song gets some serious airplay on radio stations with the balls to play it, and it's easy to hear why. If you're not wielding your air-guitar and banging your head by this time, put your favorite alterna-crap CD on instead and leave the rest of us alone while we rock!

"Enemy" features more of the heavy drums and bass prominent on this CD, and we get a taste of the keyboard skills of Mats Olausson. Absolutely awesome soloing by Yngwie here, as well (not that you'd ever expect, or get, anything less). Which brings up another point - Yngwie seems to have tried a few new things in his soloing. Don't expect the same old stuff. I can't explain it, but his solos are somehow more interesting, and yet better integrated with the songs. They don't dominate the songs, they complement them. One of the best examples of that is in the fourth track, "Sacrifice."

"Sacrifice" is another song that would get some serious airplay if so-called "Rock" radio stations would put down their Alternative CD's long enough to give it a chance. It has an incredibly catchy bass/rhythm guitar riff, fantastic soloing, and interesting lyrics executed to perfection by Mats Leven.

"Like an Angel" is next. This is an angelic ballad dedicated to Yngwie's love, April. The guitar tears at your heart, the vocals give you chills, and the piano at the beginning and end of the song is a great touch. Yngwie is definitely paying more attention to the songs as a whole, and also to the lyrics, which are infinitely more well-thought-out and meaningful than on previous efforts.

Ah, here is my favorite song on the entire CD, "My Resurrection." Yngwie does a little guitar run throughout this song that is simple, yet catchy. Also, the lyrics shine on this song. They're very inspirational. If ever there was a song that would motivate you to stop being down on yourself, this is it, my friends. "My soul is free, I've got wind beneath my wings/Yesterday's gone, my heart sings/Time to believe in the better part of me/Tomorrow is here, awaiting/My resurrection." Another song that will put you in a rockin' good mood.

"Another Time" was, at one time, going to be the title track of this CD. Again, the rhythm section makes this song, in my opinion. The unusual thing with this song is that Yngwie's lead guitar is somewhat quiet throughout the course of the song, except for the solo, which is somewhat brief for him. Another indication, to me, that Yngwie is starting to pay more attention to the overall quality of the songs, which is great!

"Heathens From the North" is probably the closest thing to the old Viking-inspired songs that were a staple of Yngwie's music. But it's not a huge departure from the rest of the album. Cozy and Barry still provide the song with low-end punch. It's a song that you might not dig right away, but it will grow on you.

"Alone in Paradise" is a lighter song, with a higher, less bass-oriented sound to it. The bass and drums are in "mellow mode" for this track. Again, a chance to appreciate the lyrical quality of the song, and also the vocal harmonies.

"End of My Rope" returns to the fast, driving rhythm that is prevalent on the CD. Check out Cozy's drumming in this tune. He absolutely hammers on the drum kit. The guy was a tremendous talent, and it's a shame that he was taken from us prematurely. Rest In Peace, Cozy.

Next up is "Only the Strong." It's got a catchy guitar riff that is featured at various places in the song, and a little airy keyboard part that plays behind part of the solo. The soloing is probably the highlight of this track. It strikes me as a "throw-in" track, but on this disc, even those are damn good.

I have to be honest. I didn't like "Poison in Your Veins" at first. It didn't sound as "tight" as the other songs, and I was a bit disappointed. But the more I listened to it, the more I learned to like it. It really is a serious head-banging song, with the bass and drums driving it to a frenzied pace. Then, the solo section slows it down for a moment, and then, WHAM! - hard driving rhythms again with absolutely SICK soloing. After Yngwie's done taking your head off, the bass line kicks back in. It sounds a little more "sinister" than before - probably my imagination, but it makes for an interesting experience.

"Air on a Theme" wraps up the U.S. release. It's a short, light little guitar vignette. Kind of like a "cool-down" period after an intense workout - you don't want to just stop rocking, you've got to come down slowly. That's it, breathe deeply. Now go hit the showers and cool off. Unless you've got the Japanese release.

The Japanese version of Facing the Animal has a bonus track called, "Casting Pearls Before the Swine" which has a heavy, neo-classical sound to it. An enjoyable track which makes you want to start the whole CD over again.

This is, without question, Yngwie's best album, insofar as every track is a winner. Fans of the Maestro would be remiss in not picking this bad boy up, especially since it is available in the U.S. on Yngwie's old label, Mercury Records! Apparently, Mercury is starting to realize that people are sick of the depressing, feel sorry for yourself "Rock" that is on the scene right now. (Ed. note: It seems that Mercury has now dropped this CD from their catalog, so I guess they are morons after all. This makes the disc a tough find in the U.S., although from what we hear, it may be re-released on another label.) Those who, in the past, may have dismissed Yngwie as too self-indulgent for their tastes should also give Facing the Animal a spin. The songs aren't merely necessary surroundings for Yngwie's solos, they are well-thought out, interesting pieces that will hook you instantly.