Yngwie Malmsteen

When we think of the greatest guitar players of all-time, specifically the crème de la crème musicians who invented a whole new style and sound on the instrument, Yngwie J. Malmsteen is a name that sits comfortably alongside game-changers like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Edward Van Halen. The Swedish maverick was still a teenager when he caught the attention of American labels and audiences, initially cutting his teeth in Steeler and Alcatrazz before launching the solo career that would go on to redefine what it meant to be a bona fide guitar hero. Early masterpieces like Rising Force, Marching Out and Trilogy quickly became the stuff of legend, with rock fans around the world marvelling at how someone could so seamlessly combine the intensity of heavy metal with classical finesse, ultimately spearheading a whole movement of technically and melodically ambitious music that would eventually get termed ‘neoclassical guitar’. All these years on, Yngwie J. Malmsteen looks and sounds more determined than ever. If the music feels good to him, that’s enough – anyone else liking it is a bonus. And this is precisely the creative fortitude and single-mindedness that turned him into a household name among the guitar community. There is no such thing as half measures or compromise in his world. Here is an artist that will be forever bound to authenticity and creative honesty.