Yngwie Johann Malmsteen (born Lars Johann Yngve Lannerbäck, June 30, 1963) is a Swedish guitarist, composer and bandleader. Widely recognized for his guitar skills, Malmsteen achieved widespread acclaim in the 1980s for his technical proficiency and his pioneering of the shred guitar technique, and neo-classical metal genre. In late 1982 Malmsteen was brought to the USA by Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records, who had heard a demo tape of Malmsteen's playing. He had brief engagements with Steeler, for their self-titled album of 1983, then Alcatrazz, for their 1983 debut 'No Parole From Rock N' Roll', and the 1984 live album 'Live Sentence'. Malmsteen released his first solo album 'Rising Force' in 1984. His album was really meant to be an instrumental side-project of Alcatrazz, but it contained vocals, and Malmsteen left Alcatrazz soon after the release of 'Rising Force'. It was a success; it was the winner of Guitar Player Magazine's Best Rock Album and was also nominated for a Grammy for 'Best Rock Instrumental', achieving #60 on the Billboard album chart. This album, and the next one, was put out under the Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force moniker. But from album number 3 and forth, he shortened to only hold his "name", Yngwie J. Malmsteen, subsequently dropping the J. also.

TRILOGY (1986) POLYDOR

The year was 1986, and pop metal was very hot. Bands like Bon Jovi and Europe were rising up and becoming huge stars. And I guess this influenced a lot of the other heavy metal acts as well. I would definitely say that it effected Yngwie. Just listen to the sound and production on this, his third outing. But fear not, 'Trilogy' is still a milestone in the neo-classical heavy metal genre. Because even if the production is somewhat softer than on his first 2 albums, the music is still the same. The opening "You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget" got some massive MTV airplay back in the day, and this is the track that made me aware of Yngwie. And I just loved the man's melodies and guitar-playing (of course). There simply wasn't, or still isn't, anyone better then him. It doesn't exactly hurt to have such a competent backing band either. Jeff Scott Soto had been replaced with Mark Boals, another stellar vocalist in his own right. 'Trilogy' is still my favorite album from Yngwie and crew.

Killer tracks: You Don't Remember, I'll Never Forget, Liar, Fire

FIRE & ICE (1992) ELEKTRA

There are huge holes in my Yngwie collection. So 'Fire & Ice' is only the second album to hit my shelves so far. Considering that this album was released in 1992, a time when alternative rock and grunge were getting all the rave, I say that Yngwie was still doing what he does best. Namely playing a mean hard rock guitar. Heavily classically influenced of course. In fact I'd describe this album as equal amounts of Rainbow influenced hard rock and classical music. Göran Edman's great voice is a perfect match for Yngwie's melodic music. He sometimes remind me of the mighty Rob Rock. Due to the change in the musical climate worldwide, this was to be the last Yngwie album for a major record company. And this only goes to show that being the best of what you do simply isn't enough for corporate people!

Killer tracks: How Many Miles To Babylon, No Mercy, C'est La Vie, I'm My Own Enemy, Final Curtain

Yngwie Malmsteen guest appearances:

V/A - 'Hear 'n Aid: Stars'

Jeff Scott Soto guest appearances:

Audiovision - 'The Calling'

Laudamus - 'Lost In Vain'

Stryper - 'Against The Law'

Stryper - 'Can't Stop The Rock'

Vinnie Vincent Invasion - 'Guitar's From Hell'

Ken Tamplin - 'Wake The Nations'

Steelheart - 'Tangled In Reins'

Joe Lynn Turner guest appearances:

TNT - 'Intuition'

TNT - 'Realized Fantasies'

Widowmaker - 'Blood and Bullets'

Barry Sparks guest appearances:

Scorpions - 'Unbreakable'

Jens Johansson guest appearances:

Roland Grapow - 'Kaleidoscope'

V/A - 'Holy Dio : A Tribute To The Voice Of Metal - Ronnie James Dio'

HammerFall - 'Crimson Thunder'

HammerFall - 'No Sacrifice, No Victory'

Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild

Kamelot - 'The Black Halo'

Nocturnal Rites - 'Grand Illusion'

Mats Olausson guest appearances:

Dream Evil - 'The Book Of Heavy Metal'

Doogie White guest appearances:

Balance Of Power - 'When The World Falls Down'

Balance Of Power - 'Ten More Tales Of Grand Illusion'

Anders Johansson guest appearances:

Narnia - 'The Great Fall'

Patrick Johansson guest appearances:

Seven Witches - 'Amped'

Jørn Lande guest appearances:

Avantasia - 'Lost In Space Part 1'

Avantasia - 'Lost In Space Part 2'

Avantasia - 'The Scarecrow'

Mats Levèn guest appearances:

Audiovision - 'The Calling'

Narnia - 'Enter The Gate'

Divinefire - 'Farewell'

Tommy Aldridge guest appearances:

V/A - 'Hear 'n Aid: Stars'

Rudy Sarzo guest appearances:

V/A - 'Hear 'n Aid: Stars'

Line-uPs:

Current members:

Lars Yngwie Johann Lannerbach Malmsteen - Guitars (ex-Steeler (US), ex-Alcatrazz, MVP, Hear 'n Aid, G3)
Tim Owens - Vocals (Beyond Fear (US), ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth, Brainicide, ex-Winters Bane)
Bjorn Englen - Bass
Michael Troy - Keyboards

Patrick Johansson - Drums (Without Grief, ex-Prey, ex-Chainwreck, Kinlin)

Former/past members:

Vocals:
Doogie White - (Rainbow, Cornerstone, Pink Cream 69, Praying Mantis, Nikolo Kotzev)

Mark Boals (Ring of Fire, Genius, Empire)
Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman, Axel Rudi Pell, Kryst the Conqueror, Panther, Skräpp Mettle, Takara, Alex Masi)
Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple, Brazen Abbot)
Göran Edman (Time Requiem, XsavioR, Brazen Abbot, Karmakanic, John Norum, Nikolo Kotzev, Street Talk, Madison, Glory)
Mike Vescera (Killing Machine, The Reign of Terror, Obsession, Palace of Black, Safe Haven, Roland Grapow, MVP, Loudness, Dr. Sin)
Mats Levén (Krux, Southpaw, Abstrakt Algebra, At Vance, Fatal Force, Therion (Swe), Sabbtail, Amaseffer)
Jørn Lande (Masterplan, Allen / Lande, Millenium, Mundanus Imperium, Beyond Twilight, Ark, The Snakes, Vagabond)

Bass:

Mike Cervino - (Violent Storm)
Svante Henrysson
Marcel Jacob (Space Odyssey, ex-Highbrow, Talisman, John Norum)
Bob Daisley (Rainbow, Ozzy Osbourne, Widowmaker, Planet Alliance, Dio (live), Stream, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Uriah Heep, Mother's Army, Living Loud)
Barry Dunaway
Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne, Hear 'n Aid, M.A.R.S., Quiet Riot, Dio, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dudes of Wrath)
Randy Coven (Ark, Riot, MCM, Holy Mother, X-Mas Project, C.P.R.)
Barry Sparks (Guy Mann-Dude, Dokken, Cosmosquad, Roland Grapow, Miloš Dodo Doležal, MVP, M.S.G.)
John Levén (Europe)

Drums:
Bo Werner
Jonas Östman (Dark Illusion, Gotham City, Mental Hippie Blood)
Anders Johansson (The Johansson Brothers, Silver Mountain, HammerFall, Winterlong, Empire, Jens Johansson, Keegan , Planet Alliance)
Barrymore Barlow (Jethro Tull)
Tommy Aldridge (Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Patrick Rondat, Vinnie Moore, Manic Eden, Sykes, Motörhead, Hear 'n Aid, M.A.R.S., Ted Nugent)
Michael Von Knorring
John Macaluso (Starbreaker, Mullmuzzler, MCM, Riot, Jorn, Holy Mother, TNT, Masterlast, Powermad, Ark, Chris Caffery)
Mike Terrana (Artension, Axel Rudi Pell, Rage, Roland Grapow, Squealer, Hanover Fist, Masterplan, Metalium, Zillion, John West, Tony MacAlpine)
Cozy Powell (Glenn Tipton, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Tony Martin, Whitesnake, Brain May, Gary Moore, M.S.G.) (R.I.P. April 5 th 1998, car accident)
Peter Udd (Glory Bell's Band)
Shane Gaalaas (Artension, Cosmosquad, Diesel Machine, Miloš Dodo Doležal, M.S.G.)

Keyboards:

Derek Sherinian - (Dream Theater, Platypus, Planet X, Section A, All Too Human, Jughead, Alice Cooper, Kiss (live))
Jens Johansson (Johansson, Silver Mountain, The Johansson Brothers, Stratovarius, Dio, Mastermind)
Mats Olausson (Silver Mountain, Ark, MVP, Kamelot (live), Biscaya)
David Rosenthal (Hammerhead, Vinnie Moore, Rainbow)
Joakim Svalberg
Nick Marinovich