“Rising Force”
By Kyle S., Glendale, AZ
In 1984, Yngwie Malmsteen released his first solo album, “Rising Force,” which set the standard for neo-classical music. The first piece, “Black Star,” begins with a classical guitar playing peacefully with harmonics and sets the mood for the rest of the album. It is filled with emotion, technical guitar playing, and has masterfully fused the sound of electric guitar with classical riffs.
The next song, “Far Beyond the Sun,” is a masterpiece. You can really tell how much skill the 20-year-old Malmsteen had even back then. It has almost six minutes of guitar-shredding solos backed by an excellent keyboardist.
The two songs that feature vocals, “As Above, So Below” and “Now Your Ships Are Burned,” feature Malmsteen’s unbelievable talent, but the lyrics seem corny. “Icarus’ Dream Suite Op. 4” is an eight-and-a-half minute instrumental with a perfectly balanced mix of a classical song with a modern tone that features both acoustic and electric sound. This incredible ’80s musical wonder ends with the perfect song: “Farewell.”
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