It's always hard for me to read reviews of Yngwie Malmsteen's albums, because they always tend to fall into two categories: first, the aspiring guitar players who put more emphasis on Malmsteen's skill with his instrument than his actual music and whose sense of hero worship for Malmsteen leads them to venerate his recordings based purely on the speed of his soling ("if you like REAL guitar playing, check this out!"); and second, the pretentious would-be music journalists who feel compelled to dismiss anything he does based purely on the fact that he's Yngwie Malmsteen ("he plays with no feel, it's all just mindless speed and fireworks," etc.) Neither perception of Malmsteen's work is very accurate, and both are wrong for the simple reason that there was much more to Malmsteen's early work than mere guitar pyrotechnics and flashy speed-of-light arpeggiated solos -- a fact that his worshippers don't seem to care about and that his detractors refuse to acknowledge.

Malmsteen does, in fact, play with a good deal of feel and emotion on this album. His love and enthusiasm for making music show through in everything he plays here. And of course, at this point in his career, Malmsteen was still a guitar virtuoso of the highest order. Even though Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore had been the first heavy metal guitarist to incorporate classical scales into a hard rock style, and Ozzy Osbourne's late right-hand man Randy Rhoads had perfected what would come to be known as the neoclassical style of heavy metal guitar, Malmsteen built on their work, creating a fully-formed and innovative style. Make no mistake about it: Yngwie Malmsteen is an exceptionally talented guitarist, and this album was one of the last moments where he actually demonstrated it.

But what both Malmsteen's fans and his critics fail to realize is that there's a lot more to look at in his music than just instrumental prowess. "Rising Force" is made up of genuinely good songs. "Black Star" is one of the all-time great rock instrumentals; it's one of the few Malmsteen instrumental composition that's actually built around a signature riff and contains a distinguishable solo (and what a solo it is!), rather than the entire song being the solo. The same can be said for "Evil Eye" and "Little Savage." "Far Beyond the Sun" and "Icarus' Dream Suite," by contrast, feature Malmsteen using a technique that Joe Satriani would often employ: namely, letting his guitar take on the role of "lead vocalist."

The real lead vocalist of Malmsteen's band, however, was a talented young self-taught singer named Jeff Scott Soto. Soto is one of the finest vocalists in all of rock music, but on this album he rarely gets a chance to show it. His vocals are only featured on two tracks, neither of which lets him show what he's capable of. "Now Your Ships Are Burned" makes terrible use of his amazing range, and "As Above, So Below" only hints at the feats of vocal brilliance he would achieve on Malmsteen's second album, "Marching Out." As it is, Soto manages to hold his own on this record and sound convincing, even while singing Malmsteen's sub-par lyrics.

Both "Rising Force" and its follow-up, "Marching Out," see Yngwie Malmsteen in rare form, as his amazing instrumental talent is actually matched by the music he uses it to create. It's just a shame that most people -- including those who actually like Malmsteen's style of playing -- don't allow for him to do anything musically interesting, which is what he was most certainly doing on this album.

I remember being in high school in the mid-80's and hearing the tale of this Yngwie Malmsteen character from all my musician buddies. Yngwie Malmsteen? What the hell kinda name is that? Who's this punk from Sweden think he is? I heard the Steeler stuff with Ron Keel and wasn't that impressed. The Alcatrazz stuff was better but Graham Bonnet got on my nerves. Then, out of nowhere, comes Rising Force.... Jesus H. Christ! This little punk from Sweden with the attitude from hell and the fingers forged of lighning really turned some heads, including mine. After snagging Uli Jon Roth licks in Alcatrazz, Yngwie settles down on his own and created one of the most important neo-classical shredder albums of all time. Just listening to it every now and again still fills me with awe. Since most of Rising Force is instrumental, Yngwie never caught on with the chick crowd and therefore never attained Rock God stature. He was more of a mucisian's musician. The two songs that bear lyrics are "As Above, So Below" & "Now Your Ships Are Burned" giving us a glimpse of the coolness that was Jeff Scot Soto on lead vocals. Yngwie's lyrics aren't exactly the best, and they continue into the cheesy all the way into Trilogy, but these are still two of my favorite songs by Yngwie. As far as the rest of the album is concerned, where the instrumentals dominate, there is "Black Star" as the quintessential Yngwie staple. "Far Beyond The Sun" rocks in so many ways that it makes your head reel and the intensity of "Icarus Dream Suite Op. 4" with Yngwie trading licks with keyboardist Jens Johansen is insane. "Evil Eye" is very cool and one of the first songs I ever learned on guitar. "Little Savage" is mostly Yngwie showing off his speed to a pounding, semi-monotonous beat. And "Farewell" is just a little lesson in harmonics. Overall, you wanna hear a pioneer in the guitar shredding community. Yngwie J. Malmsteen's Rising Force is the album to buy. You won't be disappointed. After listening to him, you'll wind up using your guitar as a coffee table, as Spinal Tap's David St. Hubbins once said of The Ynger.

Dig it!

Few people today think that the electric guitar can be expanded beyond what has already been accomplished. But back in 1984, the possibilities seemed endless with the guitar onslaught that was just on the horizon. Lots of young guitar players were widdling their fingers to the bone trying to emulate the two-handed fretboard tapping of Eddie Van Halen...soon that wouldn't seem so hard. Straight off his stint with Steeler and still playing in Alcatrazz with the legendary Graham Bonnett, came Yngwie J. Malmsteen and his brand new solo project Rising Force. This (Yngwie's only grammy nominated work) showcased the guitarist like nothing had yet...or sadly, since for that matter. But hey, who could really top this classic? The power ballad "Black Star" starts us off with searing melodies and off the wall speed playing, or, as we came to call it, for better or worse, SHREDDING!! The revolution started here! This record truly does put the guitar on a silver platter and shows off Yngwie's brand of (then newly coined as well) neo-classical rock. "Far Beyond The Sun", probably his overall best song, is chock full of death defying scale runs and sweep arpeggios and feature some very classic themes and variations that we all came to love from this guy. Those two songs really form the basis of the Malmsteen style. Enter singer Jeff Scott Soto for the medieval rock of "Now You Ships Are Burned". "Evil Eye" features hard groove and lots of cool breaks, twists, and turns. "Icarus' Dream Suite Opus 4" is many a guitar fan's favorite and totally captures Yngwie's depth, feel and touch on the instrument. But this whole album does! Scott Soto returns one more time for "As Above, So Below"...we groove HARD on "Little Savage"...then Yngwie puts us down for the night with the moody and beautiful "Farewell". Also of important note is the guitar tone on this record which is so raw and pure...could a Fender Strat and Marshall amp really sound like that? With Yngwie at the helm, all was, and still is possible. Kudos also to Jens Johansson who played some of the best rock keyboards ever and acted as a great foil soloist to Yngwie's Evel Kenivel style Bach and Roll. Classic style drummong from Barremore Barlow and superb bass plaing from Yngwie! If you are a fan of guitar, guitar playing, or just real good music in general, I highly recommend this album. It started a virtual revolution in technique, style and overall guitar know-how. Yngwie fanned the flames of over-the-top guitar in the Reagan 80's and, although he was shunned in the early 90's by the same folks who made him a guitar god, with YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN'S RISING FORCE, the legend would never die.

I own Concerto Suite For Electric guitar and thought the playing was excellent. I did enjoy the music, but I was very interested in hearing some of Malmsteen's metal albums. When a friend asked if I wanted to see him live, I went along and was totally blown away. I'd been meaning to buy Rising Force (if not another one of his albums) but that gig was what made me.

And I have to say that impressed is not the word. I was absolutely amazed by what I heard. From the doomy Black Star (proof that slow and emotional is also heavy) and the fast guitar/keyboard duelling in the speedy Far Beyond The Sun through the epic Icarus Dream Suite to the closing piece, Malmsteen plays some of the most amazing guitar I've ever heard.

Overplays? Well he always has, he always will and he always should.

But, continuing on that, there is the age old "no emotion" thing that people criticise. Emotion is not a fact - some music can convey emotion to some people. My sister says that Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers (NOT the Gareth Gates version which she hates) sends shivers down her spine. But it does nothing for me. Similarly, she does not feel the same passion and intesity exude from Randy Rhoads' guitar solos in Ozzy Osbourne's Mr Crowley that I do. Yngwie Malmsteen DOES play with emotion. Maybe you don't see it and that is fair enough, but others do.

At the end of the day, 75% or so of this is guitar soloing (think Nicolo Pagninni's 24 Caprices played on a Fender Strat - Malmsteen cites this piece as a major influence in his playing) so it may not be for everyone. There are only 2 songs with vocals and even then guitar is still dominant. But if you like technical guitar music, like classical and like it indulgent (well it is, but for many that's a plus) then this is a highly recommended album.

Yngwie Malmsteen had quit the two bands before creating Rising Force with him as the main person. Malmsteen quickly recruited Jens Johansson (Keyboardist Phenomenon who is currently in a dying band Stratovarious), Barriemore Barlow (On the drums, whew this guy rocks!), Jeff Soto for vocals (Jeff Soto's voice isn't heard that much on this album but people don't really care as if you buy this album you should expect mostly an instrumental type of record) and Yngwie Malmsteen on the Acoustic, Electric AND Bass guitar. What in hells name does he NOT play? I'm beginning to this this genius not only create melodic fast pieces but he can also play them with lots of showmanship. Before Malmsteen started to try and commercialize his albums, Malmsteen had written his own lyrics...which upset Soto since he could not do much in that band. His raw and pure energy had been recorded in this album and I doubt anyone can find something as great as this album. Yes somehow this was the first album I had bought and I don't think I regret EVER buying this.