About that guitar? It’s a near exact replica of Yngwie’s famed and much beaten up early ‘70s yellow-and-white “duck” Fender Stratocaster he brought to America from Sweden, complete with his unique, deeply “scalloped” – the carving out of wood between a guitar’s 21 or so frets so you hit all strings without touching anything else – maple fingerboard, a replica of the old axe’s scratches, and his personal signature. The guitar’s neck is a bit different in shape from his old guitar, and the frets and headstock are a bit larger, in a ‘70s-style way. And Malmsteen couldn’t have sounded happier with the finished product, describing the new guitar (which he uses regularly now) as “unbelievable” and basically exactly the way he wanted it – updated and refurbished.
Regarding the new CD Perpetual Flame, which was released October 14, I asked him about the reaction fans have given him, and he tells me no one has a bad word to say about it, only great things. On tunes like “Magic City,” Malmsteen takes a rare shot at lead vocals and when asked how comfortable he feels singing, says “people tell me every day ‘You should sing more!’” and goes on to say he does a lot of backup vocals on his songs. He is a guitarist first and foremost after all, though on occasion he does play keyboards and the exotic-sounding sitar, which he learned to play in Sweden when he was younger. And speaking of the sitar, Malmsteen said that is indeed a sitar you hear near the end of “Magic City.”
One of the more revealing facts he told me about the making of this album is that over the last year or so, when he was putting together songs and band members for it, he realized that his singer at the time, Doogie White “just wouldn’t cut it,” and wanted to go a different route vocally. Thus, the much raved about Tim “The Ripper” Owens – who sang with Iced Earth and Judas Priest when original singer Rob Halford went solo – joined his Rising Force band as lead singer. His aggressiveness and range was a “perfect fit” for the album, which Malmsteen informs me, features many down-tuned songs (in Eb and Db on bass/guitar). Derek Sherinian, the Eddie Van Halen of keyboardists, also plays on the record (as he did on the Attack!! record), and as Malmsteen tells me, has known and worked with him at various points for 10 years now, but won’t be touring with the band. Michael Troy is the current touring keyboardist.
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