In a new interview with MusicRadar, Yngwie Malmsteen discusses his new album Parabellum, the irresistible risks of improv, his Marshall amp Room of Doom, firing over a hundred rounds from his .357 Magnum in the studio, and more. An excerpt from the chat follows...

MusicRadar: With this being a pandemic album and you being so classically minded, one imagines you cast in the role of Guillaume de Machaut, hiding from the Black Death at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Reims to write Le Messe de Notre Dame.

Yngwie Malmsteen: “[Laughs] You know what? I think that you are partially right about that! I learned many years ago that, when it comes to recording – not so much writing but recording – too much time can be a really bad thing. Yes, it can. But luckily I have sussed that out. I learned very many years ago that, if you keep doing takes, keep doing takes, keep doing takes, they don’t get better. They just don’t get better.

“All my solos are improvised. They are not written out. They are not pre-mapped out, nothing. Obviously, I know which key I am in. I know the chord progression. I know that. But that is about it. I create on the spot. Things like all the fast stuff, the arpeggios, and the vocal parts, stuff like that, then I will just do it until it is right, but with the solos I have to find a really magical moment to get it right.

“It’s the same with writing. I find that writing is something that has to be spontaneous otherwise it doesn’t it excite me. Because I could literally write anything I want, and do anything I want. If you asked me to write a death metal or a country song, or a reggae song? Yeah, yeah. Call me back in 10 minutes. Done! No problem. But that doesn’t excite me. That’s not something that I would go, ‘Oh my God!’ That is something that comes to me like a gift, like someone has given me something, and I just kinda grab it and make it mine.

“So time is good but unless you use it the right way it can actually be bad. And also, where I live, there was never any lockdown. The only really, really true impact on my day-to-day life so to speak with this horrible pandemic was the fact that I wasn’t touring. But I am back now!”

Read the complete interview at MusicRadar.

Malmsteen released his new album, Parabellum, on July 23. Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Wolves At The Door"
"Presto Vivace in C# Minor"
"Relentless Fury"
"(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum"
"Eternal Bliss"
"Toccata"
"God Particle"
"Magic Bullet"
"(Fight) The Good Fight"
"Sea Of Tranquility"

"(Si Vis Pacem) Parabellum" video:

“Relentless Fury”:

"Wolves At The Door" lyric video:

Malmsteen has announced a string of US tour dates in November and December. John 5 will be supporting. Current dates, with more to be announced soon, are listed below. Tickets available at YngwieMalmsteen.com.

Dates:

November
18 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
19 - Buffalo, NY - Showplace Theater
20 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance Theater
21 - Albany, NY - Empire Theatre
23 - Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Hall
24 - Harrisburg, PA - HMAC Center    
26 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
27 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theater    
28 - Richmond, VA - The National
30 - Ashwaubenon, WI - EPIC Event Center

December
1 - Columbus, OH - King of Clubs            
2 - Des Plaines, IL - Des Plaines Theatre
3 - Detroit, MI - Diesel
6 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater                                
8 - Reno, NV - Virginia Street Theater
9 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club       
10 - Fresno, CA - Tower Theater   
11 - Montclair, CA - The Canyon Club  
12 - Santa Clarita, CA - Canyon Club    
14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater    
16 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Hall