Trilogy (1986)
Rating: 8/10
Satriani was probably more inventive, and Steve Vai might have been faster...
but did either one of them fight dragons?? Didn't think so...
All hail Yngwie!
Yngwie Malmsteen was of course the best of the neo-classical guitar shredders that found favour with metal fans in the 80s, the fastest left hand in Sweden and the rest of the world. I like this album more than its glossier, pop-metal followup, ODYSSEY, and the dourly entrenched nordic medievalism of the preceding album, MARCHING OUT.
TRILOGY to begin with has a great fantasy-style cover in which Yngwie fends off the attack of a fire-breathing three-headed dragon with his guitar. Yeah, it's very "ha ha, good luck, Yngwie, we'll be visiting you in the hospital Burns Unit," but it's also totally appropriate for a euro-metal, swords n' sorcery masterpiece like this.
Now the brilliance of the music itself... having you muster all your operatic vehemence to shout along to a song that goes : "Liar! Liar!! Liar!!!" Just as if you were acting out a part in some Wagnerian epic, only with thundering drums and manic fretwork in place of an orchestra. Come on, you know you'd want to do it too... Liar!! Liar!! LIAR!! What, too "Dark Ages" for you? Well, as Yngwie would have it, there's a song going by that very name in here too!
My favourite though, is Yngwie's take on Guiniverean adultery, "Queen in Love," with its cheesy Europe-sque keyboard riff (elsewhere on this album, the synth flourishes aren't too far away from early ABBA) and fabulous sing-a-long chorus. Then there's also "Crying," the very best of Yngwie's overwrought instrumental ballads.
I'd go on about why I've always liked Malmsteen better than Steve Vai or Joe Satriani (he fights dragons, doesn't have blue hair etc), but I don't think I could put it to more succinct effect than if you were to all just go to the YJM site at http://pd.net/yngwie/, where they ask that if "ye be a true Malmsteen warrior and possessed of Viking valor, click any of the magic portals below with your runestaff and it shall be opened to you." Hahahahaha. Isn't that just too cool?
Gerald Tan 1997
Comments about the Album or Review
Note: By submitting your comments, you thereby allow me to reprint them in full or in part on this website.
FROM: PEB69@webtv.net (Pat Butler)
FROM: biancacg@hotmail.com (Bianca)
FROM: www.@alex.com (alex saenz)
FROM: guitarE5@aol.com (Bryan)
FROM: piedra90@hotmail.com (Ernesto)
FROM: toni_oinonen@hotmail.com (Toni Oinonen)
FROM: Matte10011@aol.com (Matt Johansson)
FROM: virtioz@yahoo.com (ozgur)
FROM: c102-21@fs1.math.spbu.ru (Mikhael Katasonov)
FROM: lcm98525@angel.umar.mx (Roberto Velasco)
DATE: Mon, 5 Apr 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: First I liked to start off this mini-rant by saying that YNGWIE is clearly a
GOD!!! Now to our seriously delusional buddy, Matt Johansson,who on Jan.11'99
said "I can beat his ass with my playing"......BLASPHEMER!...dream on my little
friend.
DATE: Mon, 22 Mar 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: Your review was excellent!!!
The album Trilogy is perfect!!!
Yngwie Malmsteen is the best guitar player ever!!!
Thank you for your attention!!!
DATE: Fri, 26 Feb 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: i personally think that the TRILOGY album cover concept was perhaps more a of a
symbolic work of art, than anything else. It not only reflects upon Yngwie's
style and personality, but it also says a lot about where Yngwie was at the
time, both as a person, and as a musician. i thought TRILOGY was incredibly
artistic and wonderfully produced. Everybody is always talking about how fast
Yngwie plays, but i rarely hear anyone speak of his good phrasing and song
writing abilities....This album was a great representation of his abilities to
write, play, compose,produce and arrange good music. What can i say, it's
fucking "ear candy" man! As far as playing fast and having flashy album covers,
well anybody can do that. But my question is: Can they come up with something
like Trilogy?
DATE: Sat, 13 Feb 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: The best guitarist of all time gives his career performance....a lesson in
neo-classical shred guitar mastery!
DATE: Sat, 23 Jan 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: It's the best album of the world!!!
DATE: Wed, 13 Jan 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: Trilogy is musically the best recoring by malmsteen ever. I don´t think he´ll
ever manage to write anything like it. The solo parts are blindingly fast but
you can still hear the melody and every single note that´s played, and that is
something a very few guitarist manage to do. Listen to "Trilogy suite op:5",
it´s fast, VERY difficult to play but best of all.... it can´t be played
cleaner.
DATE: Mon, 11 Jan 1999
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: I can beat his ass with my playing.
It`s faster than You Yngwie!
MJ
DATE: Thu, 31 Dec 1998
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: Yeah. I think Malmsteen is the best guitarist of the world. Somebady says he
always play same riff. yes maybe its correct. but other virtiuzos also play
their own style . They must be play their own riff. But malmsteen got a difirent
carisma. His song are usualy minor and dark thats why he reachs our hards.
Trilogy is very mistic and orginal album. His technich is uper floor on this
album. Especialy his picking technich very higher. I live in İstanbul Türkiye.
Malmsteen came here last summer with his Türkish women and gave a great conser
at open theatre. I saw his right hand very closer. İt was unbelivebel.
especialy sweep picking technichs were unreachabel. Thats the Malmsteen I think.
Because his power comes from his picking technich. I didn't write too much about
Trilogy I think we can't think Malmsteen album by album or song by song.
Malmsteen is a great whole subject. Thank you very much and write a mail for
me.
DATE: Thu, 10 Dec 1998
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: Trilogy is the best Yngwiee's album.
I've heard it at first in 5 & listen this album now.
It's my favourite neo-classical player.
where I can find his tabs?
DATE: Thu, 17 Dec 1998
SUBJECT: Trilogy
COMMENTS: I just want ro say that Mr. Big Yngwie Malmsteen
has been one oj the best player guitar in the world.
Que viva el metal por siempre!!!!!!
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