Yngwie Malmsteen Descends from Heaven, Graces World with New Music

The press release announcing the new Yngwie Malmsteen covers album, Blue Lightning, could not possibly be any more Yngwie: it’s the length of a novel, it treats Malmsteen like he’s Christ, it includes the most dated and flattering promo image this side of Blackie Lawless…

…it includes a moment when Yngwie congratulates himself for being even greater than he thought he was and for being on par with The Beatles…

“[T]hen I also went for something like ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ which I wasn’t sure I could do. In this case, it was about trial and error. I am delighted that I was able to do justice to the original.”

…and it contains phrases like this:

“Anyone who is expecting Malmsteen to copy exactly the way the original versions sound is in for a shock. Because that is not what he has done.”

Thank you for clearing up why they’re in for a shock. It was not the least bit self-evident from the first sentence.

ANYWAY, so yeah, Yngwie has a new album coming out. In addition to covers of classics by The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Deep Purple, and the aforementioned Fab Four, the album includes four original tracks… like this one, the oddly-apostrophised “Sun’s Up Top’s Down,” which sounds like C.C. DeVille trying to channel Stevie Ray Vaughn:

Actually, I kind of enjoyed that. Goddamn you, Yngwie. You’re so freakin’ ridiculous, but I can’t help but love you anyway.

Blue Lightning strikes March 29. Pre-order it here.