Yngwie Malmsteen performed at this year's Hellfest in Clisson, France, and during his stay the Swedish guitar virtuoso held a press conference. It can be viewed below courtey of Loud TV.

Malmsteen: "In rock and roll, even if you're a solo artist, like Ozzy Osbourne or whoever, they have songs written for them, they have producers and stuff like this. I don't do that. I do everything. I actually do everything, and it's not because I'm an egotistic person that I don't want anybody else to take the credit. No. It's because instead of what you would say a traditional rock and roll Lennon-McCartney, Keith Richards-Mick Jagger (songwriting partnership) - I love all them guys; I think they're fucking great - I work more like an author, like let's say Stephen King or Johann Sebastian Bach. Basically I'm like a painter or an author."

"That's why I don't have co-writers and so on. Because when I did have that, every single time I came out unhappy and I wasn't pleased with the resul, and I only live once. So what I wanna leave behind, what I wanna create, what I wanna put out on records, what I wanna perform on stage, is something that is purely my expression because I have so much inside. I want pure expression of myself, not diluted by having Elvis Presley in the band. Most singers think they're Elvis Presley. They're not. They're just another instrument in my orchestra."

Malmsteen recently announced a string of US tour dates in September / October / November. Support on "The 40th Anniversary Tour" will be provided by Kurt Deimer, who joins the tour on September 27.

Says Malmsteen: "Excited to announce I’ll be embarking on a new USA tour celebrating forty years of my solo career. Can’t wait to see you all on the road - you’re not going to want to miss this 🎸💥

Tickets are available here.

Dates:

September
26 - Ft Myers, FL - TBA
27 - Clearwater, FL - Capital Theater
28 - Mount Dora, FL - Mount Dora Music Hall
29 - Tallahassee, FL - The Moon

October
2 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater
4 - Plattsburgh, NY - Srand Center
5 - Pawtucket, RI - The Met
6 - New Haven, CT - Toads Place
7 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur
9 - York, PA - Double Barrel Roadhouse
10 - Woodstock, NY - Colony Woodstock
11 - Millville, NJ - Levoy Theater
12 - Buffalo, NY - Electric City Music Hall
13 - St Charles, IL - Arcada Theater
16 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
18 - Tacoma, WA - Temple Theater
19 - Dalles, OR - Granada Theater
20 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
22 - Roseville, CA - Goldfields
24 - Los Angeles, CA - Saban Theater
25 - Anaheim, CA - Grove
26 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
27 - San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
30 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom

November
1 - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa Theater
2 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
3 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live
4 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
5 - Dallas, TX - Trees
7 - Covington, KY - Madison Theater
8 - Lorain, OH - Lorain Place
9 - Columbus, OH - King Of Clubs
10 - Leesburg, VA - Tallyho Theater
14 - Ashland, KY - Paramount Arts Center
15 - Oakmont, PA - Oaks Theater
16 - Newton, NJ - Newton Theater
18 - New York, NY - Grammercy