Yngwie Malmsteen - Perpetual Flame
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Free Music Notes for Perpetual Flame
Free Music Review: Perpetual Flame keeps the Rising Force legacy burning
Hit: 4 Stars
The Good
The opening licks of "Death Dealer" make it clear that this is an Yngwie Malmsteen affair. No other can fly through guitar licks so quickly and smoothly. The vocal wails of Tim "Ripper" Owens ring out loud and clear throughout the track. The opening riff of "Damnation Game" is right from the 80s playbook of Malmsteen. I swear I've heard a variation of it on a past song. Owens delivers and over-the-top vocal performance here. He mixes the very lows with the glass -shattering highs. "Red Devil" unleashes the fury (sorry Yngwie) with chunky riffs and killer melodies. Malmsteen literally makes his axe gallop on "Four Horsemen (of the Apocalypse)." Rapid-fire guitar runs mixed with pounding drums and fevered vocals kick the energy level up to 11 on "Be Careful What You Wish For." "Caprici Di Diablo," "Lament, " and "Heavy Heart" are typical Yngwie instrumental show-off tracks.
The Bad
The CD photos! Someone tell Yngwie it's not 1982.
The Verdict
Yngwie Malmsteen has always had a revolving door of vocalist throughout the years, and former Judas Priest vocalist Tim Owens makes a great addition to that troop. Although Owen's can hit some high notes, he's not on the same high register as Doogie White or Jeff Scott Soto (or the smooth tones of Joe Lynn Turner). Malmsteen brings the key down lower enough for Owens to shine.
Over the years Malmsteen has refused to change his style. That a good thing for his fans, not so much to stay relevant in the music industry. But who cares. Perpetual Flame keeps the Rising Force legacy burning with blistering licks and riffs, catchy choruses, and undeniably catchy hooks.
Free Music Review: Production and Over Compression Affect the CD
Hit: 4 Stars
Yngwie is the undisputed King and master of his style of composition, music and guitar playing.
He does not change much and we respect him for it... He is his own man and we like knowing what to expect from him.
The only negative thing about this new album is a problem MANY new releases seem to suffer from.......
Over-compression, extreme limiting, digital pops and overloads and other Mastering problems that you hear on many new CDs because younger engineers are squashing the dynamics of the music to try and make the CD as loud as possible..... but in doing so, they squeeze the life out of the music and create all these harsh, edgy, abrasive tones on the new albums that make them hard to listen to.
The latest Metallica album was so bad in this regard that the digital overloads caused the CDs to stop playing on many people's CD players ---- that or they would keep hearing a POP and see the words CD ERROR or CD OVERLOAD on the LCD displays.
A Mastering and Mixing guy like Bob Katz could really make Yngwie's music shine like a work of art.
It would be nice to see Yngwie hook up with a guy like Bob Katz ..... it would be more like Chris Tsangarides who did nice engineering work for Yngwie's albums in the 90s too.
Free Music Review: Perpetual Flame Burns!
Hit: 4 Stars
Yngwie's latest release "Perpetual Flame" lives up to what we fans of Yngwie expect: lightning fast riffs, neo-classical shred galore and a frontman who can deliver. I believe Tim Owens brings out the best in this new chapter of Rising Force and Yngwie seems to be playing his card on his new frontman. Yngwie seems to switch members like one Ritchie Blackmore. I have read that like Ritchie, Yngwie seems to need his own zip code. Let's face facts; when you're a player like Yngwie in excelsis, you can pretty much do what you want. Playing with new people that can play does bring in the new blood and on this release, Yngwie is certainly feeling it. This release appears to be somewhat a 'sign-of-the-times' disc. With images of war, the end of times and such, Yngwie seems to be saying what everyone is wondering. It's a witchy time. An election year, banks going belly up, people on edge. It doesn't have that positive fun that "Unleash The Fury" did, but it does show that the camp has remained true to form and with Mr. Owens coming on board, they're ready for more brain-rattling drums, mind-blowing harmonic minor riffs and everything that makes neo-classical metal something you can escape into when the real monsters try to pull you down. Thumbs up Yngwie and company!!Free Music Review: Still The King Of Shred
Hit: 4 Stars
They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Perhaps the same can be said of guitarists as well. But when you know as many tricks as Yngwie does, and can perform them as well as he does, well...don't fix what ain't broke. "Perpetual Flame" is Yngwie's first new album in more than three years, but was worth the wait. While Yngwie himself has been consistently mind blowing over the course of his career, some of his vocalists have not. Not to say they were bad, but just didn't seem to fit in with Yngwie's style, at least to my ears. "Perpetual Flame" still finds Yngwie in top form, but finally adds a vocalist who sings as aggressively as Yngwie plays, Tim "Ripper" Owens. Musically, "Perpetual Flame" is similar to Yngwie's last few studio offerings. But "Ripper" Owens vocal style is such a good match to Yngwie's musical style that the whole album sounds more alive and fresh than some previous releases. Well worth the price of admission. Play Loud!Free Music Review: A Very Good Album
Hit: 4 Stars
First off Yngwie made a great choice for the singer on this album. You dont get much better than Tim "Ripper" Owens for a singer. The album starts off fantastic the first 7 tracks are heavy metal at its best. I give the first 7 tracks 5 stars easy. Ok now onto the second half of the album it seems to lack the punch the first half had. I have no problem with Instrumental tracks, but there is line between too much and just right and Yngwie went over it. Hey we all know Yngwie can play, but come on. Then the WTF are you thinking moment, taking over lead vocals on Magic City? My god you have "Ripper" one of the best vocalists out there. And you are trying to sing what are you thinking? For the second half of the album i give it 3 stars. All in all it still is a very good album. For all the "Ripper" fans out there Tim sounds great definitely worth picking this album up.