Track Listings
YNGWIE MALMSTEEN
Facing the Animal
Track Listings
| YES!!!! THE cd I have been waiting anxiously for since 1995 has finally
arrived!!! Yngwie Malmsteen's Facing the Animal, the latest by the neo-classical guitar
master of all new material. This gets my vote for album of the year, no doubt about it.
Yngwie is playing better than ever, the riffs are blazing, and the sound is simply
amazing. No one sounds like Yngwie Malmsteen, NO ONE. The man with the golden chops
tackled all of the writing on Facing the Animal too, the lyrics and the music, plus plays
bass on several songs. Oh and that brings us to the other musicians on here. There is drum
wizard Cozy Powell, who pounds the skins with a talent that is rarely seen in the music
world. The thunder of Cozy really sets a great background for Yngwie's crystal clear
guitar runs. Yng recruited ex-Abstrakt Algebra musician, Mats Leven, to be the new guy in
the vocal spot. His vocals remind me of a mixture of many people, Jeff Scott Soto, Goran
Edman, Michael Vescera, with a touch of ex-Manic Eden's Ron Young. The mix is delightful,
and Mats sounds superb on every track on here...well at least I think so anyway! And then
there's the bassist, Barry Dunaway, who played bass on the Odyssey tour, back in '88 and
'89. Mats Olausson is back on the keyboards too. The keyboard spot the only thing that has
stayed the same throughout the years in the Malmsteen band, except of course, Malmsteen
himself. Always pretending to be strong...desperately waiting for Another time, another place...I don't care no more The production on this album is slick, Chris Tsangarides really knows how to capture the sound that the Malmsteen fanatics are looking for, and Mr. Malmsteen must be pleased with him as well, since he has produced the last few cd's by the master. Everything is clicking perfectly on this cd, the writing, the overall production of the cd, the guitar sound, the vocals, it is all in place. I was impressed with the first listen, all the songs are wonderfully written, and of course some are better than others, so let me give you a run down, track by track of this superb cd (the CD of the YEAR!). Facing the animal....walking the higher ground Lost in a ritual...I close your eyes...and kiss you twice |
| The first track opens up with a distant guitar sound, that slowly
becomes louder, and then the drums open up and then starts into what reminds me of the
basic headbanging sound that Vengance had on 1995's Magnum Opus. It is a
nice choice for the opening song, and prepares the listener for what is to come. And there
is the coolest riff in this song, which is called Braveheart. Any Malmsteen fanatic
is going to absolutely think they have died and gone to heavy metal heaven. But its the
next song that I REALLY like, its the kind of song that gets your body moving to the
music, and it has this sexy kind of groove. You would have to hear it to understand what I
mean. Its called Facing the Animal, the title track, and I love to crank this one
up all the way. The lyrics match the mood of the song....and I love it. heehee. Sinking my teeth...into you...sweet obscenity You're in too deep....for your own good...I'm commanding thee Succumb to me....set me free Enemy really showcases Mats Leven's voice, as well as a terrific combination of Cozy Powell's killer drum work and Dunaway's terrific bass, which provide a backbone for this song. The keyboard is addictive in this one too, but the real treat is Malmsteen's fluid guitar riffs. The next song, Sacrifice rips wide open with the Strat god's fiery, signature sound. The lyrics in this one, are very clever, and biting. The song has a poppy feel to it, which I like. It seems to take over your mind and replay itself many times, whether you have the stereo on or not. One word....addictive. The ballad of this excellent cd, Like An Angel is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard. The gentle piano that begins the song, is gorgeous, and then the classical/spanish acoustic with the softest notes like lapping waves, and then the fluid, crystal guitar notes, so round and clear, it is like you could almost reach out and grab them. Like the illusion that you can reach out and catch a falling star. The lyrics are heartfelt, and reach out and squeeze the soul, softly, and then take hold even more. Violin in the background rounds out the feeling and emotion in this song. The solo is also beautiful. Mats Leven does a fairly decent job at singing this pretty tune, but I would die to hear Joe Lynn Turner or Michael Vescera attempt this one. The final guitar run at the end, can only be heard to be believed. Any moron who says that Malmsteen never plays the guitar convincingly with any emotion should listen to this song. It should change the minds of anyone who would dare to accuse the master of that. I've been searching for you...for so long My life's been sacrificed...I've been longing for truth And now I have found all that in you My Resurrection is another superb metallic song. It is also very catchy, Malmsteen has definately mastered the art of composing catchy metal tunes. Another Time is the PERFECT example of this, the first time I heard the song, I sat in a state of awe letting it sink in. It has that immediate hook that I love so, and Mats vocals go perfectly with this song, they come out powerful, with a gritty kind of edge, and Malmsteen's axework reminds me of that on Magnum Opus crossed with the pop sensibilities of Odyssey, a dangerously addictive combination, which is one of the reasons why this cd will go down in history as one of Yng's greatest overall. The lyrics really hit home too. I also like the strong keyboard backdrop on this song, reminding me of other Yng songs such as What Do You Want from Eclipse which had a strong keyboard section in it. The solo is to die for. Heathens From the North is one of the best on here, it has a heavy sound to it, with violins in the background, and makes me have a flashback to 1985, with I Am A Viking on Yng's Marching Out cd. The theme of this song is much the same, but I like it. This could very well be a sequel to that one. Though I was colorblind...I read the warning signs And put the past behind...down the gutter Alone In Paradise is a song that seems to reflect Malmsteen's current situation, alot of these songs reflect his life, his ideas, his thoughts. It also has that commercial feel to it, and has that huge 80s sound which I love so much, and the slick production really shows though here. End of My Rope kicks ass, what more do I have to say? Mats sounds good here too and does some screaming/screeching for us. Only the Strong is a rocking tune that has some really thoughtful lyrics. It is another one of those songs, that I can indentify with so well, with lyrics to live by. Face the truth and control your fate....set the pace, never hesitate All that scares you and makes you doubt....break the silence, just spit it out Poison In Your Veins it took a few listens to warm up to this one, which is in the Hairtrigger type department. It is a headbanger from start to finish, with an amazing opening run. Wow, Mats sounds great here too, really impressive. This song manages to give the listener that feel of anger, a rush of emotion. Air On A Theme is one of the highlights of this superb cd. It is unique in the sense that it is the only instrumental on here. The guitar on this one, sounds like a cross between a harp and a flute, it bubbles along with such heart felt passion. Songs like this, showcase the way Yngwie puts all his heart and soul into his music, and he captures the listener spellbound on the first gentle note. The pure sound of the electric is breathtaking. And as the last sweet note fades out, the final song begins. Casting Pearls Before the Swine is another pounding pure metal tune. And its only available on the Japanese version as a bonus track. Its kind of a shame, because it perfectly rounds out this cd, and makes a great song to leave you pumped up and ready to replay it all over again. The air is still, the bodies cold and pale They'll never live to tell...about the slaughter when the battlegrounds ran red We gave them hell |
To make a long story short.... Facing the
Animal is the BEST cd of the year. All of the songs are superb, intricate pieces of
memorable music. A mixture of classical beauty and the guitar driven, bass kicking crunch
of metal, with soaring vocal tracks. Throw it all in, stir it up, and the outcome is so
wonderful that it is almost like a musical dream. Yngwie has really outdone himself this
time, and his all-star band add their talents just to further showcase Yngwie's guitar
playing and song writing abilities. Combined, every song is driven with a passion rarely
seen in music today. I have seen a short review on the net of this cd, and it was compared
with Megadeth's Youthanasia. I don't see where they got that from. In my opinion
(and I have been listening to Malmsteen for a very long time now), it seems that this cd
is a cross between some of his past cd's....parts of it sound like they were from Fire
and Ice, Eclipse, Odyssey, but mostly from Magnum Opus and The
Seventh Sign while the overall sound is similiar to that on Inspiration.
Overall, it is awesome, and the best release of the year. You'll have to go through import
to get ahold of it for now, and I suggest you do, it is worth paying the higher price.
There was no way I was going to wait for this to be released in the US, its too fabulous. (all text above, Copyright 1997 by Alanna Evans. Kept as it originally appeared on RainbowFlame's Metal Domain in late 1997.) |
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