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.
Odyssey is the fourth studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 8 April 1988 through Polydor Records. The album reached No. 40 on the US Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for eighteen weeks, as well as reaching the top 50 in five other countries. As of 2021 it remains Malmsteen's highest-charting release on the Billboard 200.
Speed Metal Symphony is the first studio album by the American heavy metal band Cacophony, released in 1987 through Shrapnel Records.
Neoclassical metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is heavily influenced by classical music and usually features very technical playing, consisting of elements borrowed from both classical and speed metal music. Yngwie Malmsteen became one of the most notable musicians in the subgenre, and contributed greatly to the development of the style in the 1980s. Other notable players in the genre are Randy Rhoads, Luca Turilli, Michael Romeo, Jason Becker, Tony MacAlpine, Vinnie Moore, Alexi Laiho, Jani Liimatainen, Kiko Loureiro, Uli Jon Roth, Stéphan Forté, Wolf Hoffmann, Timo Tolkki, Syu and Marty Friedman.
Michael “Mike” Varney is an American record producer and music publisher. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records, and Blues Bureau International. He also owns 50% of Magna Carta Records, a New York–based label. Varney is often credited with popularizing the mid-1980s shred guitar boom, and has continuously specialized in producing musicians within the genres of instrumental rock, hard rock, jazz, jazz fusion, blues, blues-rock, progressive metal, and speed metal.
Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the Shrapnel Records record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive metal. In the 1990s, he also started the Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International sublabels to promote fusion and blues.
Racer X was an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The group went through a hiatus and a few lineup changes, with bassist Juan Alderete being the sole constant member. They were signed to Shrapnel Records.
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.
Richard Suligowski, better known as Rik Fox, is an American heavy metal bassist. He was active mainly during the 1970s and 1980s, in the New York City and Hollywood area rock and metal scenes.
Marching Out is the second studio album by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, released on 19 August 1985 through Polydor Records. The album reached No. 52 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and remained on that chart for 28 weeks, as well as reaching the top 30 in two other countries.
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.
No Parole from Rock 'n' Roll is the first album by American heavy metal band Alcatrazz led by veteran singer Graham Bonnet, released in 1983. It spent seven weeks on the Billboard 200 albums chart, peaking at No. 128. The album precipitated guitarist's Yngwie Malmsteen solo career, and is most famous for the single "Island in the Sun".
Mind's Eye is the first studio album by guitarist Vinnie Moore, released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records. Recorded in eleven days when Moore was 21 years old, the album was ranked third on the all-time top ten list of shred albums in a 2009 article by Guitar World magazine.
Metal Generation: The Steeler Anthology was released by Majestic Rock Records in 2005 as a compilation album of the US heavy metal band Steeler. The album was co-produced by a former band member, Ron Keel, as he believed there was a public desire for such an album. In the album unreleased, live and single songs were added with a few of the songs of the band's only album Steeler. The song "Victim of the City" was later used by Malmsteen on his album Marching Out with the title "On the Run Again" with only minor changes other than the lyrics.
Ron Keel is an American rock singer. He is known as the singer for Ron Keel Band, Keel, Steeler, and Saber Tiger, and has also fronted IronHorse, Fair Game, and The Rat'lers, in addition to being a solo artist. He is also an author, radio show host, actor and owner/manager of RFK Media LLC.
Street Lethal is the first studio album by the American heavy metal band Racer X, released on January 1, 1986 through Shrapnel Records. The instrumental track "Y.R.O." stands for "Yngwie Rip-Off", as it bears similarities to "Black Star" by guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen, with an almost identical bassline. It later appeared in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.
Lion was an American rock band known for the theme song in The Transformers: The Movie (1986), their debut song "Love Is a Lie" in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), and their songs "Never Surrender" and "Power Love" in The Wraith (1986).
Edge of Insanity is the first studio album by guitarist Tony MacAlpine, released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records. In 2014, nearly thirty years after its release, MacAlpine performed the album in full during a series of shows in California and Baja California.
Project: Driver is a studio album by the heavy metal supergroup M.A.R.S., released in 1986 through Shrapnel Records and Roadrunner Records (Europe). The band's name is made up of the initial of each musician's last name: guitarist Tony MacAlpine, drummer Tommy Aldridge, singer Rob Rock, and bassist Rudy Sarzo. Craig Goldy was their original guitarist, but he left after joining Dio.
Lay Down the Law is the debut album by American rock band Keel. It was the only album to feature original drummer Bobby Marks. Also, three songs – "Speed Demon", "Tonight You're Mine", and the Rolling Stones cover "Let's Spend the Night Together" – were re-recorded for their next album The Right to Rock, although the version of "Let's Spend The Night Together" on this album ends with reprises of earlier album tracks, while "Tonight You're Mine" was re-recorded as "You're the Victim " with altered lyrics.
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