Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force
Odyssey

The objective merits of Malmsteen are now well-known to everyone, particularly for having contributed 90% to the birth of what is now classified as power metal (see Stratovarius, Symphony X, Angra, Dragonforce, Primal Fear, etc.) and brought the six-string technique to an excellent level.

He contributed 90% to the birth of power because, in those same years, Helloween had already begun experimenting with typical power sounds, and the emerging Blind Guardian were already drawing inspiration from it: moreover, the fusion between classical and modern music (not only conceptually but also practically) was a "technique" already widespread on the classical guitar; he merely appropriated it and transposed it to the electric guitar. Steve Vai was already known in '81 thanks to his stint alongside Frank Zappa, but his style was different from what he showcased in his solo albums; Ritchie Blackmore, one of Malmsteen's few inspirations, through recordings with Deep Purple and Rainbow and various Jam Sessions during concerts, demonstrated his technical ability through accelerations (already part of the Blues repertoire, particularly Al Di Meola) and the use of previously almost ignored scales (as did Uli John Roth) in a field that previously saw universally recognized excellent guitarists (Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page) usually moving on major or pentatonic scales.

So then, what was the role that was so crucial for many in Yngwie Malmsteen? That of being the connecting link between a cycle that began with Hendrix and ended with Blackmore (preceded by the likes of Page, Clapton, Gilmour, May, Iommi and, why not, Santana over people like Richards, Jones, and Cooder) and another cycle that saw the birth of shredders (Satriani, Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, Batio, Friedman, Becker, Gilbert, Romeo, Tolkki, and Grapow) and power metal bands (already mentioned).
If mixing different characteristics of various types of music and even different musical instruments can be classified as "inventing," then Malmsteen invented something, namely neoclassical metal; otherwise, he invented nothing. Either way, the aforementioned merits are as indisputable as they are evident.

"Rising Force," the first solo album after experiences with Steeler and Alcatrazz, was released in 1984, a historic album that demonstrates the technical prowess of the then 21-year-old and his enormous compositional capacity: every more or less talented guitarist, then as now, realizes that those are not, as some ill-informed critics say, "pentatonics at two hundred an hour," but rather "harmonic minor scales played like never before." Even at two hundred an hour, if you will, but as no one before him had done. For Malmsteen, technical ability is the basis for expression: one cannot express oneself to the fullest without a significant capacity. How can you blame him? It would be like wanting to build a building according to your own tastes without first having studied the physical laws that should govern it: the result? If the building stands, that's already a lot. If then some might think that people like Mars or Slash have more to say, in some cases, I might agree, but they too, like every guitarist, know that you cannot create beauty without first having studied how it can be created. These are two examples of people likely more expressive than Malmsteen (whose technical ability remains undeniable, composed of perfect sweep picking, which no one before him had mastered as well, fast legato, frequent and precise bends and vibratos that allow the sound to be colored differently each time), who had more to say: it's like speaking a language, some care more about pronunciation or more about the discourse: in certain cases, the Swede prioritized pronunciation, while Slash and company focused on other aspects that in the long run prove more important.

After the second "Marching Out" and the subsequent "Trilogy," Malmsteen returns with "Odyssey": as in the two previously mentioned, the style hasn't changed, at its base, there are always those sounds created with "Rising Force," but with a lineup that, compared to the first album, keeps only Jens Johansson (future Stratovarius): on drums, there's Jens' brother, Anders, and on bass, Bob Daisley (ex Rainbow, Widowmaker, Ozzy Osbourne, Uriah Heep, and Gary Moore, who uses the sweep on bass). To replace Mike Boals (who in turn replaced the excellent Jeff Scott Soto) with class is Joe Lynn Turner (also ex Rainbow, who in the future, like Soto, will boast extremely important collaborations as a credential of his caliber as an artist).

The album starts with a blistering opener: a keyboard intro in E that opens the doors to what is, along with Black Star and Far Beyond the Sun, one of the Swede's anthems: "Rising Force"; an epic song with one of the most beautiful solos ever written, alternating, after pinpoint arpeggios, guitar, and keyboard blending in a suggestive exchange of phrases. The second track, "Hold On", is less powerful, more sorrowful and heartfelt, with a splendid solo, leading into "Heaven Tonight," a track with very eighties sounds with heavy use of keyboards. The subsequent ballad, "Dreamin (Tell Me)," is followed by the speed and exceptional technique expressed in "Bite the Bullet." After this, we move to "Riot in the Dungeons," one of the most beautiful songs on the album, where the rhythm section delivers its best, as do the keyboards, for alternating verses of great power and virtuosity that absolutely serve a purpose. Heavy metal sounds and a well-crafted solo for "De Ja Vu," calm intro opening "Crystal Ball," close to classic metal. "Now is the Time" remains memorable for the simplicity of its structure, and "Faster than the Speed of Light", a self-celebratory ride, as the title suggests, for its speed. "Krakatau" is an excellent instrumental piece, starting with riffing, then moving to harder sounds to close with copious solos. Memories closes everything with class, a splendid arpeggio.

An excellent album, though we could have done without "Faster than the Speed of Light" and another one, to round out the number and avoid many of the usual accusations. Certainly not a cold album, not on par with "Rising Force" (which is different in concept anyway), but able to compete with "Marching Out" and "Trilogy" (which, in my opinion, boasts a suite that represents the best episode from '85 onwards).

It will be followed by "Eclipse" (perhaps the last of a brilliant era) and "Fire'n'Ice," a work that always creates debates: in any case, no subsequent album will be able to imitate those of the first decade.