Yngwie Malmsteen - Facing the Animal
On February 10, 1997, "Facing the Animal", the tenth studio album by Swedish guitar wizard Yngwie Malmsteen, was released in Japan and later on Febuary 23 in the US and worldwide.
The mid-1990s were not easy years for the classic guitar heroes of the 1980s. While the Western world was swept by waves of grunge, alternative and nu-metal, Yngwie Malmsteen steadfastly refused to compromise on his musical vision and continued to proudly carry the torch of neo-classical metal and melodic hard rock, especially in the Japanese and European markets that remained devoutly loyal to him. Just one year after releasing the tribute album "Inspiration", in which he saluted his childhood heroes from bands such as "Deep Purple", "Rainbow", "Rush", "Scorpions" and "U.K.", Malmsteen arrived at his home studio Studio 308 and the legendary Criteria Studios in Miami with renewed inspiration and explosive creative energy.
To translate this energy into a triumphant studio album, Malmsteen assembled a dream lineup that would make "Facing the Animal" one of the defining artistic peaks of his 1990s career. The highlight of the lineup was the addition of British super drummer Cozy Powell, a living legend who left his mark on such giant bands as "Rainbow," "Black Sabbath," "Whitesnake," and "Michael Schenker Group." Malmsteen, who grew up listening to Powell play alongside Ritchie Blackmore in the band "Rainbow," fulfilled a childhood dream by combining his own dizzying neoclassical speed with Powell's heavy, pompous, and tight drumming. Sadly, this electrifying collaboration also became one of Powell's last recordings, as he was killed in a tragic car accident in April 1998, just months after the album's release, a fact that gave the work a unique historical and emotional status.
Alongside Powell was the charismatic Swedish vocalist Mats Levén, who arrived after a period in the band "Treat" and brought with him a warm, rough and incredibly flexible voice that was reminiscent of the best hard rock singers of the 70s and 80s. Unlike many albums where Malmsteen exclusively controlled every word and character, this time he gave Levén wide creative freedom in writing the lyrics and vocal lines on most of the album's tracks, which led to catchy, focused and much more cohesive songs. The rhythmic and melodic department was completed by veteran bassist Barry Dunaway and regular keyboardist Mats Olausson, while the production and mixing were entrusted to the esteemed British producer Chris Tsangarides, the man behind classics such as "Painkiller" by the band "Judas Priest".
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
The album opens with a bang with "Braveheart," a powerful metal anthem inspired by the famous historical film. From the first seconds, when Powell's thunderous drum passage echoes into the Celtic-flavored main riff, it's clear that this is a sharp, hungry, and focused Malmsteen model than ever, with Levon leading the song with dramatic and sweeping vocals.
Immediately following comes the title track "Facing the Animal", a heavy, dark, and mesmerizingly grooved hard rock piece where Dunaway's bass and Powell's drums lock in a formidable rhythm beneath Malmsteen's fast solos. The melodic metal momentum continues with the rhythmic "Enemy" where Olausson's keyboards blend wonderfully with the guitars, and with the fast and melodic "Sacrifice" which demonstrates the perfect chemistry between the band and producer Tsangridas, who managed to give Malmsteen's Fender Stratocaster guitar a warm, meaty, and balanced sound that doesn't swallow up the other instruments.
The album's most moving and famous moment comes on the fifth track, "Like an Angel", a masterful rock ballad that Malmsteen wrote and dedicated to his future wife April. The song, which opens with a gentle acoustic guitar and is wrapped in a rich string arrangement, showcases Malmsteen's sensitive, melodic, and bluesy side, proving that behind the world's fastest sweep-picking technique and arpeggios lies a musician with deep emotion and a heart-melting touch.
The second half of the album maintains a particularly high energy level. "My Resurrection" brings back the heavy, mysterious atmosphere with a haunting riff and a virtuoso duel between guitar and keyboards, while "Another Time" and "Alone in Paradise" offer catchy, melodic hard rock that proudly corresponds with the golden age of the band "Rainbow" during the Joe Lynn Turner and Graham Bonnet era. On the other hand, songs like "Heathens from the North" and "Poison in Your Veins" provide a dose of pure, fast, and uncompromising neoclassical speed metal in which Powell and Malmsteen push each other to the edge of physical ability.
After the epic and complex "Only the Strong", which features a progressive structure and rich rhythm changes, the album closes with "Air on a Theme", a short, elegant and moving instrumental piece based on the second movement of Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi's Piccolo Concerto in C major. It is a classic and refined end to the album that perfectly balances focused songs with virtuoso brilliance.
Standing the test of time, "Facing the Animal" is considered by many critics and fans to be one of Yngwie Malmsteen's best and most complete albums since his 1980s classics. The one-off collaboration with the late Cozy Powell, Mats Levén's powerful vocals and Chris Tsangarides' powerful production have made it a magnificent monument to neoclassical hard rock and metal, proving that true energy and timeless talent are stronger than any passing trend.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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