review by: Roberto Martinelli

I haven't heard every album that Yngwie Malmsteen has put out, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and proclaim this one his best.

If you know anything about Yngwie albums, you'll know to expect obscenely talented guitar playing, as Malmsteen blazes through classical scale after classical scale, making your jaw drop every time. To expound on how technically mesmerizing the guitar playing is on this album would be a foregone conclusion, so, suffice to say it's all that and actually even better.

However, while some of his actual songs on his early albums were a little lacking, Yngwie, who has total control over everything in his band, has written some excellent tunes.

After the invigorating instrumental intro "Blitzkreig," the album showcases it's first song, "Leonardo." It is here that the mind-blowing vocals of Mark Boals are pushed to their technically highest limit, as the singer is made to reach for his highest highs. Boals vocals, along with Malmsteen's guitar playing, are what most apparently make this album the essential one that it is.

However, upon closer inspection, the much less flashy, but top-notch talents of the keyboardist, drummer, and bass player, not to mention the perfect production really tie up the less obvious aspects of the album, making it one that you will want to play again and again.

At some points Yngwie uses some blues scales, like on "Playing with Fire" and "Blue". At least three of the tunes, "Daemon Dance," "Hangar 18, Area 51," and "Legion of the Damned" make a lot of use of that beat that is so commonly found in European power metal.

"Wield My Sword" is an enjoyable piece of 100% metal cheese, whose main theme is "dying with my sword in my hand," and features lyrics such as "there's strength in my sword, Fall into my arms and I'll take you back."

The only song that's anything of a dud is the penultimate one, "Voodoo Nights," which really doesn't go anywhere. "Asylum", the three-track instrumental that wraps the album up, has some extremely good moments, but ends somewhat in an unsatisfying manner. I also have a feeling on this track that Yngwie is continuing his reprehensible habit of ripping off sections of famous classical compositions and then giving himself the credit for writing them. Well, part of loving Yngwie is loving to hate him, I guess. What I, for one, am most thankful for is the absence of any glam songs on the album. Highly recommended.