Fire & Ice by Yngwie Malmsteen (CD, Feb-1992, Elektra)

The master of Neo-Classical Metal, Yngwie Malmsteen, delivers a
quality performance in with his 1992 release Fire and Ice. With his
complex guitar riffs mixed with the melodies that only classical
music can deliver, this is a real must have for the true music fan.

Song reviews:

Perpetual – 5 out of 5 – An engaging melody mixed with complex
guitar riffs.

Dragonfly – 4 out of 5 – A powerful slow jam that gets stuck in your
head.

Teaser – 2 out of 5 – A cheesey song who's only redeeming quality is
the guitar solo.

How many Miles to Babylon – 4 out of 5 – The first 1 minute 53
second of this song feature a beautiful classical melody. Then the
song turns into a powerful melodic slow jam.

Cry No More – 3 out of 5 – A powerful slow melody accented by the
masterful guitar work of Yngwie and powerful lyrics.

Show No Mercy – 3 out of 5 – Nothing really remarkable about this
song. It's not a bad song, but it's not great either.

C'ast la Vie – 3 out of 5 – A brilliant slow jam with a hook that
you can't help but sing along with.

Leviathan – 5 out of 5 – A masterful instrumental piece accented by
complex guitar riffs and 7/8 timing being played on the drums. A
very complex piece of music. Brilliant.

Fire and Ice – 4 out of 5 – Has a real `80s feel to this song and
can easily get stuck in your head. Tight vocal harmonies and
masterful guitar playing.

Forever is a Long Time – 4 out of 5 – Extremely fast guitar playing.
Playing at nearly impossible speeds.

I'm my Own Enemy – 5 out of 5 – A beautiful power ballad with
powerful lyrics.

All I want is everything – 3 out of 5 – A fairly straight forward
metal song.

Golden Dawn – 5 out of 5 – A gorgeous piece of music. This
instrumental is a straight forward classical piece.

Final Curtain – 3 out of 5 – A brilliant blend of classical music
with hair metal.


Over all I give this album a rating of 4 out of 5.

This was Yngwies' only release on Elektra Records; and why I have no idea. The music is pretty good; and the production is first rate. He brought in Simon Hanhart; Waysted, Saxon, to engineer and record this offering. I have always liked Simons' work; the job he did producing Waysteds; Save Your Prayers cd, was awesome. For the mix he brought in the gurus' of mix; Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero. Everyone should know their work from the first three Tesla cds'. If you like classically influenced hard rock; then this is your cup of tea. While not as heavy as some of Yngwies' other work; it is still a pretty good disc. As always; he has surrounded himself with top notch talent. I especially like Goran Edman on vocals; and the rest of the band are very adept at their craft. My favorite tracks are "C'est La Vie and I'm My Own Enemy"; while the rest are good; these two really stand out to me. If you are a diehard Yngwie fan; and you need this to finish out your collection; then by all means buy this. But don't pay too much for it; you might be disappointed.

Although this is definitely not Yngwie's finest work, it certainly isn't his shabbiest either. Sure the production isn't pristine, and neither is the overall quality of the song writing, but the album offers a few gems: Dragonfly, How Many Miles to Babylon, Leviathan, and the title track: Fire & Ice.

In the end, the album has its share of strong tunes...but often leaves the listener cold and wondering how Yngwie's song writing could have gone down such an uninspired path. Thus, it seems fair to conclude that Yngwie should have left his compositional skills solely within the realm of neo-classical shred instead of trying to get that oh-so-sweet radio play and critical acclaim. Try as he may, this is a decent album regardless; just stick with 1984's "Rising Force" through 86's "Trilogy" - those were his glory years and always will be!
-MJB

I bought this cd because it is out of print and I could not find it anywhere else. It was new with no scratches or cracks on the case or cd. I played it in my stereo and it sounded great. It was my first cd purchased on e-bay and I am pleased with the result.