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Rating: "Trial By Fire" is a unique live album; in fact, the record was recorded in Leningrad just one month before the end of the Cold War between the American and Soviet blocs. The concert line-up speaks for itself: besides, of course, Malmsteen on guitar, there's Dunaway on bass, Anders Johannson on drums, and Jens Johannson on keyboards. And who is on vocals??? None other than Joe Lynn Turner, former Deep Purple and Rainbow.
The tracklist is also remarkable with the vast majority of the tracks coming from the last two albums, namely "Trilogy" (with Marc Boals on vocals) and "Odyssey" (with Turner on vocals), two of the best, if not the very best, albums of the Swedish guitar hero.
The band is in top form, with Malmsteen and Turner at their best, the former Rainbow vocalist certainly doesn't make you miss the excellent Boals when performing tracks from "Trilogy" (which is saying something). In short, what can I say, the live with Malmsteen and his band at their peak. Of course, if you don't like Malmsteen and his 3000 notes per second, there's no point in expecting anything different from a live album. After all, Malmsteen is always Malmsteen, as the flashy album cover promptly reminds us. Take it or leave it. Anyway, a suggestion: it's better to take it!!!!
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By Deep-Frenk
This very concert [...] would consecrate the undeniable talent of this young Scandinavian guitar hero to the world.
Frenzied speed, arpeggios, and scales, a duel of solos between the guitarist and the keyboardist make this song the highlight of the concert.
