Yngwie Malmsteen Discusses His New Album Perpetual Flame - Page 2

Well, I was writing some new songs and they certainly had a hard edge to them. I needed someone who could carry that across. I got together with Tim in Miami and he sang three tracks and it was like wow. Yes. He really does have a great voice and once we started together I just knew that he could do those songs. Sure enough he does. You know it’s like casting a movie you need just the right guy to put over what you want.

Is that where Roy Z came into it, through Tim and the Judas Priest connection?

Well actually I did the all the production on the album. I produced it, engineered it the whole thing really. From the first drum being wired to the final thing it was me. Roy came in and mixed it at the end. He did a great job.

The new album is like you’ve kicked your way into the studio and really want to get the album down. There is so much energy coming right out, straight from the start. Pure energy. How do you maintain that?

Yes.  I guess it is passion, passion for it. Some people have a saying that ‘less is more.’ Well, not for me. I look at it the other way. More is more and less is still less. So, I go all out, everything. Give it all and push myself to the limit to get there.

How do you write? Music is in your blood isn’t it - are you the sort of guy that has music flowing through you all the time?

Well, in fact, it’s hard for me to listen to anything without hearing it as a producer does. You know, I wouldn’t have put that snare there or in that way. I can sit at home or anywhere and hear something and grab my guitar and start working with it. It was like when I first heard Deep Purple’s Fireball. My sister gave me Fireball and I was like, ‘wow’, and I went out and bought In Rock. I was eight years old and by the time I was ten I could play note for note Made In Japan. In fact I heard Made In Japan before I heard Machine Head. When I did hear Machine Head I thought ‘mmm this sounds quiet you know’.

Article Author: Jeff Perkins

Jeff is a writer who lives in France. He writes CD/DVD box sets, music reviews and has had a book published about David Byron of Uriah Heep. He is 'busy' exploring the music of Europe with his wife Debbie and dog Dylan. It's Dylan that does the writing of course. …

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