jettojet

Over time, Malmsteen himself ended up repeating himself endlessly and losing that initial inspiration, but Rising Force and Trilogy remain reference points in the genre even today! I really like it too, Tender Surrender for example is one of the most beautiful electric guitar pieces I have ever listened to, but he's done so many!

Be careful, you can't compare Becker and Malmsteen on a compositional level and put them on the same plane. Malmsteen has created fundamental pieces in the genre, and Rising Force remains a milestone even today, more than 20 years later, with an entire generation of guitarists inspired by him. Becker does not have any compositions that match Malmsteen's. Whether you like the Swede or not is a matter of personal taste, but putting them on the same compositional level is unreasonable.

Look, with all honesty, Petrucci is light years away from pieces like those, but let's be clear, even today's Malmsteen is far from that kind of inspiration!

Well, the greatest of all time is another exaggeration. I don't think the Black Star video does justice to Becker; he was very young and certainly didn't have Malmsteen's skill at the same age (the Swede was playing almost at Rising Force levels at 16). If he hadn't had that terrible illness, he would have certainly had what it takes to become a great guitarist. With maturity, he would have corrected some youthful mistakes (like bending). This is at a technical level; at a compositional level, it's hard to say. He could have become one of the best around, or he could have burned out quickly and ended up making the usual shred albums. Unfortunately, talent alone is not enough; it must be managed over the years, and that is a quality that very few guitarists have had in my opinion.

In fact, despite being a big fan of his, I have avoided buying it, waiting for him to come up with a great masterpiece!

of course, yes!!

We have different opinions on Malmsteen, but that's down to personal taste. Let's be clear, I am the first to criticize him today, because he often plays too much and poorly (especially in his latest works). However, for me, his early albums up to Trilogy are the expression of exceptional talent, both technical and compositional. Of course, if I had to judge how he played, for example, Evil Eye at the G3 and compare it to his performance with Alcatrazz at 19, the difference is abyssal; in that piece he almost seems like a parody of himself today. As for Petrucci, I can't say he has ever excited me, but it's true that in the 90s, especially in the sung pieces, he performed much more effectively. Now, he showcases alternate picking with a stick, as if he always has to make a educational video… From him, we would expect something more than incredibly fast scales! I’m sorry, but the Fox Lady jam is pure monstrosity for me; I absolutely did not like it, an extraordinary piece ruined with repetitive scales, poor Hendrix!!

to the style

Referring to the G3 in Denver, it's true that Vai did a remarkable job, especially in my opinion, acting as a bridge between Malmsteen and Satriani in the trio pieces. Honestly, I liked Satriani a lot in his songs, but I found him struggling to keep up with Malmsteen, while Vai was able to adapt to the Swedish style with his own personality, and that should be acknowledged. The G3 with Petrucci, on the other hand, was a flop for all three; rather, it was the classic commercial operation, created specifically to replicate the sales of Live in Denver. I heard very little music, and as $face$ rightly pointed out, Satriani and Vai certainly did not facilitate Petrucci's integration. In fact, I would say they did everything to overshadow him; the result was a real disaster!

your statement Matt7 reassures us! Anyway, I didn’t have much doubt about it!