Yngwie Malmsteen is a Swedish neoclassical metal musician. After tenures in the bands Steeler and Alcatrazz, he started his solo career in 1984 with the release of Rising Force , which was the name of his first band in 1978 featuring bassist Marcel Jacob and drummer Zepp Urgard. The original 1984 lineup of Malmsteen's band included vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, former Jethro Tull drummer Barriemore Barlow and keyboardist Jens Johansson, with Jacob added as the first touring bassist. The current lineup includes keyboardist Nick Marino (since 2011), bassist Emilio Martinez (since 2017) and drummer Kevin Klingenschmid (since 2023). Marino (live) and Malmsteen (studio) perform lead vocals.
Malmsteen released his debut solo album Rising Force in 1984, which featured vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Barriemore Barlow. [1] Soto and Johansson remained for the next year's follow-up Marching Out , which was credited as a band effort under the name "Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force" and saw the addition of bassist Marcel Jacob and new drummer Anders Johansson (Jens' brother). [2] Jacob was replaced on tour by Wally Voss. [3] Soto left in 1985 and was replaced by Mark Boals, [4] who performed on the 1986 album Trilogy but was fired by Malmsteen before its release after an altercation. [5] Soto returned for the album's tour, after which it was reported in 1987 that Mark Weitz would perform on the next album. [6]
Weitz was soon replaced by Joe Lynn Turner, [7] who performed on 1988's Odyssey . [8] The subsequent tour spawned Malmsteen's first live album Trial by Fire: Live in Leningrad , which featured bassist Barry Dunaway. [9] The band's lineup changed dramatically in late 1989, as Jens Johansson joined Dio and Turner joined Deep Purple. [10] Anders Johansson also left "a few months" after his brother Jens, primarily due to frustration with the group's new management. [11] The Rising Force group was rebuilt as an all-Swedish lineup, with new vocalist Göran Edman, bassist Svante Henryson, drummer Michael Von Knorring and keyboardist Mats Olausson, all of whom contributed to 1990's Eclipse . [12] Von Korring left after the album's release and was replaced by Pete Barnacle on tour, [13] before Bo Werner joined to record 1992's Fire & Ice . [14]
During 1992 and 1993, Malmsteen took a break due to the death of his manager, being dropped by Elektra Records, and his wrongful arrest. [15] He subsequently enlisted vocalist Michael Vescera, drummer Mike Terrana and bassist Barry Sparks to join Olausson in the Rising Force band. [16] [17] B.J. Zampa replaced Terrana during the tour for The Seventh Sign , [18] before Shane Gaalaas took over later in the year. [19] Following the promotion of Magnum Opus in 1995, Malmsteen went on a temporary hiatus. [20] He returned the following year to release Inspiration , an album of cover versions featuring several former bandmates, including vocalists Soto, Boals and Turner. [21] Boals returned for the album's tour – which also featured Dunaway and drummer Tommy Aldridge – before Mats Levén took over at the end of 1996. [22]
Malmsteen enlisted Cozy Powell to perform drums on Facing the Animal in 1997. [23] The drummer was also scheduled to play on the next tour, but was forced to pull out in March 1998 after suffering a foot injury in a "minor motorcycle accident". [24] Powell later died in a car crash on 5 April. [25] By 1999, the band included returning vocalist Boals and new drummer John Macaluso, [26] [27] with Alchemy released before the end of the year. [28] Randy Coven took over from Dunaway for the album's touring cycle, [29] although bass on 2000's War to End All Wars was performed by Malmsteen. [30] By the time the album was released, however, Boals had left Malmsteen's band again. [31] Jørn Lande took his place, on the recommendation of his Ark bandmate Macaluso.
Lande only remained with Malmsteen until 8 April 2001, when he was involved in a backstage altercation which led to his departure. [32] Out of "loyalty" to his Ark bandmate, Macaluso also left the band following the event. [32] After it was initially reported that Soto would return to take over on vocals, [33] the spot was later filled by Boals. [34] It was also initially reported that Metal Symphony of Darkness drummer Ed Rock would replace Macaluso, [35] although this was quickly altered to be Cherry Poppin' Daddies drummer Tim Donahue. [36] After the conclusion of the tour, Malmsteen introduced a brand new lineup of his band: vocalist Doogie White, keyboardist Derek Sherinian, drummer Patrick Johansson and touring bassist Mick Cervino. [37] Attack!! was recorded and released as this lineup's only album the following year. [38]
Touring for Attack!! began in December 2002 and featured Joakim Svalberg on keyboards. [39] Rudy Sarzo replaced Cervino in February 2004, [40] although by April he had left to join Dio's touring lineup. [41] Cervino returned to the band for the tour in promotion of 2005's Unleash the Fury . [42] Nick Z. Marino replaced Svalberg for a run of shows later in the year, [43] before Sherinian returned for US tour dates in 2006. [44] In February 2008, it was announced that White had parted ways with Malmsteen due to musical differences. [45] His replacement was quickly confirmed to be former Judas Priest and Iced Earth frontman Tim "Ripper" Owens. [46] Michael Troy and Bjorn Englen were subsequently announced as the replacements for Sherinian and Cervino, respectively. [47] Marino rejoined the band in 2009, [43] and in 2012 Englen was replaced by Ralph Ciavolino. [48] Leading up to the release of Spellbound , rumors began to circulate that Owens had left the band. [48] This was later confirmed by the singer, who was not featured on the album. [49]
Owens was not replaced – Malmsteen and Marino have handled lead vocal duties since his departure. [50] In 2015, Johansson left to join W.A.S.P. [51] Mark Ellis took his place and performed on Malmsteen's next studio album, World on Fire. [52] By 2018, Ellis had been replaced by Brian Wilson, [50] who was replaced in 2023 by Kevin Klingenschmid.
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Yngwie Malmsteen | 1984–present |
| all Yngwie Malmsteen releases | |
Nick Z. Marino |
|
|
| |
Emilio Martinez | 2017–present (touring only) |
| none to date | |
Kevin Klingenschmid | 2023–present (touring only) | drums |
Image | Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jens Johansson | 1984–1989 | keyboards |
| |
Jeff Scott Soto |
| lead vocals |
| |
Barriemore Barlow | 1984 | drums | Rising Force (1984) | |
Anders Johansson | 1984–1989 |
| ||
Marcel Jacob | 1984–1985 (died 2009) | bass guitar |
| |
Wally Voss | 1985–1987 (touring only) (died 1992) | none | ||
Mark Boals |
| lead vocals |
| |
Mark Weitz | 1987 | none | ||
Joe Lynn Turner | 1987–1989 |
| ||
Barry Dunaway |
|
|
| |
Mats Olausson | 1989–2001 (died 2015) |
|
| |
Göran Edman | 1989–1992 | lead vocals |
| |
Svante Henryson |
| |||
Michael Von Knorring | 1989–1990 | drums |
| |
Pete Barnacle | 1990 (touring only, after Michael Von Knorring's departure when he got sick) | none | ||
Bo Werner | 1990–1992 (touring only Japan leg, after Pete Barnacle's departure when the European leg ended) |
| Fire & Ice (1992) | |
Michael Vescera | 1993–1996 | lead vocals |
| |
Barry Sparks |
|
| ||
Mike Terrana | 1993–1994 |
|
| |
B.J. Zampa | 1994 (touring only, after Mike Terrana's departure) | drums | none | |
Shane Gaalaas | 1994–1996 | Magnum Opus (1995) | ||
Tommy Aldridge | 1996 (touring only) | |||
Mats Levén | 1996–1999 | lead vocals |
| |
Cozy Powell | 1997–1998 (until his death) | Facing the Animal (1997) | ||
John Macaluso | 1999–2001 |
| ||
Randy Coven | 1999–2001 (touring only) (died 2015) | bass | Live in Korea (2009) | |
Jørn Lande | 2000–2001 (touring only) | lead vocals | none | |
Tim Donahue | 2001 (touring only) | drums | Live in Korea (2009) | |
Patrick Johansson | 2001–2015 |
| ||
Doogie White | 2001–2008 | lead vocals |
| |
Mick Cervino |
| bass guitar | G3: Rockin' in the Free World (2004) | |
Derek Sherinian |
| keyboards |
| |
Joakim Svalberg | 2002–2005 |
| ||
Rudy Sarzo | 2004 (touring only) | bass guitar | none | |
Tim "Ripper" Owens | 2008–2012 | lead vocals |
| |
Michael Troy | 2007–2009 | keyboards | Angels of Love (2009) | |
Bjorn Englen | 2008–2012 (touring only) | bass guitar | none | |
Ralph Ciavolino | 2012–2017 (touring only) |
| Spellbound Live in Tampa (2014) | |
Mark Ellis | 2015–2018 | drums | World on Fire (2016) | |
Brian Wilson | 2018–2023 (touring only) | none |
Album | Guitar | Vocals | Keyboards | Bass | Drums |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rising Force (1984) | Yngwie Malmsteen | Jeff Scott Soto | Jens Johansson | Yngwie Malmsteen | Barriemore Barlow |
Marching Out (1985) | Marcel Jacob | Anders Johansson | |||
Trilogy (1986) | Mark Boals | Yngwie Malmsteen | |||
Odyssey (1988) | Joe Lynn Turner | Yngwie Malmsteen Bob Daisley | |||
Eclipse (1990) | Göran Edman | Mats Olausson | Svante Henryson | Michael Von Knorring | |
Fire & Ice (1992) | Michael Von Knorring Bo Werner | ||||
The Seventh Sign (1994) | Michael Vescera | Yngwie Malmsteen | Mike Terrana | ||
I Can't Wait (1994) | Barry Sparks | ||||
Magnum Opus (1995) | Shane Gaalaas | ||||
Inspiration (1996) | Jeff Scott Soto Joe Lynn Turner Mark Boals | David Rosenthal Mats Olausson Jens Johansson | Yngwie Malmsteen Marcel Jacob | Anders Johansson | |
Facing the Animal (1997) | Mats Levén | Mats Olausson | Yngwie Malmsteen Barry Dunaway | Cozy Powell | |
Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra (1998) | none | ||||
Alchemy (1999) | Mark Boals | Mats Olausson | Yngwie Malmsteen Barry Dunaway | John Macaluso | |
War to End All Wars (2000) | Yngwie Malmsteen | ||||
Attack! (2002) | Doogie White | Derek Sherinian | Patrick Johansson | ||
Unleash the Fury (2005) | Joakim Svalberg | ||||
Perpetual Flame (2008) | Tim "Ripper" Owens | Derek Sherinian | |||
Angels of Love (2009) | none | Michael Troy | none | ||
Relentless (2010) | Tim "Ripper" Owens | Nick Marino | Patrick Johansson | ||
Spellbound (2012) | Yngwie Malmsteen | Yngwie Malmsteen | |||
World on Fire (2016) | Mark Ellis | ||||
Blue Lightning (2019) | Lawrence Lannerbach (a.k.a. drum machine programmed by Yngwie himself) | ||||
Parabellum (2021) |
Period | Members | Releases |
---|---|---|
Early 1984 |
|
|
1984–1985 |
|
|
1985–1986 |
|
|
1986–1987 |
| none |
1987 |
| |
1987 |
with
|
|
1987–1989 |
| |
1989–1990 |
|
|
1990 |
| none |
1990–1992 |
|
|
Malmsteen on hiatus 1992–1993 | ||
1993–1994 |
|
|
1994 |
| none |
1994–1996 |
|
|
1996 |
| none |
1996–1997 |
| |
1997–1998 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
1999 |
|
|
1999–2000 |
|
|
2000–2001 |
| none |
2001 |
|
|
2001–2002 |
|
|
2002–2004 |
|
|
February — April 2004 |
| none |
2004–2005 |
|
|
2005 |
| none |
2005 |
| |
2006–2007 |
|
|
2008–2009 |
|
|
2009–2012 |
|
|
2012 |
| none |
2012–2015 |
|
|
2015–2017 |
|
|
2017–2018 |
|
|
2018–2023 |
|
|
2023–present |
|
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning over 40 years. In August 2009, Time magazine named Malmsteen No. 9 on its list of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time.
Candlemass is a Swedish epic doom metal band formed in Upplands Väsby, a suburb of Stockholm, in 1984 by bassist, songwriter, and bandleader Leif Edling, alongside drummer Matz Ekström. The band has had a defining influence on doom metal, with the epic doom genre itself taking its name from their debut album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus. Along with Pentagram, Saint Vitus, and Trouble, Candlemass has been recognized as one of the "big four of doom metal".
Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist. Jens got famous in the early 80's when he and his brother Anders (drums) joined Yngwie Malmsteen's "Rising Force". Jens is the son of the Swedish Jazz pianist Jan Johansson. Jens has also worked with the guitar player Allan Holdsworth.
Derek Sherinian is an American keyboardist of Armenian descent who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Joe Bonamassa, among others. He was also a member of Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999, is the founder of Planet X and also one of the founding members of Black Country Communion, Sons of Apollo, and Whom Gods Destroy. He has released nine solo albums that have featured a variety of prominent guest musicians, including guitarists Slash, Yngwie Malmsteen, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Lukather, Joe Bonamassa, Michael Schenker, Steve Vai and Al Di Meola, and extensively drummer Simon Phillips.
Trilogy is the third studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released in October 1986 through Polydor Records. The album reached No. 44 on the US Billboard 200 and charted within the top 60 in the Netherlands and Sweden.
Alcatrazz is a heavy metal band formed in 1983 by Graham Bonnet, Jimmy Waldo, and Gary Shea. They are best known for their songs "Island in the Sun", "Hiroshima Mon Amour", and "God Blessed Video". They are also notable for featuring a previously-unknown Yngwie Malmsteen as their lead guitarist for a year, who was then replaced by Steve Vai, with whom they recorded one album.
Thomas "Craig" Goldy is an American musician, best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Dio and Giuffria.
Marcel Karl Jacob was a Swedish musician, best known as the founder, chief songwriter, and bassist of the hard rock band Talisman. For a brief period, he also played in the band Europe and with Yngwie Malmsteen. Jacob was also a skilled lead guitarist, occasionally playing guitar solos on albums where he felt the guitarist did not perform to his standards.
Steeler was an early 1980s American heavy metal band formed in 1981 in Nashville, Tennessee by vocalist Ron Keel. The band released its self-titled sole album on Shrapnel Records in 1983. Soon after, Ron dissolved the band to form his band Keel. Steeler is also notable for featuring then-emerging guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, who left to form Alcatrazz shortly after the self-titled album and launch a solo career.
Unleash the Fury is the fifteenth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 26 July 2005 through Spitfire Records. Included on the album—which is an Enhanced CD—are three videos in QuickTime format. The album's title is a reference to an incident which occurred in 1988 on a flight to Tokyo during the Odyssey tour: having behaved obnoxiously whilst drunk, Malmsteen fell asleep and was later awoken by a woman pouring a jug of iced water on him. Enraged, he twice shouted "You've released the fucking fury!". The audio from this incident was caught on tape by drummer Anders Johansson, with bassist Barry Dunaway also being heard in the background.
Jeff Scott Soto is an American rock singer of Puerto Rican descent. He is perhaps best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen's first two albums, and the lead vocalist for Journey in 2006–07.
War to End All Wars is the thirteenth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 7 November 2000 through Pony Canyon (Japan), Spitfire Records and DreamCatcher Records (Europe). While on tour for this album, singer Mark Boals left the band and was replaced for a brief period by Jørn Lande; however, Boals returned to finish the tour. The instrumental song "Molto Arpeggiosa" is often mislabelled as "Arpeggios from Hell". The phrase "the war to end all wars" was historically used as a description of World War I, especially in the period from 1918 to 1939.
Klas Magnus Rosén is a Swedish musician. He was the bassist of Swedish band HammerFall from 1997 to 2007.
Jörg Fischer is a German guitar player, primarily known for his work with the German band Accept. He joined the band at the end of the recording sessions for their self-titled debut and played on the albums I'm a Rebel and Breaker until leaving before recording began for the fourth album Restless and Wild. After the Balls to the Wall recording was completed, he was asked to rejoin the band. Fischer appears on the albums Metal Heart and Russian Roulette. By this time his role had diminished mainly to rhythm guitarist, although he is featured as lead guitarist on the songs "Living for Tonite", "Wrong Is Right', "Aiming High", "Another Second to Be" and "Lay Down the Law". Fischer left the band again around 1988.
Mark Robert Boals is an American heavy metal singer and occasional bassist, renowned for his powerful vocals with Yngwie Malmsteen. He is also a contributing singer-songwriter and bassist for the band Foundry, who is produced by Linkin Park drummer Colin Brittain.
Barry Sparks is an American rock bassist and guitarist for artists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, the Michael Schenker Group, UFO, Dokken, and Ted Nugent, among others. Currently Sparks is part of the touring band for the Japanese rock group B'z, and has also contributed to many of their albums and singles.
Perpetual Flame is the sixteenth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and his group Rising Force, released on 13 October 2008 in Europe and on 14 October 2008 in the US and Canada. It was his first album since 2005's Unleash the Fury and the first with ex-Judas Priest and Iced Earth singer Tim "Ripper" Owens. The album also features famed keyboardist Derek Sherinian on keyboards.
Dying to Live is the first full-length studio album by Joel Hoekstra's 13. It was released on October 16, 2015 by Frontiers Records.