Search - Yngwie Malmsteen :: Attack

I mean, it's Yngwie and all, but.........

llooc | CT, USA | 12/25/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Better than "Magnum Opus" and "War to End All Wars", not as good as "Alchemy" or "The Seventh Sign". About on par with "Facing the Animal" and most of "Fire and Ice". The songs Rise Up and Mad Dog get the blood pumping, others range from bland to the unlistenable Freedom Isn't Free, and the instrumentals - while good examples of Yngwie's ability - make me want to listen to Far Beyond the Sun or the Hot On Your Heels intro. Yngwie's best instrumental in a decade is Blue off of "Alchemy", and it isn't topped here.



Derek Sherinian's presence is wasted by a mix that rarely gives prominance to the keyboards. What happened to Yngwie's penchant for "trading fours" with the keyboardist?



Bands that write simpler music (AC/DC) can write album after album of more or less the same old thing, and that's perfectly acceptable because they can put out quality rock within the limitations of that style. Neoclassical metal, as well as progressive metal, is by its nature meant to be somewhat more intricate, and the genre shouldn't sound repetitive. The great classical album aside, on his rock stuff Yngwie just won't take a chance, and he's stale and predictable as a result. Other bands are taking the thread started by Yngwie, and are weaving more interesting musical tapestries. Listen to Despair and Pain from Richard Andersson's Space Odyssey's "Embrace the Galaxy" to hear the level at where the neoclassical metal bar currently resides. Listen to Tony MacAlpine's playing in Planet X for some great progressive neo sound (or better yet, pick up a CAB disc for some truly interesting modern fusion and jaw-dropping drumming by Dennis Chambers to complement MacAlpine). I love Yngwie's music, but when I'm in need for a fix of this type of metal I'll play something else from his catalogue, Symphony X, Sonata Arctica, Opeth (well OK, they're not really like Yngwie but they still rule), Evergrey, Artension, and others much more than I play "Attack!!"



C'mon, Yngwie. I'd rather you take a chance with something potentially risky than continue to play it safe. Safe is boring (in music), and so is a lot of "Attack!!""