'll confess: I never really had that much use for the early, much lauded work of Yngwie Malmsteen. I always felt that his ego (substantial) came across in his music, that he was sneering at me as he played - "hey, you, listener ... I bet you can't do this!" This undoubtedly marred my enjoyment of what was probably some very good music.
But fortunately, his progeny have largely avoided the inflated ego syndrome which has always dogged Yngwie. Clearly influenced by Malmsteen and his neoclassical shenanigans, guitarist/keyboardist Chris Steberl gives us an outstanding album of instrumental classically inspired shred, and he does so without alienating his listener through his own skill.
As you might expect, he quotes liberally from the classical canon - in most cases, working a phrase here and there into a rock motif. On two occasions, he reworks entire classical selections, and these are actually the strongest tracks on the disc ("Mozart's 25th Symphony in Gm," and "Vivaldi's Summer Concerto, 3rd movement"; the latter is absolutely outstanding.)
As I have said before, metal and classical music have more in common than most classical music snobs would care to admit. By creating such a good album which swirls the two styles together, bringing out the best of both worlds, he has made my point for me. Thank you for that, Chris.
Vol. 16, No. 6: Apr.-May 2012
'll confess: I never really had that much use for the early, much lauded work of Yngwie Malmsteen. I always felt that his ego (substantial) came across in his music, that he was sneering at me as he played - "hey, you, listener ... I bet you can't do this!" This undoubtedly marred my enjoyment of what was probably some very good music.
