Label: Music Theories Recordings/ Mascot Label Group
Genre: Neoclassical Shred Metal
Relesase Date: April 25th, 2025
Links: https://www.yngwiemalmsteen.com/
Tracklist:
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)
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)
In Tokyo, the Swedish Shredder’s 40th performance anniversary was captured live, as mentioned in the press release. Showcasing his impressive career to date, Yngwie’s show features an equally impressive sound from his band mates who deserve their own credit – I believe that’s Emilio Martinez handling bass, Nick Marino on keys, and Kevin Klingenschmid manning the drums. Their collective effort creates fantastic noise in Japan, perfectly captured in this recording.
Multiple releases from Yngwie have crossed my path – some fantastic, others lacking. But when the songs hit, they impact with sledgehammer-to-the-face force. Rising Force was one such song for me, arriving exactly when I was developing my rock music taste. The combination of Yngwie and Joe Lynn Turner was truly something special on the Odyssey album, which still hits a home run with every play even 35+ years later.
The live show opens with Rising Force, and while Yngwie’s vocals certainly deliver, guest appearances from original vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Joe, and others would have benefited this special performance. After all, your identity forms from the sum of parts, and Yngwie’s global popularity rose considerably when he transitioned from instrumental to vocal-led albums.
Despite the absence of vocalists like Mark Boals, Göran Edman, Michael Vescera, Mats Levén, Doogie White, Tim “Ripper” Owens, or Jeff (aside from saving on Tokyo airfares for everyone), Yngwie deserves credit for his vocal efforts on recent albums. While he might not shatter glass like Ripper, he maintains his own well, with rich, velvety vocals that complement the songs effectively.
The guitar work naturally takes center stage, with the mix accentuating this unsurprisingly. Yngwie clearly plays at level 11, sounding at least one louder than everyone else.
This is massively impressive for a live album, considering it wasn’t compiled from hours of studio takes to achieve the exact desired sound. Yngwie shreds with the best and would probably confirm he is the best if asked. He might be right!
Score 7/10
Reviewed by Adrian Hextall
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